Hi Val,
Wow this is getting a little confusing! Yes this family are indeed fascinating, and you seem to have moved much further into the past than what I have! Congratulations on that!
So, for clarity, are we saying that my gt x greatgradmother Christiana Stephenson (1812-1894) and your 3 x great grandfather Alexander Stephenson (1821-1898) were brother and sister? Now, I made the connection of them possibly being siblings from the 1841 census; although I couldn't find Christiana, I suspected she had an older brother named Zachariah which tied in with a baptism I found when I did a generic search for children of Edward and Mary Stephenson. This was at Yarm.
With this, my ancestor Christiana definitely had a brother named Edward, and Christiana's son-on-law, my 4 x great grandfather, was the informant for the death. I can forward you this death certificate if you like!
I had thought that Jane Swales in the 1841 was Jane Stephenson, but her marriage certificate didn't record a father so I discounted her! Do you have this certificate? Saying this, the marriage did show that James Swales, who this Jane Stephenson married, was the son of Francis Swales, potter, who was my 6 x greatgrandfather and father of Hannibal Swales (1814-1894).
Is this making sense?
So I see how you are connected to the Stephensons, but how are you related to the Swales? Sorry if I have missed that!
Peter
I too had thougth that Jane Ste