As a child I was intrigued by my Grandfather's story that there was a connection with Edwin LONG R. A. and one of my aims when starting to research my LONG ancestors was to prove (or disprove!) this. 40 years on I'm still trying!
I can trace my own LONG ancestors back to a Robert LONG and Hester PRIGG who married in Bitton, Gloucestershire in 1767. They had two sons christened in Oldland, Bitton in 1767 and 1769 and then my direct ancestor, Samuel who was christened the day before he was married in 1803, aged 25, the son of Robert & Hester. This suggests a birth date for Samuel of 1777 or 78. (He was the subject of an earlier Research Query)
I can trace Edwin's LONG ancestors back to a James LONG who was born in about 1773 (not in Somerset - from the 1841 census when he was living in Weston, Bath). Could James have been another son of Robert & Hester? James called a daughter Hester - is that a clue or a red herring? James was a non conformist with two of his children being christened in the Penn Street Calvanistic Tabernacle in Bristol and he was closely connected with the Argyle Chapel in Bath and Edwin LONG, his grandson was christened there.
Why is there a gap in the children of Robert & Hester LONG between 1769 and 1778? I know the tax on christenings 1783-1794 might have caused some omissions but that doesn't cover the missing dates. I would like to find the parents of James even if it disproves Grandfather's story.
This is a painting which I was taken to see (many times!) in Bristol Museum as a child - I thought it was called Moses in the Bulrushes but it is actually The Pharaoh's Daughter by Edwin LONG. The picture still belongs to the Bristol Museum & Art Gallery.  | 
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