Assuming these are the correct John Davy and Catherine their oldest sons would appear to have been born in Ireland(1841 census)
It does seem a strange coincidence that the Patrick Davy is from Drumaroad already mentioned.
If the 1841 census age is near correct, John and Catherine were born about 1806 and their oldest son abt 1832.Do you think they are likely to have married in the 1825-1831 range?The question now is where???
Any suggestions on where to start looking ?
There is nothing on Scotland’s people so they didn’t marry there.I can’t see a marriage in England either.Must be Ireland or most likely?
Any ideas most appreciated and thanks again !!!!’
Ages of adults (everyone 15 and over) on 1841 census were supposed to be rounded down to the nearest multiple of 5. A person whose age was 35-39 should have been recorded as 35. Some census enumerators followed that instruction when transferring information on each household schedule into their books, some didn't. Assume ages of adults on 1841 census to be an estimate. Family Search has estimated John's birth 1802-1806. I usually add a few more years on either side for people born around then. Some people didn't know their true ages.
If Patrick Davy was a relative or neighbour and had found work in/near Newton Stewart, it's logical that John would go there too. Irishmen and sometimes women went over to Scotland and England as seasonal agricultural labourers. They returned home after harvest. Wages were used to pay rent and debts at home. Steamers had made the voyage quicker and passage was cheap. Some found permanent work.
Irish people tended to marry fairly young in first half of 19th century. Groom in his early 20's. Bride might still be in her teens.
I don't know that you can say they didn't marry in Scotland just because there's no record. Absence of a record of an event doesn't mean that the event didn't happen. They may have been married by a priest or had a handfasting. Marriage law in Scotland was different to Ireland and both countries differed from England.
A wedding between 2 Catholics conducted by a Catholic priest in Ireland was legal in first half of 19th century. There was no civil ceremony or civil record. Some priests didn't keep registers in the early decades or if they did, many didn't survive. A wedding between a Catholic and a Protestant conducted by a Catholic priest in Ireland wasn't legal; a priest was arrested and charged for the offence around 1830.
All weddings in England before 1837 had to be in an Anglican church except for Jews and Quakers. Some Catholic couples also had a religious ceremony before a priest. A Catholic couple recently arrived from Ireland may not have known the law was different and that a Catholic wedding ceremony in England had no legal standing.
Did Catherine have any children born in England after 1837? If she did, her maiden surname should be on GRO Births Index.
