Hi Melissa,

Looking back at the records I think we can be 99% sure that your Margaret Kermode was the Margaret, illeg daur of Robert Kermode & Jane Kerruish bapt Maughold 10 Dec 1820, and who was buried in Maughold aged 43 on Apr 1 1865 (from Water St, Ramsey).

Her age was consistent in the 1851 and 1861 censuses as being born c.1821, and the other Margaret was bapt Nov 1818. Additional info was having Jane Kerruish living with them in 1861 (and the name is definitely Kerruish, not Kennish which Ancestry wrote in the index).

We can also be certain that John son of John Corkill & Margaret bapt Maughold 15 Sep 1850 is your John James - with his exact age given in the 1851 IOM census, plus his birth date of 7 Sep 1850 given in US records.

So your remaining problem is his father John Corkill in US records.

These are suggestions I have been given:
There is an entry in the naturalization indices for John J. Corkill, Circuit Ct. in Henry County, Illinois, so if you obtain the actual certificate, it might give more information.

The other friend wrote "I do not think the John she found in Mona is her John's father. Interesting though her John's sister Elinor/Ellen married the brother of John's wife Isabella and moved to Mona Ill. Also in 1870 census Ellen had a John and William Corkill living with them in Mona but the ages do not match the John and William she found in Galva".

Are you able to obtain the naturalization certificate for John J. Corkill?

Sue