I have very little information for the my great great grandfather James Stephenson/Stevenson who was born about 1822 to a well to do Protestant family living in London. Family stories has him either teaching or attending Oxford University. James met my Irish Catholic great great grandmother Ellen Hickey, who was born in Ireland about 1830, in London where she was working as a servant and they fell in love. Because they could not marry in England they emigrated to the U.S. about 1849 and lived in the Irish section of New York City. James initially worked as a clerk, then a bookkeeper and when he died in 1870 his occupation listed on his Death Certificate was printer. James and Ellen's first son was named Frederick and their second son was George. I am familiar with the Irish naming patterns where the 1st son was usually named after the father's father, but am unfamiliar with the English naming patterns. I am just guessing that James' father's first name was Frederick. I have hit a brick wall with my research of James and his life in England. I have access to Ancestry and FindMyPast, but no success to date. Does anyone have any ideas as to where I can go from here? Thank you. Jeanne North Carolina, USA

I've looked in the directory of the Alumni of Oxford University ( Ancestry) and can't find a James Stephenson/Stevenson in this period. Have you tried to find both James and Ellen in the 1841 census? Anne On 26 Jul 2011, at 18:43, Jeanne Reilly wrote: > > I have very little information for the my great great grandfather James Stephenson/Stevenson who was born about 1822 to a well to do Protestant family living in London. Family stories has him either teaching or attending Oxford University. James met my Irish Catholic great great grandmother Ellen Hickey, who was born in Ireland about 1830, in London where she was working as a servant and they fell in love. Because they could not marry in England they emigrated to the U.S. about 1849 and lived in the Irish section of New York City. James initially worked as a clerk, then a bookkeeper and when he died in 1870 his occupation listed on his Death Certificate was printer. James and Ellen's first son was named Frederick and their second son was George. I am familiar with the Irish naming patterns where the 1st son was usually named after the father's father, but am unfamiliar with the English naming patterns. I am just guessing that James' father's first name was Frederick! . ! > I have hit a brick wall with my research of James and his life in England. I have access to Ancestry and FindMyPast, but no success to date. Does anyone have any ideas as to where I can go from here? Thank you. > > > > Jeanne > > North Carolina, USA