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Thank you both for your reply.  I have the information given to me by another family member who did some genealogy. We are both stuck at this marriage record. We have no birth records of the bride nor groom or the name of their parents. We are completely at a dead end. 
Does anyone have any super sleuth ideas of how to delve into that?  We have the birth records of 4 of Anne & Philip's children (Mary Margaret, John J., Bridget and Philip J.). One birth record, of my great-grandmother, Hanna (aka Ann) Shanahan is missing. 

Their first 3 children were born in Waterford and one born in Boston. My great-grandmother, Hanna was supposedly born in Ireland (but not quite sure where) before they immigrated to Boston. Philip Shanahan was not around at the time of her birth as he was in Boston (he was a seaman/ship's carpenter) and had disappeared and married another woman in Boston.  It was only when he was sick with a fever that he accidentally spilled the beans and upon interrogation by his 2nd wife, confessed that he had a wife back in Ireland with 4 children (sailors!).  His 2nd wife took pity and insisted that he send for his wife and family and that they get back together (good gal!).  Anne traveled to Boston with her 4 children in about 1873.

I can go forward but can not go back any further than Anne Keane and Philip Shanahan.  When they came to America they names on records became Anne Kane and Philip Shannon.

If anyone has any advice on how to find out about their family background, I would be most grateful.

all the best,
Pamela

Dear Darren,
Thank you for your post regarding the Quaker Meeting Houses in the Pontypool area.  Do you by any chance know where there would be Quaker Meeting Notes from these? Do you know the dates in which these meeting houses were active?

Supposedly my great-great-grandparents used to have meetings in their home. They were also coal miners.  I am wondering if they worked in Blaenafon if they lived in Trevethin.

Do you know if old Quaker meeting notes in Wales were mostly written in Welsh or English?

thanks for your help. I'd love to see that photo you mentioned.

all the best,
Pamela

Thank you. yes, I've looked at that site and came up with the same results. Perhaps they were married in a different state. It's hard to know where to look.

Hi Morgan,
My Ann was married in Ireland (Waterford) and had 3 of her 5 children there.  In my research, I found out that Quakers were running soup kitchen in Waterford during the famine and that they also had a thriving ship building business there too.  I am wondering if Ann's family were involved in the Quaker ship buisness in Ireland but perhaps the maternal line was Welsh, and that's how Ann met her husband Philip - who was a "Chippy", a ship's carpenter.

So it could be that there was the Irish line that married the Welsh line.  The Welsh Quaker part of my family supposedly used to have Quaker meetings in their home. It is written in the letter that they women would scrub the soft coal dust away after each meeting and how strenuous it was that their arms were sore.

Sometimes there are these stories that tell more than a census.  If only I new the mother's maiden name. Perhaps it was the mother that was married, Had Ann and then lost her first husband and then married James Keen/Cane....

Tis a mystery! Hopefully it won't forever remain so.

Are you from the Abersychan area, Morgan?

The strangest thing - if my Welsh ancestors were from that area near Quaker's Yard, it would not surprise me because I have been drawn to that area for 10 years.  I met some people who live in Abercarn and had been visiting the area every year.  They say we move in the same path as our ancestors sometimes.

we shall see!
thanks for your help. The hunt continues!

There was a James and Mary Kane who lived in Abersychan (Trevethin) with their son John.  I only see them on one census.  I wonder what happened to them...



all the best,
Pamela