Elizabeth Shea

Hi, my great grandmother Elizabeth May (nee Shea) was born in County Cork in 1854.  She married my great grandfather William May also from County Cork on 7 Feb 1880 in Melbourne, Victoria Australia. Their marriage certificate states that Elizabeth's parents were Denis Shea a farmer from Ireland and Johanna Shea (nee Twomey) from Ireland.  Elizabeth died in Melbourne on 15 March 1896. Other than that I know nothing more about Elizabeth's family in Ireland and after much searching haven't had any success in turning up any Irish records. I would dearly love to know about Elizabeth's family in Ireland. I have also searched all the immigration records, as well as BDM, shipping records etc in Australia to see when Elizabeth came to Australia and with whom (siblings, parents?), but again haven't had any success. I have used both the spellings Shea and O'Shea in my searches.

I know a little more about William May(e) (born 1842/1844) whose family lived in Castelyons, Cork. William's father was Jeremiah Maye and his mother Elizabeth Maye (nee Lomasney?).  This information again came from Elizabeth and William's wedding certificate. Williams 5 siblings that I'm aware of from family correspondence were  Timon , Jerome, James (born approx 1855), John and Margaret (Maggs - died 7.3.1910 Castelyons, Fermoy Co. Cork). Note the change in spelling of Maye to May once in Australia.

There is a memorial on a wall outside the ruins of a Fransiscan monastery in Castelyons, Co Cork with the following inscription relating to Williams brother James:

'To the memory of one of Ireland's truest and most trusted patriots and martyrs, JAMES B MAYE Esq, of FARRON, CASTELYONS, who for the last 20 years of his life took a leading role in many a hard fought and stubborn battle for the restoration of the rights and liberties of our poor suffering and destitute country and for which he suffered long terms of imprisonment and innumerable torments in the dark and dreary cells in the county jails of CORK and WATERFORD.  He was a most generous minded man, a friend to the poor and needy and always in favour of again seeing IRELAND a nation happy, prosperous and free

He died September 27, 1899, aged 44 years.

May the Lord be good and merciful to his soul'

? would love to find more about James story.

I have managed to locate entries in the 1901 and 1911 census for William's siblings who were still living at the time as well as entries for 2 siblings, James and Jerome in the Calendars of Wills and Administrations 1858.

If you can help in any way to locate information relating to Elizabeth's family, I would be very appreciative as I've been at a dead end for quite a while.

Thank you  :)

Kind regards

Carrie De Britt

Qld Australia