I have exactly the same problem!

William and Maria are my great-great-great-grandparents via William John Harris (b 1851) and his son Thomas (b 1886).

I suspect that they were non-conformists as I found on the IGI a William John Harriss, child of William and Maria Harriss, christened 23 Feb 1851 at the Wesleyan chapel in Coleford. There is also an entry for a Sarah A Harris, child of William and Maria Harris, christened 19 Nov 1848, again in Coleford.

I think I read somewhere that the Wesleyan congregation in Coleford had split by 1851 with Reformers taking control of the Newland Street chapel and Loyalists building a new chapel, called Ebenezer, at the top of the High Street. There was also a cryptic reference to the Reformers' church in Coleford is not being recorded after 1851?

I’m fairly new to genealogy so I don’t know if this fact has any bearing on the completeness of the available records. Unfortunately I can’t get to the records office in Gloucester to check.

I’d love to hear from you with any thoughts.

Regards