« on: Thursday 29 July 10 00:11 BST (UK) »
Hi
This is a total shot in the dark but.......I am trying to help my cousin re his grandfather, Sidney (Sydney) Herbert Potesta. Sidney Potesta was born in 1874 in, we believe, Deptford, Kent in England but he enlisted with the Royal Irish Rifles in 1889 in Mullingar when he was 14 years old and served until end of 1918. We have all his military records but nowhere is his father's name mentioned.
Although we know of his military life and have his marriage and death certificates we cannot locate his birth certificate. We do not know who his father was. His mother was Mary Ann Jane Potesta nee Moore. She remarried in 1886 and the wedding certificate states/confirms she is a widow and her surname is Potesta, she became a Parrey. We cannot find a wedding certificate for her to a Potesta anywhere even allowing for variations in spelling of the surname !!
We are starting to think there may be an Irish connection, maybe her 1st husband Mr Potesta was Irish ? Does anyone know of any Potesta's in Mullingar back then? Have any connection to a Potesta ? Perhaps that is why Sidney was in Ireland at such a young age and with Mullingar having a large barrack enlisted.
Any help / ideas would be gratefully welcomed.
Thank you
GfL
Evans, Price, Jenkins, Lewis - Llancarfn, Llansannor, Mynyddislwyn, Trefegwlys, Aberdare, Abercarn
Edwards, Hodgson, Searle, Titchener, Tarran, Armstrong - Richmond, Walton-on-Thames, Kingston, Surrey, Lynesack & Softley, Etherley, Cockfield, Hamsterley, Durham, County Wexford
Potesta - Kingston, Surrey