HI Johnny,
I got Dudley's Marriage cert. Still leaves me with some rather odd outcomes... If you look at William's 1911 census return, he says 4 children born of which 2 are still alive - and there are 2 children named on that sheet...William and Ethel. So you think, okay - perhaps it was a prior marriage.... only on William's marriage cert (which I also got today) it says 'Bachelor' for his marital status...
Dudley perhaps born 'the wrong side of the bed-sheets'? Would explain perhaps why there's no birth cert for him.
Also wife Elizabeth M. Hussey (on 1911 census sheet) becomes Lizzie Jane Smith on marriage cert (ok- this in itself is forgivable). However all references to the RIC are dropped. William becomes a 'Clerk' and his father Edward becomes a 'Gentleman'
I should note one thing however - there are 2 index entries for William's marriage in 1886 in Belfast - one in Apr qtr. and the other in Oct qtr. Perhaps the 2nd one has corrections (for one reason or another). Its really not conceivable that a
2nd William Hawthorne Hussey, also with a father Edward, got married in the same 9 month period in Belfast city. Or William's wife Lizzie dies delivering Dudley de Vere H Hussey and he remarries immediately!!!?!?!!?

Any other theories

Simon