Where are they?.....

[Jas Davies]

Hello All,
As this is my first time on this site I'm hoping someone can help me find my Shields ancestors, they are Francis Shields (could be Irish) & his wife Mary Lapping(Lappin) their son was my G Grandfather his name was John he married Christina Glover in Buckhaven Fife in 1896, from the 1901 census it states he was born in Lanarkshire Glasgow, but I cannot find any trace of John or his parents, no marriage certs or death certs for his parents, or birth & death certs for John, please help if you can?I would really appreciate the help.
Regards Jane Davies


Researching Glover/Cairns/Shields

[JustJean]

Hi Jane and Welcome to the forum!

Prepare to be hit by falling bricks !

Ok are you ready?? I've been on a wild chase but think I've got enough to prove who your John's parents were...where they were....and still leave you with lots of mopping up to do.

Ok...first off....the biggest clue in all this was the occupation John gives of his father Francis in 1896....Shoemaker. Hold that thought. Then hoping that Francis has always been in that trade and not finding any likely prospsects on the 1881 census disks....but also knowing you said John claimed to have been born in Glasgow....I first looked in 1901 Census for a Francis (as a shoemaker) and a Mary and sorta found one
1901 SHIELDS FRANCIS M 54 GREENOCK WEST /RENFREW 564/02 015/02 032

(it really looks like Mary is recorded as Margt McC Shields) but I still held hope based on the shoemaker occupation!)

I then looked for an early marriage of a Francis and a Mary. Didn't find a Mary Lap* but did find a Francis and Mary McCann in 1864. He was a boot closer and they married in Clyde District. So I continued to hold that as possible even though her maiden name seemed all wrong. Then I looked for a John as you most certainly have done a thousand times. And there isn't one to be found. Not on Scotlands People. Not on the IGI. Which is very strange but not if John were born in Ireland. So maybe his parents packed up and went back to Ireland and had their babies there??? Did a parent search for Francis and Mary McCann and found one entry...1879 in Omagh Tyrone a daughter Eliza was born. Hmmmm.....wondered if this were the same couple. Ok...so now I took a chance that maybe they were in Ireland and came over not long before John married in 1896 so that they missed all those middle census records. So I then looked in 1891 Census to see if there was a Francis and Mary and wowee...there was!! Francis age 45, Mary age 44, Annie age 14 b. Ireland, Lizzie age 11 b. Ireland, Maggie age 7 b. Ireland and Francis is a SHOEMAKER. Well well...this is good then. But how the heck do I make Mary into a Lap* and connect John to them????? Searched next for the death of Francis the shoemaker. That wasn't hard has I knew he was alive in 1901 and there he was...dying in 1906 age 54 (the only one which made sense age wise so I chose him) This is where it gets interesting!!!!! Francis died in Dumbarton. The informant, a daughter, states that her name is Mary Tone or Fone (not sure) McCann. ?????? Don't get this bit at all just yet....but there is more......she states that her father Francis was married to Mary Lappen!!!!!! WOWEE again! Now we're getting somewhere!! Same name that John gave for his mother at his marriage. Now I'm thinking I have the right couple! So then I look for the death of Mary and I'll warn you you won't find her under SH*L and LAP* because she married again to a WATSON! This informant (another daughter so more details to track down) didn't happen to mention anything about the LAP* surname but did clearly state that Mary was first married to Francis SHEILDS a shoemaker.

All these records I've accessed are available on the ScotlandsPeople website and with the clues I've given you should have no trouble in picking them off the search lists. It's always best to use wildcards in the searches to try to include all possibilties in the first go round.

I hope this makes sense to you....I just reread it and I almost confused myself ....please ask more questions if you need to!!!

Best wishes
Jean

[JustJean]

Hi Jane...me again....

Did an even better look see around the IGI and came up with a few more records that appear to all belong to Francis and Mary...

