I am still struggling to piece together my Starkeys!

Sue - you gave me some great info, which has filled in a lot of gaps, but I still have a few left, and I wondered if you, or anyone else could help.

I have got Thomas Henry Starkey and all his siblings and offspring - it is his father, John J Starkey I am having real difficulty tracking.

In the 1861 census he is listed as b.1828, from Kk Bride and living with spouse ELLEN at The Old Crop (+ Edward 7, Elizabeth 5 & John 3)

In 1871 he is b. 1827, from Andreas and living with spouse ELLINOR at 13 Strand St. Maughold (+ Edward 17, Eliz 15, Thomas H 11 & Ellin ?)

Then, in 1881 (I am assuming it's the same John J) he is b, 1831(!) IoM, living with spouse ELLEN at 13 Strand St. Maughold (+ Eliz 26 married, Thomas 22, Ellen 20, William A 13, Isabella 11, Roderick 6 and John James 5 months).

In all censuses John J is listed as either Coach or car Proprietor.

It appears their first born Edward COULD be Edward TEARE Starkey, so I wondered if his mother Ellen/Ellinor could have been a Teare? I can find nothing in the censuses or Brian's list to back this up though, so in fact, I have no idea who Ellen is OR John J - I would dearly love to get his parentage in particular, as I'm still trying to link him to the names below, though I may have to admit defeat (grudgingly)....

The other one I'm stuck with is William Henry (possibly Wm. Henry Thomas) Starkey's parentage, except that, thanks to Sue, I know he married Jemima Cain in 1869, and through this I know his father was William (Labourer) but I can find nothing at all on this William, or who his spouse was, nor any siblings of WHT - but I do have all his offspring (William Thomas, John James, Walter, Edward, Mary Ann, Amy, Elizabeth Jane, and Sarah).

Curiously, the first POSSIBLE mention I get of WHT is at the age of 3 months, living with the Martin family (in Bride, and from Bride) and described as nephew - John Martin 67 farm labourer, wife Ann 55, Edward 21, Ann 19, Thomas 13 and Elizabeth 8 (which means Ann Snr would have been 47 when she gave birth - isn't that unusual?). There are one or two very tenuous possibles in the censuses - in 1861(but I could only find this in Brian's 1861 list) there is a William aged 10 living with William 30, Mary Ann 28 and Mary Ann 3, in Ramsey. This would of course mean WHT's mother was Mary Ann - IF that is the right family. Incidentally, I think WHT later married Ada Kinrade, a few years after Jemima's (Cain) death.

I hope all that isn't too garbled, and that somebody out there can shed some light on the inpenetrable darkness that is my ancestry!

Regards

Maggie