Hello Bruce

I too failed to find an Alice Kermode in the 1881 England Census, but in the IoM one there are two Alice Maudes, many Alices, and many who have A as the first or middle initial. I have discounted the Lonan Alice because of the age discrepancy and her place of birth - my Alice is described as born in Peel or just the IoM. There is another Alice Maude Mary who has the same dob but a different surname; I did toy with the thought that my Alice for some reason was claiming a surname not her own, but that's getting a bit too hairy.

Allan's age is even more variable than you think: christened in July 1853, his dob is consistent in the 1861, 1871, 1881 IoM census, but at the 1891 England Census he's lost 2 years, at the 1901 Census he's lost 3 years. He died in 1915 aged 54 years, a loss of 7 years, and equating to a dob of 1861.

I'm accepting the Peel Alice as my best fit of the moment but I'm uneasy about the age discrepancy, the lack of marriage/birth records and the fact that she has not chosen her own family names for any of her six children.

regards
Alan