How to confirm I have the correct parents?

[Patchwork Cat]

Yet again, I am having problems with the Shawcross side of my family!! My GGGrandfather John Shawcross, married Amelia Cochrane on 23rd Dec 1860, at St Johns Church, Manchester. The Wedding Cert gives his age as 26, so he was born around 1834. He is a joiner and later appears in Census as a Cabinet Maker and journeyman. John is always listed as being born in Salford on the Census returns I have found for him, and after his marriage he is in the Regent Rd area of Salford. Unfortunately, on his Marriage Cert his residence at the time of marriage is indecipherable.
His father’s name is given as James Shawcross a Porter. In the absence of a birth certificate for John, I don’t know his mother’s name. I have found on the 1851 Census, a James Shawcross, married to Eliza, living in Hulme, Manchester with a son called John born around 1836 - 2 years later. How can I be sure this is my John’s family. Is there somewhere else I can check to get more information and confirm I have the right Father and Mother?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[RonOne]

Unfortunately, on his Marriage Cert his residence at the time of marriage is indecipherable.

Hi Patchwork Cat,

James Shawcross' address at the time of marriage looks like Port St.

[Raffaele]

The IGI has this entry which could well be your man

JOHN SHAWCROSS
Christening: 13 NOV 1835 Cathedral, Manchester, Lancashire, England
Father: JAMES SHAWCROSS Mother: ELIZA
Batch C097896

There is also this marriage

JAMES SHAWCROSS
Spouse: ELIZA SHEPHERD
Marriage: 21 JUN 1829 Cathedral, Manchester, Lancashire, England
Batch M005467

I got these from the IGI - LDS using the old search - the latest is this

https://familysearch.org/

There is also the Lancashire OPC on line which many lancashire people have great success with

http://www.
lan-opc.org.uk/

[Patchwork Cat]

Hi Raphaele

I had found the lan-opc site and there is a Baptism for a John Shawcross, whose parents are James and Kitty. On the IGI, again their are several James Shawcross, including the one married to Eliza, born in various areas of Manchester. I do lean towards the one who is married to Eliza, simply because he is a porter as detailed on John's marriage cert. Unfortunately, Eliza dies in 1851 and so don't know whether they were also living at Port Street in Manchester, before John's marriage. I then can't be sure which widowed James Shawcross is his father.

John has three sons, James William, Ernest John and Arthur which, if you assume one or other of them are family names, I tried matching those up. There was a James with children called William, John and Arthur, but then James and Eliza only had John and two daughters, so can't prove the connection.

The frustration with the Shawcross family, is the reason I keep turning away from them and concentrating on my father's family, who are far easier to track.

~Thanks again for your help.
Carole