Ancestry can give you some hints that you then need to followup on to get more information. I found a marriage record for Patrick Bowe and Mary Powers, my wife's g-grandparents.
The Ancestry hint read as follows:
New York, New York, Marriage Index 1866-1937 about Patrick F Bowe
Name: Patrick F Bowe
Gender: Male
Marriage Date: 21 Jun 1903
Marriage Place: Manhattan, New York, USA
Spouse: Mary Powers
Certificate Number: 12755
Given the certificate number, I could have ordered the marriage record from NYC directly via http://www.nyc.gov/dorforms/marriagecert.jsp . Once nice thing about this site is it lets you use a credit card (unlike some other nyc sites which want money orders, grrr).
But... last summer I made a research run the Family History Library in Utah. While there I obtained the marriage record from their files. Note the parents names, church address, and current address in the records. Good stuff...
Exerpted details...
Marriage license, state of new york, borough of manhattan
received June 27, 1903
cert#12755
Patrick F Bowe
Mary C Powers
Witness: WJ Veale
witness: Florence McKenna
Performed by M. Cunniff
date: June 21 1903
Patrick F Bowe of 519 East 81st, age 25, white single, born in Ireland to Thomas Bowe and Mary A Flynn, first marriage
Mary C Powers of 519 East 81st, age 23, white, sing,e, from Ireland, born to James Bowe and Mary Halley, first marriage
Official RC Clerygyman Michael Hunniff of 413 East 79th Street [St Monica's Roman Catholic Church]
Note the address given is for the marriage - 413 East 79th - is for St Monica's Roman Catholic Church in NYC. The church is still there, and you can order records via http://www.stmonicanyc.org/record-search .
Next step, sending a check to St Monica's! I'll keep you posted. This will be my first time ordering documents from a church.
I'm also researching my wife's tree. Researching someone else's tree is a more delicate process. Luckily my mother in law is still pretty sharp and has a ton of great stories to share. My wife's tree has turned up some fascinating surprises, which I'll share as this blog progresses.
So the names I'm after for my wife's tree, beginning with her grandparents:
BOWE Thomas Joseph - 1905-1989 - New York
---- BOWE Patrick Dominick Francis 1876 Kilkenny Ireland- 1941 Bronx
----+---- BOWE Thomas Joseph 1833-1902 Waterford
----+---- FLYNN Mary Anne 1854-1885 Waterford
----+----+---- FLYNN Peter 1826 Waterford
----+----+---- MCGRATH Bridget 1829-? Waterford
---- POWER Mary Catherine - 1883 Waterford 1969 Bronx
----+---- POWERS William James - 1860 - ? - Waterford
----+---- HALLEY Mary 1860-? Waterford
DUNNE Anne Patricia Catherine - 1905 - 1989 - New York
---- DUNNE John Joseph 1889-1956 Tipperary / New York
----+---- DUNNE Thomas 1848-? Limerick Ireland
----+---- QUIGLEY Catherine 1861-? Tipperary Ireland
----+----+----QUIGLEY Margaret 1821-1911 Tipperary Ireland
---- ENRIGHT Catherine - 1886 Tipperary Ireland - 1972 Albany New York
----+---- ENRIGHT James Patrick 1854-1911 - Limerick Ireland
----+----+---- ENRIGHT Thomas 1820-? Limerick Ireland
----+----+----+---- ENRIGHT James abt 1790-? Limerick Ireland
----+----+----+---- MURPHY Mary abt 1790-? Limerick Ireland
----+---- RYAN Anne 1855-? Limerick Ireland
----+----+---- RYAN Thomas 1808-1875 Limerick Ireland
As always, if you have any interest in these trees or the names contact me. Always open to a dialog or a skype session.
