Thank you Sue:

I apologise for not giving the names of the girls.

Your are correct re Eleanor Ly (Lydia?) I also feel sure that the 'Ly' means she is named after her mother. The other girl was named 'Polly' aged one in the 1901 c showing born in Gateshead, but unable to find her in the 1911 census.

I would like to know what happened to the parents around 1905/6 which caused the two boys to be handed over to Barnardo's and subsequently being sent to Canada as Home Children.

I am also hoping to find out who Wm Skillicorn's (father) is, as the boys were described as 'cousins' to an uncle, Harold Skillicorn DOB 1897 who also went to Canada with Barnardo's in 1913.

I have tried to establish who Wm's father is but so far, without success.

I wonder if the family went back to IOM after 1901 and the parents died there although I have looked on BL's DB and not there. Would there be an MI's for Wm and / or Lydia?

Many thanks again.