I have been trying to digest and organize all the information that I received last week at the FGS 2013 Conference in Fort Wayne, Indiana.  I met some terrific people and attended some wonderful sessions/lectures.

I managed to do just about everything that I intended to do.  Well, except win a door prize here and there.  I’m just not one of those lucky people!

I learned so much that it will probably take me a while to go through all the notes that I made over the last week.  I learned about what NOT to do on a website with Cyndi Howells, I learned how to cite my sources a bit better with Thomas W. Jones, and I realized that a common English/Welsh name like ‘Morgan’ should not intimidate me from Elizabeth Shown Mills.

I am working on the very last piece of advice that I received at the conference –
It was at the 5:00-6:00PM session on Saturday, from Paul Milner:

“You have to kill off Ann.”

Yes, Paul, I think I do.

You see, I attended his session: “English Parish Registers:  How to Access, Use and Interpret”.  After the session, he took questions.  I was armed with information from Thursday’s session with Elizabeth Shown Mills – “Smiths and Joneses:  Success with Families of Common Name”.

My great-great grandfather was Edward Morgan.  He is with Elizabeth Morgan, née Waite, in the 1861 Census, although they do not marry until 1867.  My great-grandfather, William, is the first child born to the couple ‘officially’.  I know that it is not another Elizabeth, at least for now, because John and Richard are the children in the house.  A look at their birth certificates – John Waite and Richard Waite – lead me to believe that this is indeed my ‘Betsy’ Waite Morgan.

Oh – did I mention that Edward is 46 in the 1861 census and Betsy is 23?  No?  I didn’t?

My problem:  I cannot go back any further on Edward.  There are many Morgans in Gloucestershire at that time.  With such an age difference, I have to surmise that he was married before.  I looked at the 1851 Census and went to the previous page.  I find an Edward and an Ann living next door to Elizabeth and her family!  This is a good possibility.  
Note to self:  ALWAYS turn the page backwards and forwards. 

I thought about this from Thursday afternoon until Saturday’s session with Paul.  I was pretty sure that I would have to obtain the death record or index (and possibly a will) for the Ann Morgan that I had found.  While that might not get me farther back, it will be one more step in that direction.

I raised my hand and told Paul and the others my dilemma.  After a chuckle about Edward being 23 years Betsy’s senior, Mr. Milner stated:

“You have to kill off Ann.”

And there it was.  I will be spending the next few days coming up with additional leads and killing off Ann.