Please can anybody help me with this Sheppard brick wall?

bitkin · Post by **bitkin** » Thu Oct 18, 2007 7:52 pm

I am having terrible trouble locating a certain May Sheppard, born 1887 in Scotland.

She married Robert Gladstone Innes in 1916 in Grimsby, and her father, Richard Sheppard was a Skipper RNR at that time. I have found a possible marriage for Richard in Greenock (which fits in with what I have been told) on 9th November 1883 - to Catherine Feeney.

My problem is that between this time, 1883 and the marriage of May in 1916 I can find absolutely no trace of any of them. I can understand Richard being difficult as he was a Mariner, but where the heck were Catherine and May???

I must also add, that I cannot find a birth for May Sheppard in or near 1887 either in Scotland or England, and have wondered if perhaps she was adopted, but that still doesn't explain why Catherine is also missing from the face of the earth

If anybody can help me in any shape or form, or come up with suggestions of where to look next, I would be very grateful.

Post by **Ina** » Thu Oct 18, 2007 8:24 pm

Hi Bitkin,

Could this be your Richard?....... Richard SheppErd, age 56 with wife Catherine, age 45 living in 53 Main St. Anderson, Glasgow in the 1891 census records. He is listed as an Iron Planer, born in England and Catherine was born in Ireland

Ina

bitkin · Post by **bitkin** » Thu Oct 18, 2007 8:36 pm

Thank you for your reply Ina, it's much appreciated, but no that's not them. I thought it was when I found them earlier, but it isn't. Sob.!!! I have checked all the possibilities with this couple, and although the ages are right, nothing else is.

Post by **Ina** » Thu Oct 18, 2007 8:46 pm

Hi Again,

Do you know where Richard was born? There doesn't appear to be any Richard Sheppards (Shepperds) born in Scotland.

Ina

bitkin · Post by **bitkin** » Thu Oct 18, 2007 8:51 pm

hello again Ina - and thank you so much for your interest.

Sigh. No, and he doesn't appear to have been born in England either!!

These Sheppards are a complete nightmare to be honest. If the marriage certificate that I have found is right, then Richard's father was Robert Sheppard, Veterinary surgeone, and his mother was Elizabeth (Richardson), but both were deceased in 1883. I am not 100% sure that this is the correct marriage though, but it's the ONLY one, so I'm clutching at straws!!!

bitkin · Post by **bitkin** » Thu Oct 18, 2007 8:55 pm

oooooooooooooh - just spotted where you live!!! You lucky thing. *shivers with cold

Post by **Ina** » Thu Oct 18, 2007 9:49 pm

Hi Bitkin,

Yes I do live in paradise

. This is the start of our winter season and the weather is just perfect....in the 80's. However the summer is a different story, it gets up to 115 degrees. I usually take my vacation in the summertime just to get away from the heat.

Ina

nelmit · Post by **nelmit** » Thu Oct 18, 2007 10:51 pm

Have you looked at the 3 Shepherd children born in Greenock between 1883 and 1888? None of them are May mind you.

Regards,
Annette M

grannysrock · Post by **grannysrock** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 12:04 pm

Hi Bitkin

There' s a family in Grimsby in 1901:

Richard Shepherd Head Mar 55 Master Mariner London Bermondsey
Eliza A "" Wife Mar 53 Linc. Anwick
George "" Son S. 19 Fish Merc'ts Labor. Linc. Grimsby
Alice "" Dau S 18 Post Office Clerk Linc. Grimsby
Richard "" Son S 16 Solicitor's Linc. Grimsby
May "" Dau S 13 Linc. Grimsby
plus 3 boarders

Apart from May's place of birth and Mrs Shepherd's forename it seems a good fit !

Sally

bitkin · Post by **bitkin** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 7:21 pm

Hello Sally - same name as me!

I was getting excited then, because this is the only May that anyone has found, and the birthdate is only one year out. However, as you say, the wife is wring, and also the spelling is incorrect (not necessarily proof either way I know), but the final thing is that Richard in 1901 was on HMS Pekin (his trawler which was taken over by the Navy) somewhere in the sea.
Why are NONE of my Sheppards showing up anywhere for years and years

To further complicate matters, a relative of May's was Donald Sheppard who was an eminant Gyny Surgeon in Scotland - I thought that if I could find him it would be something!!! No luck yet........
Thank you everyone for trying with this.