I am searching for any information on the parents of a William James (gardener, of Clogrennan), born c. 1840, and Anne Dillon (of Oak park) who married on 26 Aug 1862 in Evington, Painestown parish, Co. Carlow.
My great-grandmother was their daughter Isabella born c. 1864 Clogrennan, Co. Carlow (no birth record), brother of a Thomas James born 1876 Blackrock, Co. Dublin (who married Agnes Palmer in York, Ontario, Canada in 1916). Their connection is from 1901 census records. His parents are confirmed on his marriage document. William and Anne had 12 children that I can find, both in Carlow and later around Dublin. William was a gardener.
William's father was recorded as a Joseph James (coachman) on the marriage document.
I have traced a Joseph James (servant) married to Isabella Kavanagh, parents of:
Thomas (1839) parish Tinryland - Roman Catholic baptism, mother Isabella Kavanagh
Isabella (1842) parish Kiltennel - COI baptism, parents Joseph James (of Ballinree) and Isabella James
Joseph (1844) parish Kiltennel - COI baptism, parents Joseph James (of Ballinree) and Isabella James
Isabella remarried Timothy Cahill, land steward, (both of Ballinree) on 13 Dec 1847 in Lorum parish COI (name Isabella Kavanagh, alias James, record signed Isabella James) so Joseph must have died before then. Isabella promptly gave birth to Sarah Anne Cahill on 1 January 1848, so she must have been heavily pregnant at the time of their marriage!
Isabella Cahill was buried in Kiltennel parish (address Ballinree, Lorum) on 26 Aug 1873, age 65 (estimated birth 1808).
Could Joseph and Isabella be the father and mother of William James (who must have been born around the same time as their children)? It might account for the name Isabella given to his daughter. In all the James I have researched, the names Joseph and Isabella are rare.
All the above suggest that Isabella Kavanagh was a Catholic who converted. It's also tempting to ask questions about whether both of Isabella's marriages were as a result of pregnancy - Joseph may have risked disinheritance for marrying a Catholic. Were they married when she baptised their first child Thomas as a Roman Catholic under her name? There must be quite a story here!
William's father Joseph wasn't present at William's marriage in 1862, so an early death may account for that.
Anne Dillon's father was a Thomas Dillon, farmer. William and Anne's marriage was witnessed by Henry Dillon and Nathaniel Dillon. Henry may have been father of the bride Thomas' brother - I have found both names in the Griffith's valuation records, where a Thomas was leasing land at Ballyknockan from a Henry in 1852. The Dillons were prominent in the area, but I can find no concrete trace of this generation.
Frustratingly, I have no birth records for any of the key people: Joseph James c. 1810, Thomas Dillon c. 1810, William James c. 1840, Anne Dillon c. 1840, Isabella James c. 1864.
Any information would be very much appreciated!