I'm posting a correction. For over 30 years I had assumed the 26 Oct 1841 Braddan marriage of William Gelling widower and Catharine Kewley was my great-grandparents (Wm G shoemaker bp 1808 Lonan s/o John G & Margt Scarffe, and Cath K bp 1810 d/o Charles K & Judith Quayle). Indeed, my researcher of July 1977 Janet Narasimham was quite certain it was correct, saying that if it was a coincidence "it would be a very big one". I always wondered why William was a widower and why they married 7 years after they started having children in Liverpool. However, I accepted it as "the truth" and the date appears in all sorts of notes and trees by me (e.g., 25/11/2009 and 8/12/2006 on the Board) and by others.

Well, guess what, the "big coincidence" turns out to have happened!

Last month JC found a marriage on Ancestry dated 25 Nov 1832 at St Philips Liverpool for William Gelling of this parish (Shoemaker) Bachelor and Catherine Kewley of this parish Spinster, with witnesses John Kewley and Ann? Cowl. This is obviously the correct marriage for my Wm & Cath. John Kewley is Catherine's brother, also a shoemaker the same age as William Gelling.

JC also found the missing marriage for John Kewley to Margaret Taggart 29 Dec 1832 at St Philips Liverpool. This couple returned to Douglas after their marriage, where all their children were born.

It now seems certain that the 1841 Braddan marriage is the William Gelling tailor who was alone age 60 in the 1841 census at John Street in Douglas, and in 1851 was at 1 Church Street age 78 (a Tailor born Braddan) with wife Catharine age 70 born Braddan. My strong hunch (but not confirmed) is that William Gelling is the one baptized 20 Apr 1772 Braddan s/o John Gelling & Margaret Quilliam of Ballamillaghyn. He first married Margaret Kneen in 1797, with 7 children born. I haven't determined Margaret's death date, but it seems to be before 1841. The 1841 wife Catharine Kewley is a bit of a mystery and I can't find her in the 1841 census. I'm assuming she was a spinster because I think Janet Narasimham would have told me if she wasn't. William matches quite well to the 3 Mar 1853 burial at Braddan age 79. Catharine may match 11 Mar 1858 burial at Braddan age 86, but age is way high compared with 1851 census.

Any thoughts on this would be welcome.