Thanks again Karen, got it now.

Just seems something odd going on. The births was August 1897 outside Ashreigney where the births were then registered about a month later on 27th Sept. But the baptisims were then, some 4 weeks later, at Milton Abbott (though she could have gone back to her "home"/"family" parish to get them baptised,) but "P" so presumably privately, suggesting they were not expected to survive.

The baptisms are, again, in the parents name of Richard & Elizabeth Ann Bentley, still perperuating the apparent myth of a marriage which cannot be found.

Yet by April/May 1898 the 3 of them are in Clerkenwell/Holborne, some fair distance to go with two very young children, apparently already not in the best of health, with her as a single mother who has reverted to the Murrain surname.

In the absence of being able to find a marriage, I feel I have to accept she was telling fibs all the time, except when they died, but then resorted to Bentley again in all the later sources.

A puzzle which there seems no likelyhood of now resolving, but I would thank you most sincerely for all your interest and help with my brick wall, which will have to remain as such.

David