I've been stumped for years regarding my gggf Patrick O'Connor. Census records (starting with 1870) say he was born in Ireland in 1835, but I have found no reliable info on his early life and parentage. The earliest document I can match to him is his marriage license: he married [[Nelson-13414|Louquincy Nelson]] in Shelby County, AL in 1866. His 1908 obituary said he was a resident of New Orleans for 42 years, so they must have moved right away after marrying. The paper trail is pretty easy after that. Gggm Louquincy came from a fairly prominent Shelby County family, so Patrick did not simply step off the ship and marry her. That suggests he had a significant connection to the Nelsons and/or Shelby for at least a few years. So far that's got me nowhere. The Holy Grail would be a marriage announcement or similar giving a little bio. Does anyone have access to old Alabama newspapers, or have any other suggestions for tracing Patrick's early life? Many thanks!