i would like to thank everyone for taking the time to research my family history.
Thank you sue for staying in contact and for linking me up with philip.
The amount of information philip has found on my family is incredible and he has put a huge amount of work into his research.
I am very grateful for your efforts philip.
I have discovered information about robert bruce that makes him a bit more of a person to me instead of only a listing in a census!
Even though the christians, joughins and myself have no blood ties they are an important part of our family tree and roberts life.
I was interested to read that robert adopted!! a child, I believe robert was a church elder,perhaps it was he as part of the church looking after the needy.
In answer to your questions philip,
james edward bruce was my g grandfather and born in 1843 iom, I can only assume that he was illegitimate for although it is stated on his death cert
that anne cowley was his mother we can find no wedding.
The james mentioned in roberts will would be his son (he did get first mention too)
I agree with your comments on the 1851 will and he being the grandson mentioned
I agree with all your thoughts on james.
We do have bit of oral history that said james was offered the farm but declined as he had made a new life in australia, I think this makes him the james in the will.
James is hard to track for a few years until he shows up in spitalfield london where he marries annie hill who dies in childbirth while he is at sea
this again is oral history, but it suggest he was a seaman, he then married his housekeeper. (bullen).
I am having some research done on james seamans records at the moment I may explain his movements.
I still need to find our anne cowley
She must be out there somewhere,I would really like to resolve this.
Is there a cowley researcher out there with some information please.
Many thanks again
Cheers
Raymond Bruce