Hello Joe,

What a lovely surprise! If you noticed the date of my message it is a number of years since it was posted! I have had to remind myself of the problems I was having. I think I have now found the relevant info and where I think I was up to!

I believe John Rigg & Eunice Briggs are my 2xgreat grandparents and their daughter Ann (baptised 06 May 1817) is my great grandmother but therein lay a problem.

There is a burial recorded for an Ann Riggs, I think it is in the index of the Malew Burial Register, which says - RIGGS, Ann infant - 24 Jun 1823. However, after having discussed this with a lady from the IOMFHS, who confirmed that the registers are full of errors, we believe, the burial entry is for John Rigg & Eunice Briggs’ daughter Eunice (baptised 23 Jul 1820). Eunice is referred to on her grandparents’ gravestone but even on that the surnames are muddled and the date (year) is adrift from index entry! I suppose these errors occurred because many people at that time could not read or write so could not check what had been written.

With regard to John Rigg & Eunice Briggs. I think I have traced Eunice Briggs back to Urswick in Lancashire but I am stuck with John Rigg who married Eunice at Malew on 06 Jan 1811. Who was he? Where did he come from? Is he the John Rigg who was buried on 1 Mar 1825?

I know Eunice Rigg (nee Briggs) married a Peter Cole on 16 Jan 1830 at Hawkshead, Lanacashire so John Rigg must have died before then and Eunice must have left the Isle of Man.

If you can help me with John Rigg I would be most grateful.

Many, many thanks for getting in touch. Jenet