Gosh it's been busy on here today!
I have to admit that I haven't looked at my Raynes/Ryall family for a while as I came to a bit of a brick wall so I'm feeling a bit confused/vague reading all this today!
JNBY - I don't know if we're related but it would be great if we were as you may be able to help sort it all out!
I know we are related to (although I'm not 100% sure how!) Henry Christopher Raynes - he was the captain of the steamship Upupa (Cork Steam-packet Company) before becoming Harbourmaster in May 1873. He died in Cork in 1877. He definitely had a sister named Elizabeth Raynes who was unmarried in 1877. I don't know when he was born, only that he had worked for the Cork steam-packet company since about 1855.
Our direct ancestor is John George who was born in Cork in 1822. Family stories say that he was born John George Raynes, but after a family dispute (to do with religion) he was disowned and changed his name to Ryall.
The first evidence I have of him is his marriage certificate in England in 1866 which states he is a widower. I also have him on the English census in 1871,1881,1891 & 1901 where he is listed as being born in Cork.
I also have (passed to me from older members of the family) a copy of a will dated 1812 written by Elizabeth Sullivan (widow of Francis Sullivan) who lived in Cork City. This has a witness statement on the end written by Teresa Raynes in 1826, wife of John Raynes, who lived at Lower Glanmire Road.
I'm not at all sure how any of these fit together and whether any of them fit with either Eliza or James!
Think I need to revisit all this, I'm feeling more muddled than ever!
Julie x