Browsing, as one does looking for clues through a brick wall, I came across this

Morse v Neary
Reference: C 16/90/M127
Cause number: 1862 M127
Documents: Bill, interrogatories
Plaintiffs: James Morse.
Defendants: Thomas Neary, Mary Davies, William Davies, Shadrach Jenkins and Sarah Jenkins his wife.
Provincial solicitor employed in Gloucestershire.
Date: 1862
Held by: The National Archives, Kew

The people involved are, I believe...

1861 census
Mary Davis age 73, widow of William Davis, at Bream with Caroline Davis age 18 - grand-daughter and base daughter of Sarah Davis (Shadrach's wife)

1861 census
William Davies, age 37, wife Ellen and family, at Bream Woodside
Son of Mary (and William deceased), brother to Sarah Jenkins nee Davis

Thomas Neary born 16 Jan 1817 C02151 –
baptised 9 Feb 1817 St Giles Cripplegate
Parents Walter Neary and Margaret – confirmed by 1851 census

Thomas married Hannah Davis at All Souls St Marylebone
20 Jan 1850 – M05391-1 and certificate Ref 1/157/19 Marylebone

1851 census gives Hannah Neary nee Davis place of birth as Gloucestershire, but place name heavily overwritten so can't read it

I believe Hannah to be sister to Sarah Jenkins (nee Davis) and William Davies
All children of William (deceased) and Mary Davis

There is a James Morse age 61 with son James Morse age 28 at Bream on 1861 census

How is James Morse connected with my gg- and ggg-grandparents?
How is James Morse connected with Thomas Neary of London?
What could possibly have happened to cause such legal action?

Am hoping these papers at Kew will give a clue where on earth Shadrach and Sarah were for the 1861 census (as still can't find them!)

Any James Morse relatives out there to shed some light on this?

Janet