John Connelly birth

[1JC]

My great great grandfather, John Connelly, came to New Zealand in 1861. When he joined the 1st Waikato Militia his recorded details were: Name; John Connelly. Place/Parish of birth; Lincoln, Lincolnshire. Year of birth; 1825, Trade or calling; Engraver.

I have not been able to find any birth record that looks close. Any ideas?

P.s. His 1897 death record had "Not Known" for his parents but had Falmer as his father's occupation.

[CaroleW]

Have you checked the 1841 & 1851 censuses for him and Family Search?  Was he married in England or NZ

www.familysearch.org

[1JC]

I have looked in the usual genealogy sites (Ancestry, familysearch, findmypast) and was hoping that someone with some local Lincolnshire knowledge might be able to help.

John married in Glasgow in Feb 1849 to Janet Forsyth. No mention of John's parents in the marriage record.

I have not found John in a 1841 census.

John features in the 1851 St Mungo, Glasgow census as a Machine engraver who was born in England and in the 1861 Thornlebank, Renfrewshire census as a machine engraver born in England.

[maddys52]

His death notice says "late engraver Manchester and Glasgow" and "aged 70".

"CONNELLY - On September 8, 1897, at his home, Opotiki, John Connelly, late engraver Manchester and Glasgow: aged 70. Deeply regretted by his family. - Manchester, Sheffield and Glasgow papers please copy."
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01q0g/

[1JC]

Thanks Maddys.

I probably should have mentioned his death notice but didn't want to confuse things. I have been down the route of Manchester & Sheffield but nothing there that I could pin down to his birth. I figured that he would have known where he was born when he enrolled in the Army in 1863 but those that buried him (he was a widower) may not have known. So I thought that the most likely birthplace was Lincoln.

[maddys52]

You're probably right 

Will keep looking ...

[chempat]

On the 1851 census with him there is a James Nilson, nephew, born Glasgow.  He is probably on his wife's side of the family but have you tried to check?

Presumably the marriage was a parish record so he would not have been asked who his parents were, not that he did not know. 

Have you looked at the actual records on scotlandspeople, just in case there is more information on the censuses?  Wonder why he went from Lincoln to Glasgow, have you looked for possible parents in Glasgow?

Added:
Just found tree on Ancestry that has Janet first marrying James Neilson, so presumably James Nilson is her son.

[1JC]

Thanks Chempat.

You are correct. James Neilson was from Janet Forsyth's first Marriage. Her first husband, James, died in 1842 and Janet married John Connelly on 6 February 1849 in Glasgow. Note that their first child, John Forsyth Connelly, was born on 11 April 1849 in Glasgow, so Janet was well pregnant when she married John Connelly.

I have looked at the originals of the records (extracts attached).

I only had a brief look for John's birth in Glasgow as the census records have him born in England. Do you think it is worth putting more time into a Glasgow birth possibility?

[chempat]

The place of birth looks pretty conclusive as England.

Thanks for putting those snips up.