Quote Originally Posted by bwarnerok View Post
Born in Astley near Bewdley? There are Postances in that area but nothing that matches up with my guy (although lying about one's age is certainly a possibility).
We thought perhaps his reg had been sent to Ireland and that's where he met up with the Irish girl. No marriage in any of the army records, or overseas for him. Of his son who emigrated from Ireland 1859, son-in-law in the US said, "He (son of Samuel) was apprenticed in Cork and never had enough to eat or a decent suit of clothes. Something like a Dickens character he said."
I have not found where the Grenadier Guards ever went to Ireland bet 1815-1834. There is a Samuel Postance in Deans' Gate, London in 1841 which if I squint my eyes and tilt my head to the right and shake it all about, I can guess this "might" be my guy. But it says his wife's name is Ann and the oldest child just doesn't match up. (the indexing on ancestry didn't find this, but the one on britorigins.)
A rabid cousin multi-times removed, went to ireland to try and track this bunch. he hired somebody who has turned up birth & marriage records for some of the kids but nothing on him or his wife other than her death cert abt 1870. Wherever it was then ended in Cork, the son's apprenticing job walked him right by the Bells of Shandon each day.
-b-
Shandon Bells would be spot on in your location. Not sure about the McIlhennys relation to Shandon but the Allens lived there. My father grew up 50m from Shandon Bells and I know it well. I have sent you a PM