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LOOKING FOR FERGUS FAMILY

MayoBekan (Mayo)

Hi, I am looking for information on the Fergus Family who lived in Cloontumper, Near Bekan, Mayo. I have found my Great Great Grandfather William Fergus in the Griffiths Valuations and he is shown as living in Cloontumper in approx 1848. William married Bridget McGrath (apparently she came from Greenwood, near Ballyhaunis). William and Bridget had three children: Margaret born 1851(Bekan), Martin born 1854(Bekan) and Mary born 1857(Bekan).

Both Margaret and Mary stayed on the farm until their deaths in the late 1920's. Martin emigrated to the USA and was shown on the 1880 USA Census as living in Hoboken and staying with Patrick and Bridget Rathagen (perhaps name should be Rattigan). Martin married Mary Quinn (I presume in the USA) and they had two sons. John (my Grandfather) was born in Hoboken (baptised at Our Lady of Grace Church, Hoboken) on 15th June 1891 and Martin (Jnr - known as Uncle) born November 1894 and also baptised at Our Lady of Grace Church. Martin Snr brought his two sons back to the farm in Cloontumper after Mary died shortly after Martin Jnr's birth. Martin Snr is shown in the 1901 census as are his two sisters and John and Martin (Jnr) but he is not on the 1911 census.

John (my Grandfather) married Margaret Hunt - my Grandmother(as far as I know the Hunt family lived in Bracklagh, and Margaret's parents were Patrick and Mary. Margaretwas from a large family and on the 1901 census it shows the eldest son (from what I can remember) called Bernard and another brother James(Jimmy) who came to live in Altrincham, Cheshire and from what I can recall he later lived in Manchester. I cannot recall all the other siblings of Margaret.

John and Margaret had four children: Austin-Deceased, Martin (nickname Ginger)-Deceased, Margaret (Peg - who married Peter Murphy from Aghamore)-Deceased and my late Father John. Apparently Martin(Uncle) and Ginger were great at playing the Concertina and Ginger appeared on the RTE programme Bring Down the Lamp in 1967 (he went with Mick Nolan of Cloontumper).

I am also looking for infor about Julia Fergus (Father was called John and they were shown as living in Eden Park, Knock) who went on to marry Thomas Hyland of Keelogues (father John). They went on to have three children Anne born 1887, John born approx 1892 and Michael born approx 1895 - they are shown as living in Caldragh, Knock in the 1901 census. Anne went to live in Long Branch New Jersey and her mother Julia paid the fare. I am not sure when Thomas and Juliadied but I think Thomas may have died not too long after Michael was born - I cannot find any records.

I have been over to Knock the last three years and last year I met an elderly gentleman who said he remembered Julia Fergus when he was a young boy and he said that she had said she was the Aunt of Bishop Fergus - my Aunt Peg never mentioned this so I do not really know if there is a connection but when I told my mum and we had found a photo of Bishop Fergus and found one of my Father, my mum (who is good on faces) said there was a good likeness! So any help would be very much appreciated!

Thanks

Fergie

Fergie

8 replies

Rosaleen:

I can't add much since you have done a great job researching your family. I could not find a death index record for Thomas in the Claremorris registration district from 1892-1901. Sometimes that deaths were not registered. I only found two Julia Hyland death index records in Mayo. The one that fit the best was actually in the Castlebar district so it may not be your Julia.

Roger McDonnell

 

First Name Julia
Last Name Hyland
Year 1943
Year Of Death 1943
Registered Quarter/Year Apr - Jun 1943
Age 81
Year Of Birth 1862
Registration District Castlebar
Volume 4
Page 63
Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

 

Hi Roger,

Thank you very much for finding this information out for me regarding Julia Hyland - I will try and find out more.  I have also not been able to find out what happened to Thomas and Julia Hyland's two sons John and Michael - whether they stayed in Ireland or whether they emigrated to America - are you able to help.

 I am not sure what part of Ireland my Great Great Grandfather William was born.  He was born in 1817 in Ireland.  From what I gather he had two brothers John (Julia's Father) and Patrick.  As I mentioned before John was shown as living in Eden Park, near Knock and I think Patrick may have lived in Keelogues but not sure.

 

 

Fergie

Roger

I do not think that I can add much more detail to your research. I can give you a few ideas to check further.

(1) Your details on the Fergus family in the Bekan parish looks OK. It is likely that William is from this district or environs with respect to 19th century details. I cannot add more details on this paternal family while noting his likely brothers you listed. Have you attained details on the McGrath and Hunt families? If in contact with these family units, you may attain more after bus details

(2) Martin Fergus Snr is not noted on any census records for 1911 as you alluded. Curiously, I noted a death record for a Martin Fergus about the age of your Martin who died in Salford, Lancashire. This historically was an area travelled by many Irish emigrants or indeed seasonal workers throughout the 19th and indeed well into the 20th century. Again, the death of Martin Snr may not have been registered in Ireland prior to 1911. Still would be worth requesting a Death certificate in Salford.

(3) I am impressed with all your family detail relative to the four children of your grandparents, John and Margaret.There may be descendant family in the area today.

(4) Again, the death certificate for Thomas Hyland may not be registered in Ireland which did happen at times. Again it is plausible that he died in England noting the Spalpeen seasonal work tradition in this area of Mayo. Keep all options open.   

