Hi Elinor,
Apologise for no further responses over the last few months.
Couple of reasons.
My wife is expecting our son any day now ,so have and will be busy in weeks to come.
The other had possible good news with regard to determine whether we were related via "my" Alexander and your Rachel Paterson.
I will start with the positive spin.I wrote a reply to a distant relation in New Zealand who had years earlier written to my dad with regard to questions on our ancestors.
As I had discovered that two of our ancestors had been born in Australia I offered that info as "bridge" between us.
I was delighted not only to get a reply ,but also a family tree that they had researched.
And guess what?
It has Alexander son of Charles Paterson& Jean Mustard,with fellow progeny Elizabeth b1828,Janet b1832,Mary b1834 and Rachael b1839.
However,I emailed back asking how they got this information,as neither you or I have been able to confirm it .
Unfortunatly the husband of my distant relation in NZ took umbrage to this, my only"many thanks" for their family tree sent and that I had emailed from a government type address in my fist email to them.
I then sent 4 page email of explantion in January,even dangling carrot of having the possibities of "distant" relations in Canada.
Have waited since and of course no reply.

I cant remeber if I replied adequatly last time to you.
If not let me know if that is the case,though I am not exactly dynamic on the researh front at the moment.

Hope all is well,
Ian