John and Thomas Patrick Gibbons of Co. Mayo

Are there family histories written by families in Co Mayo ? For example, it seems like the existing family of

Cardinal Gibbons of Partry might have done their family history and deposited a copy in the South Co. Mayo Family History Center or library. Are there written histories of the Gibbons families who lived in different areas ? I am especially interested in Gibbons around the Westport area.

My John (maybe James)Gibbons was born about1827, probably in Co. Mayo. In 1849, he arrived on The Courtney in New Orleans. He did not appear on the short passenger list of The Courtney's two voyages, so he may have come as crew. He then got a job as crew on another ship that sailed to St. Louis, MO. On the 1850 U.S. census, he was living with his son, Thomas Patrick, age two, in St. Louis, MO. There was also a Catherine Gibbons, age 24, living in the household. I can find no further trace of Catherine. I assumed she was John's wife but she might have been his sister. In 1852, John married Margaret McGiven ??? in Louisville, KY and settled down. On his citizenship application, John's son, Thomas Patrick, definitely claimed that he (Patrick Thomas) arrived on the Courtney in April 1849 and that he was born in Co. Mayo. Father, John Gibbons, could not be identified on any naturalization papers.

I found a John Gibbons in the Royal Constabulary, age 22. Since John had the sailing skills to be hired as crew to cross the Atlantic, I expected him to be involved in fishing or shipping. There was a salmon fishery in Co. Mayo where he might have been employed. John was 23 when he arrived in the US so he had worked a few years at something. John never farmed in the US. He worked on the river docks for years, then became a plumber. Maybe John learned his crewing skills at the docks in Westport. Since John did not emigrate until April 1849, it appears that he was able to survive the worst of the famine and I would suspect he was not a farmer.

There was a story that John was related to the Cardinal who was from Partry. But probably every Gibbons family in the US claimed that relation. The Cardinal Gibbons family did arrivein New Orleans about 1849 and his mother and sister settled there.

I found a possible baptism for John's son, Patrick Thomas:

Jan 24, 1847 Amagh ???? Pat, son of John Gibbons and Bridget Cannon. Sponsors Pat "Do" and Cecily Walsh. This was in the Islandeadybaptismal records, p 89 Dec 1846-Feb 1847. What does the "Do" mean ? Isleandeady is about 3 miles from Westport where there were Gibbons families. I would really like to read a history of those Gibbons in Westport and Newport.

I am not sure this is my John and Patrick because I really expected John's wife to be Catherine. However, John did name his first daughter with Margaret McGiven, Bridget Gibbons, born 1852. There were no girls named "Catherine " in either John's or Patrick's familes in the US.

On the 1900 US census, Thomas Patrick Gibbons claimed he was born in March . A genealogist told me that half the men in Ireland claimed to be born in March (St. Patricks Day.) The year of Thomas Patrick's birth varies on the censuses and his army papers. I think 1847-1848 is right.

John's father might be Thomas F. Gibbons who was born 1808, according to the 1850 census. He married and moved to St. Louis in 1855. I think the "F" mightreferto descent from the Fitzgibbons of many years back.

So I am still looking for a birth date for John Gibbons abt 1827. And a marriage abt 1846-47. A baptism for Patrick Thomas Gibbons abt 1847-48. A possible death for Patrick Thomas mother and John's wife about 1849.

If anyone can direct me to any Gibbons family histories in Ireland, I would much appreciate it. Thank you for reading this.