I have had great difficulty tracking my Grt Grandfathers James Phelan's (hereinafter referred to as JP) Irish Roots. JP's Marriage certificate says he was born in Kilkenny of parents - Mary Molloy and John Phelan whose profession was stated to be LABOURER on JP's marriage certificate. He married in New Zealand in 1876. Confusion arises because his marriage certificate says he was born Kilkenny (we assume it was town of) in 1851 but his death cert says he was born in 1846. No months or days for any of these two years.
We have not been able to find how he got to NZealand. No record on Immigrant ships from UK. His oldest son John Andrew told us at his 100th birthday that his dad JP had told him of his exploits fighting in the NZ Land Wars but a search of military records had no record of his being in any British regiment in NZ
JP worked as a railwayman on the NZ system.
I have no record of his siblings names but his childrens names could provide a clue:
John Andrew Phelan
Mary Emmaline Phelan
James Ernest Phelan
William Joseph Phelan
George Arthur Thomas Phelan
Bertha May Phelan
Cecil Daniel David Phelan
Alice Kathleen Annie Phelan
Joseph Gladstone Phelan
It would be great if we could find some link but it will be hard
Michael Phelan
Thursday 9th Jan 2014, 07:39AM
Message Board Replies
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Hi Michael
There are 3 baptism records of James Phelan with father John & mother Mary (but not Molloy) in Kilkenny; 1 is 1846 & 2 are 1848 on www.rootsireland.ie/.
There is no record of the marriage of John & Mary.
I could not find any birth/baptism records of siblings & none of the trees on ancestry was any help!
Col
ColCaff, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘
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many thanks Col for your quick reply - I shall investigate further
Michael