Thanks Sue. The thing is, he isn't an immediate forebear, but the ancestor of a match. I believe the match and I are linked through my mystery Great Grandfather, but that link could be via a dozen family lines on the match's side. I could probably buy a dozen certificates and find none of them helpful, so I'm trying to do as much as I can until I find the link, and then I can focus.
Nevertheless, you are probably correct, but I thought posting here was worth a try.