Royal John Shirley

Royal J. Shirley was the son of John Shirley and Esther Abigail Ensign. He was born on the 19th of May, 1851, in Richford, Tioga County, New York, and also went by the name of “R.J.”. Royal married Mary J. Brooks, who was born in April 1858, between 1875-1876. Royal died at the age of 76, on the 6th of April, 1928, in Groton, Tompkins County, New York, and is buried at Willow Glen Cemetery.

IMPORTANT RESEARCH NOTE: There was another John Shirley who was born about 1846. He and his wife, Mary (Dolan) Shirley are mentioned frequently in the Owego Record and Waverly Free Press. He was the son of Jonathan Shirley and Mary Milligan, both born in England. (Mary Milligan Shirley died at the age of 74 in January, 1887, and her husband Jonathan died in 1897. They lived on Lisle Road in Owego). John and Mary (Dolan) Shirley had two sons Jonathan and Nathaniel Shirley of Owego, and four daughters. Mary Dolan Shirley died on the 24th of July, 1907, aged 60 years old. In 1909, her husband married widow, Mrs. Mary J. Dunham, who was born in Nichols, New York, daughter of G.H. VanDeMark and Elzina Hibbard. Our John Shirley was in Harford in 1900. Harford is about 22 miles north of Owego. Again, our relationship to these families, if any, has yet to be determined.