This is the second part of my reply to Susan's first post.
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Sean Duggan <seanduggan2(a)yahoo.com>
To: Susan Haines <sehaines42(a)gmail.com>; glam <glamorgan(a)rootsweb.com>
Sent: Wednesday, October 31, 2012 4:09 PM
Subject: Re: [GLA] James Shea
Quirk isn't a common name in 19th century Catholic records. There were only two Quirk
brides in the St Illtyd's marriage register in the period 1836-1900. One of them is:
23 Oct 1875; Mary Quirk, daughter of Michael Quirk, married James O'Shea, son of
Michael O'Shea.
This is perhaps the marriage you mention (you don't give the place of marriage) but
the bride's given name is different from the Bridget you have from other evidence.
James and Mary had the following children baptized at St Illtyd's:
24 Dec 1876; Margaret Mary Shea; daughter of James Shea and Mary Quirk.
18 Aug 1878; John Shea; son of James Shea and Mary Quirk.
2 Jan 1881; Michael Shea; son of James Shea and Mary Quirk.
It is noteworthy that one of the early Shea baptisms in the St Illtyd's register is:
24 Oct 1839; Anastasia Shea; daughter of Michael Shea and Mary Quirk.
Dates of birth are not given in the index but all the above baptisms except the one from
1839 are explicitly described in the index as infant baptisms.
This Shea/Quirk couple may possibly be related to the later Mary Quirk. They were not
married at St Illtyd's.
Fathers often emigrated before mothers and children. Sometimes both parents left before
the children joined them. I know of one widowed mother who left for Pittsburgh with her
second husband leaving behind children from her first marriage who never joined her. But I
don't myself know of a case in which a child emigrated with relatives leaving the
father behind.
Best wishes,
Sean (now in Montreal)