SEARCHING FOR FERGUS & HYLAND FAMILIES

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.  Margaret was 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 information about Julia Fergus (Father was called John and they were shown as living in Eden Park, Knock), Julia went on to marry Thomas Hyland of Keelogues (father John).  Thomas and Julia had 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 (Anne died in Ocean Grove, Monmouth, New Jersey in 1974) and her mother Julia paid the fare.  I am not sure when Thomas and Julia died  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