SEARCHING FOR MARTIN & CECILIA GETTINS

Thank you so much Brian for your interest and for sharing the information you have found. I will certainly go have a browse on the link you provided. I really appreciate your tips and comments.  And thank you Colin for your lovely comment. I do tend to get a bit carried away, so am pleased to hear it's okay to share.  I appreciate the links you have provided and will take time to browse and make notes.  You have no idea how excited I am to get to Ireland. I am sure I won't want to leave... let me rather rephrase that, I know I won't want to leave :) 

Sharon

I must admit, I was getting a bit despondent as I have not found any further information since my last post, but I have faith and have soldiered on and just  located CELIA SPELMAN (note change in spelling of her name) on the 1861 England and Wales Census.  She was Head of her Household, unmarried, with a daughter MARGARET.  Thank you to FindMyPast for having a copy of the actual record on their website.  I have now established that CELIA was born in County Galway, Ireland.  YAY! ;)  I entered her name on FamilySearch and came across a Widow Spelman's Tax Assessment in 1843, Townland: West Kylebrack, Parish: Leitrim and County: Galway. This could have been Celia's mother.  Another part of the puzzle has been found.

Hello Sharon,

It's wonderful to hear from you!

Way to go!  I'm so glad that you've been able to make some amazing progress.  It can be a little disheartening when you meet a dead end with your search, but it sounds like that didn't last too long.  

There are so many excellent resources out there and by the looks of it, they have been incredibly useful with your search.  You've described it so well as a puzzle because that's what these kinds of situations seem to be and others here on the Community who have carried out research of their own have experienced this too.

Truly loving the update - be sure to keep them coming so that we can all see how this puzzle turns out!

Speak soon,
Colin

Thank you Colin for your encouraging words. It really inspires me to continue this journey of mine. :) 

Yes, will chat soon, Sharon

Hi Sharon
I see that RootsIreland database records a baptismal record of a Celia Spelman in 1856 in County Galway (East) and that in the early-19th century tithe books for County Galway, which can be viewed on National Archives website, there are 16 references to Spelman and 12 to Spellman. 

Thanks for the tip Brian, I will go check that out. Appreciate the info.  

Kind regards 
Sharon

Hi Sharon,

So happy to read all the latest updates.
It seems that your final itinerary may have to wait a bit longer! 😊

Thanks a million Brian for the guidance and the help you provide.

Elodie

Hello All

It has been a while since my last post, but I have not been idle and have not given up on my search for my Ancestors.  I have found such a lot of information on my Gittins/Gettins/Gettings and Spelman family, but have still not been able to trace Martin Gettins birth or baptismal records in Ireland, neither his wife, Cecilia, whose maiden name was Spelman.  I only have 5 months before I arrive in Dublin and it would have been awesome to at least visit the Town where they lived or the Church where they were baptised, if it still exists.  Sadly, I think I will have to make peace with this, unless someone has any further advice for me.

I found Martin and Cecilia's Church record.  They were married on 21 February 1879 at St Joseph's RC Church, Liverpool, Lancashire.  Martin's parents names were Patrick and Maria Gittins and Cecilia's were Thomas and Bridgit Spelman.  Thomas was a Butcher and Patrick was a Labourer.  The first census record I have of Cecilia is from the 1861 Liverpool Census, where she was recorded as being 29 years of age, which makes her birthdate around 1832.  Prior to that I can find no trace of her in the UK or Ireland. If anyone could shed some light where I could possibly look, that would really help me.

Could one of the Experts in this Community also please advise me.  I want to create a document with all the information I have gathered over these past months and write my own story about how I came to do the research, just for personal use.  How do I decide on which spelling of my ancestor's surname to use, for the title of my document..  My mother's maiden name was Gettings, but going back we see how it has changed over the years and it would appear that the original spelling would have been Gittins.  I'm also updating the family tree on FindMyPast and FamilySearch, but it's getting a bit tiresome typing Gittins/Gettins/Gettings all the time.  Any advice what to do, would be appreciated.  At this stage I also have no idea if Martin and Cecilia had any siblings.  I still feel like such a novice at this, so any advice would be most welcome.

If there are any members that are researching family with the same surnames, please contact me.  You may have the missing pieces I am looking for.  I can add that my great-grandfather, Patrick Thomas Gettins, had a sister Mary, who was born in 1863.  In 1880, at the age of 17 she immigrated to America.  I have photographs of her as an adult.  I have other photographs too, which we have found, but can't identify the people. Patrick Gettins joined the Kings Royal Rifle Corps in Winchester on 20 July 1891. He was born in 1871.

Thanks ever so much for taking the time to read my post, Sharon

Hi Sharon

In my eyes you should always spell surnames the way they appear in Irish records. It is  all part of the reach tapestry of researching Irish ancestry! In Derry Genealogy's database we have 93 recorded spellings of Derry's number 1 surname, Doherty!

I searched RootsIreland, http://www.rootsireland.ie/ , and it reveals for example in the time frame 1800 to 1840 three births of children to Patrick and Maria Gettins; John Gethin in 1804, Patrick Gethin in 1806 and Patrick Gethins in 1836, all in County Sligo. So perhaps two more spellings of Gettins to add to your family tree!

RootsIreland also reveals in time frame 1800 to 1840 two births of children to Thomas and Bridget Spelman; Catherine Spellman in 1834 in County Westmeath and John Spelman in 1839 in County Roscommon. Remember when searching for different spellings of say mother's first name Bridget use wildcard, by searching for Bri%.

With best wishes

Brian

Thanks ever so much Brian. I will have to go subscribe to RootsIreland.  Appreciate your response and the information you have provided. 
Regards Sharon