I would be grateful if anyone can answer this puzzle. I'll keep it brief ....
1. In 1855, in Helensburgh, Scotland, My Great G/F James b. 1836 in 'Co. Sligo' married Ellen Cryan also from 'Co. Sligo'. Both were 19 yrs old. James' surname was shown as 'Davidson'. A daughter was born the following year when everyone's surname was now spelt 'Davis'.
There followed a series of events involving James Davis (senior) deserting the family who had moved to Ireland, and returning to Helensburgh or thereabouts.
The first daughter married a Joseph Hamilton in Irvine, Ayrshire in 1878 and they subsequently moved to the USA. At the time of the marriage, James Davis (senior) was shown on the m. cert. as a 'gas manager' but it is not known whether he was present.
The puzzle relates to movements back and forth to Ireland, a mysterious liaison about which nothing is known. there is also a query about where JD 'senior' was employed and whether it was in Ayrshire. There are other aspects which I won't go into at the moment. I would however appreciate any information that seems relevant.