I am new to this list. I am trying to find out what became of my gr gr
grandfather, James Shea.
My gr great grandparents were James Shea and Catherine O'Neil. they
were married and my gr grandmother, Margaret, born in Dowlais in 1865.
At the time of his marriage he gave his father's name as Bartholomew.
Catherine died in 1870; I have that record. I can't find out what
happened to James? I can find no death record but by the 1871 census,
apparently, Margaret was living with two maternal uncles, Owen and
Jeremiah Neil with a Slattery family. In 1881 she was living in Cardiff
with Catherine Ryan and, probably, an uncle, Michael Neil.
James had a brother, Bartholomew Shea who married Ellen Moran and had
children: John (1854), Catherine/Margaret (1858) and Matthew (1862).
They immigrated to New Haven, CT, as did Margaret Shea. James did not.
There was a James Shea who married Bridget Quirk in 1875, but he gave
his father's name as Michael. Both James Sheas listed their occupations
as iron wheeler. Could this be a coincidence? Or, did my gr gr grandfather
abandon his daughter, remarry and start a new family?
Does anyone have any ideas? (or questions that I may try again to make
this clearer).
thank you. Sue