[Nell]

My gt x 3 grandparents John Smoothy & Elizabeth Wilsher/Wiltshire were married in Chelmsford, Essex, in 1805. When I visited Essex RO I checked various registers but only found 3 children, my gt x 2 grandfather John b 1812, Charles b 1816 and Elizabeth b 1820.

I was a little surprised as at those dates I expected a larger family and was puzzled that the first known child didn't appear until 7 years after the marriage. I did ask a genealogy friend to check the burials register in case there were some stillbirths/dead babies but none were found.

I'd also found a William Smoothy who I felt must be connected, but his 2nd marriage cert said his father John was a tanner and not a labourer, and he was insistent on censuses that he was born in Widford, though I couldn't find his baptism.

Well, I got onto SEAX earlier this week and found William's baptism - in Chelmsford, in 1807, parents John and Elizabeth. I am guessing William was a bit muddled about where he was born as he gives Moulsham on a later census, which is an area of Chelmsford now. I'm also guessing his father's occupation on his marriage cert was either a mistake, or a way of William aggrandising his old man.

Anyway, I am finally able to join William, his two wives and 13 children to my tree, and I also found a sister Eliza, who neatly slots in between William and John, being baptised in 1810.

I'm so glad I didnt' dismiss William, but kept him in my tree hoping to link him in somehow.