Hi Tony,

I couldn't find Jane with the children in censuses after 1891, and, as you wrote, Thomas was with Mary Ann and her McLaughlin children aged 13 & 11 (his step-children) in the 1901 census.

Lionel gave you the marriage registration for a Thomas Corkhill and Mary Ann McLaughlin in District: Whitehaven, County Cumberland, Year of Regt 1897, Quarter Jan-Feb-March, Volume: 10b, Page: 874.

He also gave you the Death of Jane Corkhill, Registration district: Whitehaven, County: Cumberland, Year of registration:1896, Quarter of registration:Jul-Aug-Sep., Age at death:52, Volume no:10b, Page no:359.

There was another Jane Corkhill death of about the same age, same place:
Name:CORKHILL, Jane
Registration district: Whitehaven
County:Cumberland
Year of registration:1910
Quarter of registration:Jan-Feb-Mar
Age at death:68
Volume no:10b
Page no:410

BUT, if your Thomas remarried, the 1910 death is obviously too late.

Now that you know who Joseph's mother was, you need to buy a copy of the marriage cert of Thomas and Jane Graham:
Name:CORKHILL, Thomas
Registration district: Whitehaven
County:Cumberland
Year of registration:1859
Quarter of registration:Oct-Nov-Dec
Volume no: 10b
Page no: 791

To: Jane GRAHAM
.............................
I don't know whether you also want to get a copy of his marriage to Mary Ann McLaughlin, just to tie up the loose ends, and to make sure it was your Thomas and Joseph with her in the 1901 census? It should give Mary Ann's maiden name (her father's name) as well as her married name.

After seeing the census records I'm now pretty sure that the marriage to Jane Graham was that of your Thomas, who first married at only age 18 or 19 (depending on which month it was in the quarter) and to Jane who was even younger.

They then had children:
Elizabeth b.1860 (died young?) [1861 census]
Isabella b1861 in Cumberland
Catherine b.1862
Elisabeth Ann b.1863 (age given wrongly as 16 in 1881?)
Dorva b.1864
Mary Jane b.1865
Sarah Ellen b.1870/71 in Hensingham
Robert b.1872 in Hensingham
[Jacob W b.1872 in Whitehaven?]
Thomas J. b.1873/74 in Whitcham/Whitehaven
Margaret b.1875/76 in Whitcham/Whitehaven
Wilson b.1877 in Whitcham/Whitehaven
Christina b.1879 in Parton
Anthony b.1881 in Arlecdon/Whitehaven
Joseph b.1883 in Whitehaven (who was their youngest child in the 1891 census).

The only one out of place was Jacob who suddenly appeared as an afterthought in 1891.

The others all look correct to me, with only slight variations in their names and years of birth in censuses. Some disappeared - died? - or left home. You might find some living with relatives in censuses, being such a huge family.

Sue