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Tracy, I didn't know about registration not being compulsory till 1875 - that's late .... guess he could well have slipped under the wires then. Thank you for that interesting fact - something else to bore my non-genealogically minded friends with!! Many thanks to every one who has contributed to my research today - and happy Christmas to you all! Jane x

Another thought - he wasn't registered in 1859/60, and his mother remarried, so on the early censuses, he's down under her new name instead of his real name! (it happens a lot in my family lol) When he ''came of age'', her reverted back to his real name.

There is this William Sandy on the 1861 census. His middle initial is given as C, but it could be a G. His age is given as 2 months but that could be a mistake for 2 years. His birthplace is given as Lanreath, Cornwall, which would come under the Liskeard district. Ann Ede abt 1806 Broadoak, Cornwall, England Servant Lanreath Cornwall Peter Hicks abt 1800 Lanreath, Cornwall, England Head Lanreath Cornwall Jane A Sandy abt 1841 Lanreath, Cornwall, England Boarder Lanreath Cornwall ***William C Sandy ***abt 1861 Lanreath, Cornwall, England Boarder Lanreath Cornwall This is probably making too many assumptions, but just a thought. Kath. x

Tracy & Kath, Thanks for your further musings ... whilst 'abducted by aliens' is an expression I was close to using, I find your thoughts much more practical! Perhaps we should approach this from the other way around - maybe I could get into the Marylebone Reg Office and look at ALL birth registrations on or around 23rd May 1859 and see if there's a George William of any surname! I have had the thought that he might have been illegitimate and brought up in an orphanage .. but then again, he'd show up clearly (one hopes) on either 1861 or 1871 Censuses. I wonder why in later life he is so sure he was born in Marylebone and states his age so consistently - another one of mine was concealing a wayward mother and his age ... no one else is so consistent apart from the 'liars'!! Thanks ladies! Regs Jane x PS: Will report back when we run him to ground!

Jane, My grandfather always maintained that he was born in Co. Durham, as that is where he lived most of his life. Says Co. Durham on his army records too. He was in fact born in a workhouse in Southwark, London. He was also baptised in Southwark, which he must have known about because when he was 65 he sent off to the church for a copy of his baptism certificate (which actually has a different surname.....but that's another story!!!!!) Kath. x

Kath, This is exactly the sort of thing I mean ... that generation were ashamed of their origins, nowadays at best they'd get sympathy and at worst nobody minds! So, you've clearly been on quite a trail too! Regs Jane