FRANCES SHIELDS - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Male Birth: 19 MAY 1866 , , Ireland

MARY JANE SHIELS - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Female Birth: 22 DEC 1871 , Tyrone, Ireland

Annie Sheals - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Female Birth: 24 FEB 1877 , Tyrone, Ireland

Eliza Sheils - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Female Birth: 14 MAR 1879 Omagh, Tyrone, Ireland

Of special note is the birth of a Frances in 1866. This pretty much confirms the fact that they married in Scotland but left for Ireland before too long. Still no sign of John.....


oh wait...found more from the BIVRI disks...

SHEALS, Catherine Birth
Gender: Female
Birth Date: 3 Mar 1868 Birthplace: 281, No 1 Belfast, Ant, Ire
Recorded in: Antrim, Ireland
Collection: Civil Registration
Father: Francis SHEALS
Mother: Mary LAPPIN
Source: FHL Film 101160 Dates: 1868 - 1869

and further details on the Frances on the IGI given above...

SHIELDS, Frances Birth
Gender: Male
Birth Date: 19 May 1866 Birthplace: 311, No 1 Belfast, Ant, Ire
Recorded in: Antrim, Ireland
Collection: Civil Registration
Father: Francis SHIELDS
Mother: Mary LAPPIN
Source: FHL Film 101125 Dates: 1866 - 1868

and further details on the Mary Jane listed from the IGI above...

SHIELS, Mary Jane Birth
Gender: Female
Birth Date: 22 Dec 1871 Birthplace: 336, Omagh No1, Tyr, Ire
Recorded in: Tyrone, Ireland
Collection: Civil Registration
Father: Fancis SHIELS
Mother: Mary LAPPIN
Source: FHL Film 255841 Dates: 1871 - 1872

Sadly there does not seem to be anything yet on your John.

Now changing gears I've been off looking for Mary's family. Doesn't help that she states her mother's maiden name as Busby on the 1864 marriage, Lappin on the 1907 marriage, and it's stated as Graham at Mary's death. And not one of them pops up in the IGI with a birth of Mary or a death........but she's there on the 1861 census with Mary and a whole slew of others in the household.....this is how Mary is indexed on that one.

1861 MCCONN MARY F 15 CLYDE GLASGOW CITY/LANARK 644/05 021/05 013

Oh yes....another important lesson here. Mary's dad is listed as Peter but you'll see he's enumerated as Patrick. Gotta still use them wildcards all the time with this bunch!

You'll find her hubbie to be Francis not far away with his whole family too.

1861 SHIELD FRANCIS M 15 CLYDE GLASGOW CITY/LANARK 644/05 027/05 005

Ok....it's past my bedtime .......I think you can take it from here.....

Best wishes
Jean

[Andy]

=D> Hat's off for that one Jean. Fantastic piece of investigation.

[SarahND]

Brilliant detective work, Jean! Sounds like you had fun with that one And makes for fascinating reading with the morning cup of coffee!
Sarah

[grannysrock]

yes brilliant Jean ! =D> =D>

Jane - do you have from the 1901 census/John's marriage an idea of John 's birthyear roughly ?

Sally

[JustJean]

Alas the only piece still missing is John. I think there is very little doubt this whole lot (and then some) are his. From his 1896 MC he states an age of 20 and occupation of coal miner. While I've looked for him on the 1891 census I still didn't find one that I was certain of. There is a lodger John with age of 20 (if I recollect) but it might have been him. He's got to be there somewhere

k
Jean

[pinkshoes]

Apologies if this has been mentioned and missed in my haste. There is a John SHEILDS born in Bridgeton in 1875 listed on SP - not checked out his parents - maybe worth a look?

Best wishes
Pinkshoes

[JustJean]

Actually the one in Bridgeton I had not viewed yet.....but it's not him ....nor it it the one in St. Rollox....

Best wishes
Jean

[pinkshoes]

Well - it was a long shot, and didn't tie in with the rest of the births in Ireland. Still, I guess it rules them out if nothing else.

Best wishes
Pinkshoes