Peter Mulvay born c1840

[RuthM0]

This is one of many brick walls, Peter was born in the UK or Ireland approximately 1840. He is my 3x great grandfather and emigrated to New Zealand marrying the first of his three wives Elizabeth 'Betsey' Oliver in 1862. My great grandmother was alive when I was born and insisted the Mulvays came from Ireland, but we were never sure on where. The sole birth record I've found in Ireland is the birth of a Peter Mulvey in Dublin in 1841, this may of course be him - however a number of people using Ancestry insist he was born in 1843 in Haddington, East Lothian, but I can find absolutely no evidence for this, I have drawn a blank on any kind of BMD record. I questioned some about their source and the answer was always I got it from another tree, none have any kind of original BMD, or a census from 1851. I also draw a blank on finding his arrival in New Zealand, but I know the transcribing of passenger records has been patchy and is ongoing. My great grandmother was also always insitent Mulvay had to be spelled with an 'a' and never as Mulvey.
Any inspiration on where to proceed is welcome

[Pamelawagster]

Do you have any of hos marraige Certs? Do they have a DOB ,FATHERS NAME.

[Jomot1]

This seems to be him:

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/ne...2CILLUSTRATION

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/ne...2CILLUSTRATION

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/ne...2CILLUSTRATION

The third article refers to him being an Irishman (NB there are several articles about him, although the spelling is Mulvey).

[RuthM0]

Wowsers! Thanks for that, I'd not managed to find any of those articles, I'll bookmark the website for later use. Now I'll be checking the children's birth dates to see which one isn't his. As to the marriage certificate I'd only been able to locate it in an index, without access to the original. However the NZ record office suggests reversing the bride and grooms names, or using only one of their surnames if pre 1865 (it didn't used to include that tip). By using only the brides surname I seem to have it, and they'd spelled his name as Mulvrey which I certainly hadn't thought of trying. About to order the certificate copy now.
Hopefully I'll get to repay the favour for someone else in future by solving their block.

[Jomot1]

Papers Past is a fantastic resource - and free!! Sometimes searching just surnames can turn up people coming in on various ships - even if they aren't transcribed elsewhere - but I haven't been successful with Peter unfortunately.

[Jomot1]

Assuming the articles are 'your' Peter then this looks like him too, although it probably won't give any information about parents, place of birth etc

https://www.archway.archives.govt.nz...?code=24359037

[Jomot1]

Actually, there's loads under Mulvay (scroll to Inwards Letters): EDIT: And Divorce files

https://www.archway.archives.govt.nz...fDescSearch.do

[Jomot1]

The army record for his son, James Oliver Mulvay, also confirms Peter was Irish (see file 12)

https://ndhadeliver.natlib.govt.nz/de...pid=IE18339680

[RuthM0]

I had discovered the archway archives for WW1 records but didn't realise they held so many other things, I see if I just search Mulvay there are also things related to my 2x great grandfather Alexander Oliver Mulvay. I already feel so much more informed than before!

[Dundee10]

An 1862 marriage won't give you any information about the bride and groom. If Peter's second marriage was the one in 1886 then that is the certificate you need to get. See here for data collected:

https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.gov...ected/marriage