My g-g-grandfather, Anthony Rich, married for the second time in 1901 at Newcastle.

The bride gave her details as Alice Elizabeth Cross, 28 year old widowed housekeeper, parents Richard Pratt (deceased) and Ann Cook.

Alice Elizabeth is used as mother's name for first child - subsequent children are registered to Elizabeth Alice.

Not long after the marriage, Anthony seems to have given up his occupation as a sailor and settled in the Wyong area where he became a farmer, where they raised a large family.

Elizabeth Alice Rich died in 1952 and is buried at Jilliby Cemetery next to Anthony. The headstone gives her age as 79. Death registration shows her parents as Richard and Ann.

The mystery - I can find any record of a Pratt-Cross marriage, nor the birth registration of Elizabeth or Alice to parents Richard and Ann Pratt.

There was the birth of Elizabeth Alice Cross born 1872 (which ties in with age at death of Elizabeth Alice Rich) to parents Richard Cross and Ann Smith (married Tamworth 1870).

Three births in the Newcastle area were registered to Alice Cross, no father, between 1893-1896. Could this have been 'our Alice'.

If it was, I could understand why she would have described herself as a Widow. But the parents' names she gave is a bit of a puzzle.

A marriage took place between a Sidney Pratt and Mary Ann A Cook in 1874 at Newcastle. (Note that Elizabeth/Alice gave her parents as Richard Pratt and Ann Cook.) No children seem to be registered to this couple. Perhaps she was 'housekeeper' to Sidney, or to an adopted son of his. Or...

The other little snippet of information that she gave was that her father was a Hotel Proprietor.

Any help, assistance, advice would be appreciated. I would also be interested in any information on the children of Anthony and Elizabeth. (I am a descendent of first wife, Elizabeth, daughter of an Alice, - just to confuse things.)

Barbara