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Linking "Shields" Families from Ireland

DerryFaughanvale (Derry)

I have been researching the Shields family for some years now.
What I believe is that all the below Shields families are related, from Ireland before all moving to Scotland, around the same time, & all followed the same trade of (Shoemaking)
What I know:
My Gr-Grandmother Margaret Maggie Graham Parkyn nee Shields, b.1863 Bridgeton, Glasgow, daughter of Moses Shields, b.1841 Faughan, Near Londonderry, Norther Ireland ??, married Isabella Hutton, b.1842, Belfast, married in 1861 Blythswood, Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland.
So, Moses came from Ireland to Glasgow some time between 1841 & 1861.
Three of Moses 12 children were born in Glasgow, before they came to Australia in 1866 the rest were born in Australia.
The Marriage record for Moses & Isabella in Glasgow, has Moses parents as Moses Shields & Elizabeth Murray, (Shoemaker) deceased bef 1861 Isabellas parents William Hutton & Elizabeth Thompson, (Shoemaker) deceased bef 1861, from Ireland.
My GedMatch to the above is A487623.
Confusing now is that Moses, b.1841 Queensland death record 1912 has his father as Edward, born Ireland, not the Moses as marriage record, the same Edward that we thought is below father of Catherine, b.1840

My grandfather, son to above Maggie Parkyn nee Shields went with his parents back to Cornwall in 1905 to look into Electricity for mining, & went up to Glasgow while there & visited Uncle Bob Shields & Vanda, as 1905 diary notes they were there about 2 weeks, & while his parents Richard Bray Parkyn & Maggie nee Shields, Maggie was pregnant, giving birth just after returning home to a daughter called Vanda Venecia Shields Parkyn, b.Jan 1906 Queensland.
This I believe they visited to be Robert Shield, b.1872 Glasgow, his parents, Andrew Shields, b.1831 Ireland & Mary McGill, b.1831 Northern Ireland.
Robert Bob Shields had a partner, Vanda Veronica Kotkowski, b.1865, Glasgow, (did not marry) they had 2 children Robert & Vanda Veronica Shields, Robert Bobs partner Vanda passed away in 1917, Robert then married Janet Slaven, & later Maud Jane Unknown, all in Scotland.
Also Robert Shields, b.1872 was a (Gold Blocker), his father Andrew, b.1831 is a (Shoemaker).
Andrew Shields, b.1831 & Mary McGill had 5 children including the above Robert, b.1872, but also Andrew, b.1869, Glasgow, m. Helen McConnell.
Andrew, b.1869 has a GedMatch GC1538672 that has slight matches to both above.

There is a third link to this family, Catherine Shields, b.1840 Londonderry, Northern Ireland, who married John Robertson 1870 in Victoria, Australia.
Marriage record 1870 has Catherines parents as Edward Shields & Margaret Graham, (Shoemaker), but again the death record for Catherine Robertson, has her parents as William Shields & Mary White.
Again, this family we have a GedMatch user, A047911 to the above.

Now just to add some more confusion, the Isabella Hutton, b.1842 Belfast, above, her sister Esther Hutton, b.1837 Belfast, married John Lynch, 1856 Glasgow (Shoemaker), & their daughter Elizabeth Lynch, b.1859 Glasgow, married Charles Shields, b.1852 Ireland, (Shoemaker), son of Hugh Shields, b.1813 Ireland, Shoemaker & Catherine Graham, b.1828 Ireland, marriage date Ireland unknown..
Hugh Shields Glasgow death record 1881 has his parents as Philip Shields (Shoemaker) & Ann Cavanagh.
Would be interested that someone may be able to pick up any small piece of this puzzle that may link these families.
Regards & Stay Safe
Keith Young.
Mooloolaba, Australia

keith.y@flexin…

2 replies

Keith,

Regarding the discrepancy between Moses junior’s father’s name on his marriage certificate and his death certificate, I would favour the marriage certificate for reliability. That information came first hand from Moses himself, whereas the information on his death certificates was from a 3rd part who probably never knew Moses’ father. Mistakes like that on death certificates are quite common.

Janet Slaven married Robert Shields in 1930 in Blythswoood (Glasgow). GROS ref 644/10 215.

A likely death for her in Rothesay (Isle of Bute) in 1933 GROS 558/81 aged 49.

Possible marriage for Robert Shields to Maud Jane Lillie, alias, Turner, alias McGuire 1950 Blythswood 644/8/1407. (So she was married twice previously too).

Possible death for Maud Jane Shields aged 83, Kelvin (Glasgow) 1959 644/7 1382.

Marriage of Andrew Shields and Mary McGill 27.11.1853 Glasgow (Church of Scotland records). GROS 644/1 440 393.

Possible death of Mary Shields aged 64 in Bridgeton Glasgow 1895 644/1 1173. Her death cert should give you her parents names. It will also tell you whether Andrew pre-deceased her. Two possible deaths for Andrew in the Glasgow area. 1888 Govan aged 52 or 1906 Hutchesontown aged 75. His death certificate should give you his parents names which may show a link with the other families.

The only Shields (Sheills) I could find in Faughan in the 1831 Irish census was a Patrick living in Cloghole. 1 female living there too. Both Church of Ireland.

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1831/Londonderry/Tirkeeran/Faughanvale/Cloghole/14/

Death registration didn’t start until 1864 in Ireland so tracing Moses parents (Moses & Elizabeth) may be tricky as there are few records to consult. I don’t see Moses in Scotland in the 1851 census. He is apparently there in April 1861 (aged 25 in Calton) so he went there some time between 1851 and 1861.  I’d guess he went in the mid 1850s.

That Shields family appears to have been Church of Scotland (ie Presbyterian) in Scotland. If they were also Presbyterian in Faughanvale, then the local Presbyterian church has baptism records from 1819 onwards. (Marriages start 1845). No burials. If Church of Ireland (ie Episcopalian) as the 1 family in the 1831 census was then they have records as follows:

Baptisms, 1802-85; marriages, 1802-45; burials,1802-1906; vestry minutes, 1847-72; census, 1803.

There’s a copy of both the Presbyterian and Church of Ireland records in PRONI (the public record office) in Belfast. They are not on-line so a personal visit is required to search them.

Apart from the 1831 census for Co. Londonderry most of the Irish censuses 1841 – 1891 have been destroyed so we can’t track the families in Ireland from those sources.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Hi! Elwyn,
Thank you for your quick response, and yes, although confusing we are using the marriage as the most likely being correct, but believe the other names could also be in the family as relatives at death knew of those names also, as with Catherine, believe Stepdaughter was present, & she possibly would not have known.

I should have given you my link to my families in a public tree in Ancestry, under Parkyn Family Tree, search User: AlexisYoung77, as we had most of your suggestions, in images.
We have the marriage record for Andrew Shields & Mary McGill, & that gives his parents as Andrew Shields & Mary Graham, (the Graham name popping up again)
Have death of Andrew Shields and is 10 Jul 1906, also has Andrew Shields & Mary Graham as parents.

We are assuming if: 
Hugh Shields b.1813 Ireland & Catherine Graham, b.1828, Ireland, then Hugh’s parents:
Philip Shields, b.1793 (

Andrew senior & Mary Graham, are born around 1810 <, Ireland,
Moses Shields & Elizabeth Murray, are born around 1820 <, Ireland,

I would like to thank you very much for the work you put in, we will continue trying to link these families.
I hope you are staying safe as the world is a tough place to live in these times.
Regards Keith Young

PS I do check the early 1821 to 1851 Ireland Census, whenever I get a new name just in case.

keith.y@flexin…

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