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My Great great Grandfather William Henry Ferguson was born about 1805 (according to his death record in NZ) or 1810 (no irish record can I find) and by 1832 was a shoemaker in Belturbet. He married Ellen Brownlie on 4 September 1833 - he is recorded as of the parish of Anna and she the parish of Cavan. They had 3 sons  John Jones Ferguson born 1834 I think in Belfast, but baptised on 14 December 1834 at the Parish of Anna, William Henry Ferguson  born 1838 and baptised on 10 June that year also in the Anna Parish and Robert Court Ferguson born  in 1847 (according to his NZ death age) in Cavan parish but about whom I can find no irish record.

All the boys and their father ( after their mothers death  in Butlersbridge in 1866) emigrated to New Zealand. Great Grandfather William Henry's  death certificate in New Zealand, records his parents as Darby and Letitia Catherine Ferguson. Of them I can find no record of Birth Marriage, child birth, or Death. The Church records at Cavan and Anna make clear that Shoemaking seems to be a family trade as both John and Henry recorded that occupation when emigrating to New Zealand.

Darby and Letitia are likely born in the late 1780's. Where would I look given there are apparently no  church records? 

james

Tuesday 15th May 2018, 06:28AM

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  • Hi James,

    The record of marriage is on www.rootsireland.ie/ but has very little info:

    Date of Marriage:04-Sep-1833
    Parish / District:CAVAN
    County:Co. Cavan
    Husband
    WifeName:HenryFerguson
    EllenBrownleeAddress:Parish Of Anna
    Parish Of CavanDenomination:Church Of Ireland
    Church Of Ireland

    Note: his name Henry

    John Jones's baptism is there as you have it but neither of the other boys

    No luck with marriage or baptisms for Darby I'm afraid

    There are 40 Fergusons in Cavan in the 1821 Irish Census (free at http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/) including 1 Henry aged 11

    There are 10 in the 1841 but I no luck there.

    There are also 21 in the Tithe Applotments 1825-34 but same result! (http://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie/)

    Griffiths Valuation has 19 Fergusons in Cavan 1857 including 1 Henry.

    Col

     

     

    ColCaff, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘

    Tuesday 15th May 2018, 09:59AM

  • Cal,

    thank you. I am aware about the William Henry/ Henry issue. The Henry aged 11 ( who the 1821 census records as"Henery"was living with a John Jones a carpenter aged 72, Catherine Jones (described as "wife" so presumably his) aged 72 and a John Ferguson aged 5. Both John and Hen ery are recorded as "gandson". We therefore speculate that by 1821 two sons of Darby and Letitia were living with their maternal grandparents.at Ballyhaise in the parish of Castleterra. If Henry was born in 1810 as his New Zealand death record suggests then he would have been 11 in 1821 and his brother John who was born in 1816 would have been 5. All that suggests that something happened to Darby and Letitia after 1816 and before 1821if they were the parents of Henry and John. Catherine Jones died in 1823 and her husband John in 1825. Therefore they would not appear in the 1841 census and the grandsons were by then married in Henry's case and 26 in John's case.

    Thank you for your work and references much appreciated. We shall continue to wonder.

    James

    james

    Wednesday 16th May 2018, 06:56AM

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