My great, great grandfather Patrick was born in 1845 in Galway. Based on his age at death I have 3 possible baptism records for him, the most likely being baptized February 16, 1845 in Tuam, parents James Shaughnessy and Catherine Hanley, sponsors Michael Shaughnessy and Ellen Costello. There are other records but for them to be correct his age on his burial and 4 censuses would have to be incorrect I have a possible match in the 1861 England census but the listing is for a lodger so no family info.
I have been trying very unsuccessfully to find out more about his family. He and I assume his family moved to England, the first definite record I have for him in England is his marriage in 1867 to Mary Kennedy, in Newcastle under Lyme, Staffordshire, she was born in Roscommon. He named his only son John. They seem to have pronounced the name Shocknessy.
Can anyone answer these questions, are the records from this time and place complete and /or reliable? What was life like in Galway in the 1840-1850s, would they have left due to ‘famine’?
Am I likely to have any success tracing him with so little information about his early life or do I give up? Are there any other records I could try to find? My mother has no information about her great grandfather.
I am in Canada so unable to do original research