John DONNELLY was my gg grandad. I know he came from Co Wicklow as 1861 English census return states so. The census shows him to have been born circa 1829. He was a iron ore miner. The first record I have of him in Wicklow is Avoca rc parish records John Donnelly married Esther Byrne (Byrne my translation and very illegible writng from reel of film in Dublin library) on 26 Sept 1853, witnesses were ? Connors and Julia Donnelly. Then 31 Dec 1854 again Avoca RC parish they had baby Mary- my g grandmother, sponsors were Martin Naughton and Julia Donnelly. Griffiths val has him in Cronebane living next door to a Michael Donnelly. I have today found a baptism of a baby Eugeneus Donnelly to a John and Esther Donnelly in Bray RC records 1859 curtesy of Irish Roots free search. Could this be mine? By February 1861 John Donnelly is in West Cumberland England, he is a witness at a Julia Donnellys wedding (her father was James donnelly a deceased iron miner) and by 1861 England census they are next door neighbours. John is shown to be born 1829, his wife Esther circa 1833 and little Mary 1855. There is no mention of Eugeneus and he isnt in english death records. John is next mentioned on his wife Esthers death cert in 1870. Esther is named as wife of John Donnelly an iron miner rather than widow so i assume he is still alive. Esther dies of longstanding asthma, by now her age has shot up to 48 so once agin all ages are taken with a pinch of salt. The next and last mention I have of John is that he is shown as Mary Donnellys father on her marriage cert to Patrick Niles 1870, he is stll an iron miner. What happened to him? Patrick Niles and Mary Donnelly moved to the North East of England a few years after gettng married, as far as i know they didnt maintain contact with their families. I have lots of theories on connections to mining Donnellys in Wicklow. (Mainly that Julia was Johns sister? and maybe she was baptised Judith in Avoca rc records and hes there too both with father James Donnelly and mam Mary McDonnell- yet to be proved) What Im hoping for is as ever to find out what happened to John, to get a clearer spelling on his wife Esthers maiden name cos I so want to be a Byrne and fit Cara on my tree. Im thnkng E Byrne baptised Avoca rc 1833 daughter of Dennis Byrne and Margaret MAY BE MINE? My latest obsession will be to find out if little Eugeneus is mine. Anyone got access to Bray rc registers 1859? I guess all I would gain would be sponsors names but you never know. Equally if anyone knows of another John and Esther Donnelly who were in the area do let me know. CAROL Wicklow names Niles Donnelly Sullivan Byrne Fermanagh names I am seeking Harron Love Tyrone names I am seeking Conway Ireland names I am seeking McMullen Roney