Having been researching that origins of a particular ancestor for some months, it has finally come to light that he was probably born in France. He certainly never admitted to it though!

The information has come from the 1851 census (previously undiscovered due to a transcription error) and goes like this:

Henry Ricketts, born abt 1816 Glocs
Lucy Ricketts, born Featherstone, abt 1825, Newington, Surrey
Louis Ricketts, born abt 1846, France
[Harry] Thomas Ricketts, born abt 1848, France
Edgar [Alexander] Ricketts, born 1849, Kentish Town

Prior to reading this I had no idea why they might have been in France but it does make sense now. A man who is probably Henry appears on the 1841 census as a journeyman ironmonger, and he is a railway porter on the 1851 census. He was back in England in December 1849 though as he registered Edgar's birth in St Pancras.

There is no record of Henry and Lucy marrying in England as far as I can see - where would I look for records of a French marriage? I had always assumed that they never did marry, but I suppose I should at least investigate this new possibility.

If anyone has any information, it would be enormously helpful, but in any case this thread has given me food for thought; pretty good food at that.

Cheers,
Henry