Ann LaCoss of Canaan, New Hampshire, USA, says My great, great grandfather was Samuel Skeggs  who married a Jane Kettle in 1839. This is as far back as we can get - so many Samuel Skeggs's out there. No info on Jane Kettle either. Is there anyone out there who might be researching this name too. It is hard to do research from this side of the Atlantic so any help would be appreciated.

I am waiting for 1881 Census CD's to come to see if I can get more info on Jane and Samuel. They had several children. My grandmother was Annie Sarah Skeggs, she had two sisters, one was called Nelly the other name we do not know as of now. Annie went to London and had three children, Percy, Harry and Joan (my mother) Annie was born in Kings Walden, her mother was in service at a manor there. My great grandfather was a Ward. I can supply some detail if requested.

The British VRI CD includes an index of the Bramfield baptism registers between 1813 and 1958 and this shows that Samuel and Jane Skeggs had 8 children baptised at Bramfield between 1839 and 1862. They were Maria (SKAGGS, 1839); Caroline (1841), Samuel (1848), Charles (1852), William (1853), George (1857), Harry (1859) and John William (1862). It also shows a Jane Kettle was christened at Bramfield on 15th March 1818, the daughter of James and Sarah Kettle. (I have not looked for any siblings.) You should consider looking at the 1851 and 1861 census returns for Bramfield - and also get Samuel and Jane's marriage certificate (from HALS) to get the names of the couples' fathers and other information.

By the way, don't underestimate the wealth of information readily available in the USA. Many of the more usual records you will need to research and confirm your family tree should be available at your nearest LDS Family History Centre which I would guess is at Lebanon, Grafton County.  While you will need to order the microfilms, etc., in advance you may well need to travel a smaller distance than I would to see an identical microfilm - and I live in Hertfordshire.