How do I find when/how a relative emigrated from Ireland to England?

Question

I have hit a complete roadblock with research of my wife’s great grandfather Bartholomew (Batt) Shea (later o’Shea). I have located his birth registration so I know his date of birth, parent’s names and birth address. He was born in 1878 in a small village called Curaheen near Glenbeigh in the township of Cahersiveen, County Kerry in Ireland. I also have confirmed details for him still in Ireland in the 1901 census return, still living with his mother and sister. He next shows up in England in 1905, identified via his marriage certificate. Living memory of his grand daughter confirms his birthdate and birth in Glenbeigh so I’m very confident it’s the same person.

Family legend says he emigrated to England with two of his brothers with the intention of travelling on to the US - they continued but he appears to have met his wife-to-be and stayed on in the UK.

I would love to find out when and how he travelled to England but research so far indicates no requirement at that time to register on departure from Ireland or on arrival in England, and no passport seems to have been needed.

Any suggestions on how to fill in some of these blanks would be greatly appreciated. He’s an intriguing man and I’d love to know more about him.

Many thanks in advance.  

Alan Pinnegar

Comments

I'm in the same boat - sorry ! LOL

My ancestor made his way from Ireland to Liverpool sometime before 1851. Then I have him on a ship to NYC in 1858. I have no living ancestors that can help me in my research.  It's a sturdy brick wall. I can't even find his marriage record in the UK. The other possibility is he got hitched on the ship to the USA.

Sorry I can't offer and advice other than have you found him and his wife in any census in England?

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Sorry (but not surprised) to hear I’m not alone in this. I have found him and his wife in several UK census’ subsequent to his marriage and have a fairly detailed picture after he came to England but the four years between the Irish 1901 Census and his marriage in 1905 remain a mystery.

Thanks for the response - you did get me excited for a moment there. (;-)

Good luck with your search.

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You say that his two brothers were believed to have emigrated at the same time, so research them and hopefully that will narrow the dates further. They are likely not to have stayed that long in England, probably before setting off for America. At that time movement between Ireland and England  wouldn’t have been recorded.

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Interesting thought - I do have quite a lot of info about the brothers as well. It hadn’t occurred to me that they wouldn’t spend long in the UK. I presume (now) they would have purchased a through passage from Ireland to the US so as you suggest, they wouldn’t spend long in the UK at all.

Thank you - that opens up an entirely new thought process about how this might have unfolded and a few more routes to check. Very much appreciated.

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I’ve often found out little snippets of information from following a relative such as their obituary or letters, I’ve just been reading a letterto my grandfather that’s set me investigating yet another person, and so far I don’t know if they are a friend or a relative.