 

(5) I would say that it I highly likely that the death record outlined by previous contributor is your Jula Hyland (nee Fergus). Noting the age of this Julia, she is most likely to have died in either the County home or County Hospital in Castlebar. The death was most likely registered in the place of death as it is today. Worth attaining Death Certificate to confirm. There was no other Julia Hyland of this age profile on the 1911 Irish census record.

(6) Lastly, I cannot relate to the Bishop scenario other than to note that there was a Bishop James Fergus of Achonry who was born in west Mayo in Louisburgh in 1895. 

 

Kind regards

 

 

 

 

IrelandXO member

Roger

I do not think that I can add much more detail to your research. I can give you a few ideas to check further.

(1) Your details on the Fergus family in the Bekan parish looks OK. It is likely that William is from this district or environs with respect to 19th century details. I cannot add more details on this paternal family while noting his likely brothers you listed. Have you attained details on the McGrath and Hunt families? If in contact with these family units, you may attain more after bus details

(2) Martin Fergus Snr is not noted on any census records for 1911 as you alluded. Curiously, I noted a death record for a Martin Fergus about the age of your Martin who died in Salford, Lancashire. This historically was an area travelled by many Irish emigrants or indeed seasonal workers throughout the 19th and indeed well into the 20th century. Again, the death of Martin Snr may not have been registered in Ireland prior to 1911. Still would be worth requesting a Death certificate in Salford.

(3) I am impressed with all your family detail relative to the four children of your grandparents, John and Margaret.There may be descendant family in the area today.

(4) Again, the death certificate for Thomas Hyland may not be registered in Ireland which did happen at times. Again it is plausible that he died in England noting the Spalpeen seasonal work tradition in this area of Mayo. Keep all options open.   

 

(5) I would say that it I highly likely that the death record outlined by previous contributor is your Jula Hyland (nee Fergus). Noting the age of this Julia, she is most likely to have died in either the County home or County Hospital in Castlebar. The death was most likely registered in the place of death as it is today. Worth attaining Death Certificate to confirm. There was no other Julia Hyland of this age profile on the 1911 Irish census record.

(6) Lastly, I cannot relate to the Bishop scenario other than to note that there was a Bishop James Fergus of Achonry who was born in west Mayo in Louisburgh in 1895. 

 

Kind regards

 

 

 

 

IrelandXO member

Hi, thank you for your comments on the Fergus and Hyland Families.  My father (also called John) was the son of John and Margaret Fergus.  He was born in Cloontumper in 1924, he had two older brothers Austin and Martin (Ginger) and a sister Margaret (Peg).  Austin lived with his wife Bridget (Babe) Hirst(Hurst) in the Manchester area and Peg married Peter Murphy of Aghamore and they lived in Timperley until their deaths.  Ginger stayed on the farm in Cloontumper with his parents John and Margaret and his Uncle Martin.  I have the death records for my Grandparents and also Ginger but could not obtain the death certificate for Uncle Martin from Castlebar Registrars Office. 

My Grandma Margaret Fergus (nee Hunt) was the twin of Michael and there were was another set of twins John and James (Jimmy).  Jimmy lived in Altrincham when my parents did but I am not sure where he lived thereafter or who his wife was.  When my Aunt Peg died we found some papers and one was the obituary details of Michael Hunt from Brickeens and it mentions his nephew Jimmy Fleming from Kiltimagh and also Michael's brother John and his sister Breege Fleming both of Manchester.  I am not sure whether John and Breege would still be alive.  My Aunt Peg used to mention the Fleming family and I think she mentioned that a Patrick Fleming married a Bridget Fergus and that they emigrated to the USA and that Patrick was in the Police there but I am not sure whether this is correct.

I have recently obtained the death records for Martin Fergus (snr) who you correctly stated was living in Manchester in 1911 and died in 1929 and it shows him as a Widower which was correct.  My Aunt Peg said her Great Aunts said he never got over his wife (Mary Quinn) dying.  I have also been trying to find anything out about Mary Quinn i.e. what part of Ireland she was from and who her parents were but she is proving very elusive.

With regards to the Hyland family it is quite difficult to find any records for them.  I did manage to obtain the death records of Thomas Hyland's (Julia Fergus's husband) mother Honoria Hyland who died in 1875 and also his Father John who died approximately 1884.  Their two sons John and Michael are proving difficult to trace and I have recently found the death records for their sister Anne in Monmouth New Jersey but I will have to contact the Registrar's Office in New Jersey to obtain the Certificate as you cannot do this via the Ancestry.com website.

Thanks again for you help.

Regards Fergie

Fergie

I have just started on the family tree so I can contribute a very belated reply to the 2014 query re the Fergus family and a connection to Flemings. Patrick Fleming married Mary Fergus (not Bridget)  in 1859 in Crossmolina (I think). His brother Thomas married her sister Bridget in 1868. They are my great-grandparents and lived in Erris Street, Crossmolina according to census 1901. She died in 1906 but he was still in Erris street in 1911. He died in 1926. Both are buried in Kilmurray cemetery.

I know nothing of the previous generation of the Fergus family. Thoas Fleming's father was Bryan and his mother was Mary Foy. Her parents were Michael Foy and Catherine Caden. That's all I have so far on my mayo ancestors so if anyone can supply additional info, please do.

Thanks,

Brian Fleming

IrelandXO member

Hello Brian,

Sorry that I haven't replied sooner.  Thanks very much for your information.  I will see if I can find any information for you regarding your Fleming ancestors.

Kind regards.

Fergie (Rosaleen Fergus)

Fergie

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