Gibbons left Mayo 1849, pls help

John James Gibbons was born about 1827 in Co Mayo. In 1849, he went to Liverpool and boarded The Courtney for New Orleans. There is no passenger list for this ship. It was probably a cotton ship returning home. From New Orleans, John got work on the riverboats running from N.O. to Louisville,, Cincinnati, and St. Louis.  He decided to stay in Louisville and married there in 1852.  At the same time, there appeared in Louisville, a Patrick, Owwen, and Thomas Gibbons but their relationship to John is unknown.

John James Gibbons  probably married in Co. Mayo about 1846.  He son, Patrick Thomas, was born 1846-47 in Co. Mayo.  Either Patrick Thomas's mother died in Ireland or soon after arriving in the US.  I cannot find any trace of her.

However, on the 1850 census for St. Louis, I did find the only two year old Patick or Thomas in the US with the last name of Gibbons. He as living with Catherine Gibbons, 25, and John Gibbons, 40. Of course, this age is way off for John James. I cannot find any death or additional information about Catherine in any nearby cities. Young  Patrick Thomas did not name any of his daughters "Catherine."

John had a daughter, probably in 1852 in the US. She was named Margaret Ann, called Bridget. Her baptismal records are odd and she was apparently not baptised until many months after her birth. She was listed as the daughter of John James and his second wife, Margaret.  It is possible that the couple did not tell the priest the girls mother was dead or Margaret may have been born before the couple married. John was away from home a lot as he worked on the river.

In the RIC, I found a 21 year old John in Co Mayo.  In 1892, the obit of old John James mentioned he had been a police officer but I could not find evidence of that in Kentucky. So the young deputy in Co. Mayo may have been my John. Three of John's sons grew up to be police officers in Louisville.

My Gibbons never tried to farm in the US.  They worked as laborers, watchmen, and police.   My John James also cameinto New Orleans at the same time as the family of Cardinal James Gibbons and the newspaper journalist, Isreal Gibbons.So far, I have not been able to find any connection between my Gibbons and any others in Louisville and New Orleans.

John was lifelong friends with David Walsh, born 1830, the son of Catherine Walsh, widow.

I would so appreciate if anyone could find a baptismal for Thomas Patrick with parents named John James and Unknown.Since John named his first two daughters, Margaret Ann and Rose Ann, I would suspect those might be the name of his first wife.

John probably married in Co. Mayo in 1845-46 when he was about 20 years old.  He named his sons Thomas Patrick,who went by Patrick until he as 21, David William, John Charles.

Later in life, Patrick Thomas Gibbons began to style himself as Thomas F. Gibbons. I think this change was a way of expressing his relationship with the Fitzgibbons.

Any help in establishing a parish or church for my Gibbons or identifying the family out of so many Co Mayo Gibbons will be greatly appreciated. 

Sue