People   (Re-unions, trace old friends and relatives.)

I've ceased to be sceptical. I think there is a very likely possibility that this is the James you are looking for. First of all, he really is the nearest fit, but that is not a good enough reason. James is lodging in Brightside, Bierlow, Yorkshire in 1871 with Martin Bohan (sometimes Bowen in the censuses) and his wife Margaret, nee Fitzgerald. They married in Chesterfield, Derbyshire in 1858 and had four children born between 1859 and 1869 in CLAYCROSS, DERBYSHIRE. Their youngest (5th) child in this census was only 2 months old and born in Sheffield. It seems the Bohans had only recently moved to Yorkshire.
The two siblings born after Clara Devine were born in CLAYCROSS, DERBYSHIRE and this is the place that Mary Devine was living in alone with her children in 1871. The Bohans moved back to CLAYCROSS as they are there in 1881. I am basing what I say on circumstantial evidence, but it looks like James Devine lost his job in Barnsley, moved up to Durham to look for work in the coal mines, then on to Derbyshire. From here he followed or accompanied Martin Bohan to Yorkshire also in search of work, leaving Mary and the children temporarily behind. At this time he was still a coal miner. The Bowens returned to Claycross and James and family moved to Wath on Dearne. I can't prove that this James is the mising James but I really, really think so.

So, all for tonight.

LEP1950