I discovered family history can be researched through my local city library – they give access to various geneology databases if you are a member of the library – and I’m a member.  So I went a couple of weeks ago and did some searching, and here’s what I found:

Isabella Shields:

1.  Her actual name is Isabella Shiels or Bella Shiels.

2.  Another couple of her descendents have been researching family history (they appear to be descendents of Mary Jane’s sisters).  The other family researchers have created their own family trees on a well known family database, and like me, have hidden living descendent information on the tree.  The parts that were public show that Isabella Shield’s mother was Matilda Simpson, but there is no information on the father (so no new information).  Isabella Shiels year of birth is estimated to be 1849. Given there is no information on Isabella’s father (that I’ve located so far) , she might have been illegitimate.

John Smyth:

1.  Smyth appears to be the correct spelling, not Smith. 2.  He is estimated to have been born in 1846, and in Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland.  (not Glasgow Scotland as I was originally told by my family).

Marriage of John Smyth and Isabella Shiels:

This is recorded in the Ireland Civil Registration of Marriages Index – date of registration – 1874 (this aligns with the marriage date of December 1873).

Rosa Cefaly:

I came across a database on Marriages in Palermo, Sicily (I searched for Marriages in Messina Sicily, and the Palermo database appeared – Palermo is a district near Messina on Sicily): Only one marriage listed that could possibly be Rosa Cefaly: Spouse:  Fr Lo Riunzo Marriage:  17 September 1863 Father:  Giovanni Cefulo Mother:  Rosa Arculeo Marriage place:  Citta, Palermo. However, I know that the database probably does not have every marriage that took place on Sicily, so I can’t be sure.