JC, hello yes I am wondering that. I have spent the last year or so searching for her.

Following up birth regs/baptisms of any Alice Emily ( ? ) and any Alice (?) using the approximate year of birth all on the Isle of Wight. Most I have found married and otherwise occupied on the 1901 census somewhere else, so that automatically eliminated those ones. I still have a handful that don't appear after 1891 that can't be found.

Recently I have started to look at the given name/birth year and birthplace of Isle of Wight but living in Sussex, Sussex is where William H Cox lived in 1891 (Brighton). More recently I have turned my attention to looking for this person living on the Isle of Man prior to 1901. I know William H Cox was on the Isle of Man approximately 1892 because he was listed there in a trade directory for 1894.

The big questions are:

Did she marry in England and was then widowed or separated, met William H Cox and they went together, or my last theory she was living on the Isle of Man already? Also which age is correct on the 2 censuses I have her on - 1901 aged 40, which possible was given to the enumerator by William H Cox or aged 44 in 1911 which was given by herself as a 'widow'?

Going back to your reply JC, I think that you are correct the information you have found on Alice E Bowers does rule her out.

David, I am looking for an Alice Emily or possibly just Alice living on the Isle of Man 1891 or before born 1860 - 1868 born England (it's a pity that all the census records don't specify which part of England).

I have seen an Alice Braithwaite born 1866 and traced her to being born in Ireland, also an Alice Heggie married to a Robert who are on the 1901, so that does rule them out.

I think this task to find out more about the mysterious Alice will be made easier if/when Isle of Man burial/death records are online as the freebmds are.

But then I would have the added problem of was Alice registered/buried under her real surname or Cox. Then again she could of gone back to England after 1911!!!

Thank you JC (and thank you for remembering who my research revolves around) and thank you David for your interest and help.

Ewan, going round in circles.