What does certificate say???

[Pels.]

Thanks, brevitas ! 

[Gadget]

Interestingly, Mary is with her father James in Holytown in 1891. She's listed as Married - so did Henry die in 1887

Monkey Row, Bothwell, Holytown
James Monaghan, widower, 52, Fur(nace?) lab, b. Ireland
Barclay, son, unm, 27, puddler, B Calderbank, Lks
Mary Connelly, d, mar, 22, housekeeper, b. do
James Connelly, grdson, 5, b. do

[1pds]

I think it says:

"Widow of Henry Connelly. Labourer who died in Middlesboro' 16 years ago"

[Toptotty]

Thanks everyone for your responses, that makes very interesting reading that she was living with her father -  I didn't even know she had a son to Henry so that's really interesting.  Mary Monaghan and my great grandfather  James Boyle seemed to have had all their children out of wedlock before marrying in 1906 which really confused me.  Could it be that Henry was missing, presumed dead and that they couldn't marry until he was found?  I'll need to try and find the death certificate to find out cause of death etc so Middlesborough it is then!  Thanks again everyone, don't know what I would do without you all!!!

[Gadget]

Not sure if you've seen the 1901 entry as you say you didn't know about the James Connelly:


11 Main Street, Greenock, Renfrewshire
James Boyle, widr, 36, general labourer, b. Old Monkland
Maggie, d, 4, b. Glasgow
William, s, 2, b. Greenock
Helen, d, 5 mths, b. do
James Monnachan, f in law, widr, 60, general labourer, b. Ireland
Mary Conelly, sister in law!, widow, 32, housekeeper, b. Old Monkland
James Connelly, nephew, 14, rivet boy - shipyard, b. Old Monkland

[Toptotty]

Thanks Brevitas, that is definitely the right family, but I didn't know James Boyle was a widower, it doesn't say so on his marriage certificate to Mary (maybe a mistake?).  Now I'm really confused!  Mary Conelly, sister in law Is this maybe just a wee white lie for dignity sake? James and Mary did marry in Greenock and as I said all their children were born out of wedlock.  The hunt goes on........ Thanks again Brevitas for giving me extra info, much appreciated.

[Gadget]

Yes I knew they'd married as I found it in the SP index. I think the term sister -in-law was for appearances sake. I see that he put down Mary's father as his father in law. He'd possibly described himself as a widower to explain his children.

Ooh, just a sudden thought, could James Boyle have possibly been married to a sister of Mary's thus the relationships would fit 

Note also that 'in law' was used to describe a wider set of relationships in those days - including step ones.

[Toptotty]

Don't think he was married before at all as on their marriage cert it states bachelor and Mary's name is on all the birth certificates as mum and he is on all of them as dad.  Now I'm getting addicted to finding out the truth behind why they couldn't or didn't marry before 1906. He was 39 and she was 37 when they married.  The plot thickens.......

[Gadget]

I'm thinking that they needed to wait until Henry died - or had proof that he had died or declared missing - wasn't there a 7 year rule before a person could be declared dead, or am I getting this mixed up. Do any of the other birth certs mention Henry Connelly?

I've been searching, with a wide time frame, for a death of Henry but nothing looks like him in Scotland or England or minor records.  He was a blast furnace labourer born circa 1859.

I've checked the Middlesbrough Gazette but nothing reported there 

Added - do you have them on the 1911?