I've just bean reading David Annis' thread, and thanks to Little Spark's post (Sheila) about the Wolverhampton website, I have finally found my ancestor buried at Merridale cemetery Wolverhampton.

No wonder I couldn't find him - he is listed as 61 when he was actually 76.

So how do I know this is "my" George Smith when his age is so far out?

Well, George was christened in 1819 at Ash, Kent but was left by his wife (probably to join her bigamous brother in America) to bring up his 5 daughters! He took on a widowed housekeeper Emma Elizabeth Benness, and lived with her and her children in 1871. By 1881 they had moved to Wolverhampton and supposedly married (no marriage found). Emma Elizabeth died on 6th March 1895 (her death at Wolverhampton was registered by her son William Benness) and I found her buried at Merridale Cemetery 10th March 1895 grave no. 5708, wife of George Smith, labourer.

By searching on the grave no. 5708, I found George Smith age 61, labourer buried 7th November 1895, and also in same grave Sarah Benness age 30, spinster (Emma Elizabeth's unmarried daughter) buried 2nd July 1893.

So now I just need to order the death certificate of george and hope the death was registered by one of his children, or one of the Benness children and not a workhouse attendant!!

I would have thought his own daughters would have known how old he was, but they had all moved away, so probably didn't register his death!

Anyway - thanks again to this great site, and all the people who help (even without realising it!)

Michelle