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I wonder of one of you could help me as I seem to have come to a dead end in Cockermouth.  Lovely place to be stuck but itching to go further.

The 1851 Census shows my great, great, great grandparents, James and Margaret Couthard living in Aigburth, Liverpool.  They were both born in Cockermouth, Cumberland.  Living with them are James' mother, Alice Coulthard (born in the Isle of Man in 1770), and Margaret's mother, Jane Robinson (born in Wesmorland in 1774).  What appears to be their only son, William, was also born in Cockermouth in 1830.

I have not managed to find a marriage record for James and Margaret.  Although I have found a James and Margaret (nee Guy) who married on 15th March 1829 in Cockermouth (possibly All Saints) but puzzled by the fact that Margaret's mother's name is Robinson on the 1851 Census.

I have also found a William Coulthard christened at All Saints on 24th January 1830 but parents are JOHN and Margaret.

I'm desperate to find something positive and, if possible, make the jump over to the Isle of Man.  For that I need Alice Coulthard's maiden name.  Also need to discover her husband's name and find out if they both came from the Isle of Man.

Yes, I know, a tall order, but there may be a really knowledgeable person out there who could suggest some new moves.

Thanks in anticipation.

We now think our James Brophy came from the Laois/Kilkenny area before arriving in Warrenpoint.  He married Anne on 24th November 1870, they had 3 children, and then they show on the 1881 England Census.  That shows his year of birth to be 1846.

Does anybody have access to any records for the Laois/Kilkenny areas showing a James Brophy born in 1846?

We are only able to stay for 2 nights and so have decided to concentrate on the Warrenpoint connection and maybe save the Laois/Kilkenny area for another visit.  By the way, can anybody tell me how to pronounce Laois?

Many thanks.

Hello, I am back on the case again.  My great grandparents, James Brophy (born in 1846) and Ann Magee (or Anne McGee), were married at Warrenpoint Roman Catholic Church on 24th November 1870 and my sister and I are in Warrenpoint next week and hoping to find out where James came from before arriving in Warrenpoint.  I have ordered their marriage certificate but I don't suppose it will arive before we leave.  Not sure if it would show his place of birth anyway.   Has anybody got any ideas about where we could go to find this sort of information?  We are only in the area for 3 days and we would love to find some more information.  They had 3 children in Warrenpoint before moving over to Liverpool, Francis, Edward and Rose Ann.  We would be very grateful if there is anybody who could point us in the right direction.

Thanks in anticipation.

Hi Audrey

Yes, I managed to find that information and have since obtained a birth certificate for Edward which shows his place of birth to be Ballyvalley (have found different spellings for that place) but nothing more.

McGee seems to be a common local name, but I don't think that James Brophy is from the area and I don't know how to find a clue as to where he came from before arriving in County Down.

Someone has suggested that he may have arrived in the area looking for work and then married a local girl.

Regards

Geraldine