Where in County Mayo?

[Billiegirl]

Hello. Does anyone know how I can find out where in County Mayo my gt gt grandmother was born? Her name was Margaret Feeney born about 1844, and both her father and brother had the first name Patrick.

The family story is that her parents had a farm there and died in a coach accident. Margaret came over to England and married Mark Scanlan from County Sligo in the 1860's, then they settled in Newcastle-under-Lyme, where she died.
Apparently her brother Patrick went to America and set up a shoe factory.
Any tips would be greatly appreciated.
 

[ShaunJ]

I think she was a bit older than that. She was 34 in the 1871 census which suggests a birth year of 1836/7.

And there is a Margaret Feenay in Northwich in the 1861 census aged 26,  visiting a Connor family. I note that Mark and Margaret were married in Northwich later that year so this could well be her.

[ShaunJ]

There was a Patrick Feeney born Ireland around 1840, went to the US circa 1858, lived in Maple Street,  Hudson, Middlesex county, Massachusetts, working in a shoe factory in the 1870 and 1880 census, listed in the 1900 census as a "farmer"  but he is in the local directories as a finisher, presumably in a shoe factory. Had a wife Ann also born in Ireland. Could be the brother?

[ShaunJ]

That Patrick Feeney died in Hudson in 1907. According to the death certificate he was aged 78, so born around 1828/9, and his father was Daniel Feeney.

[ShaunJ]

Rootsireland.ie has one Margaret Feeney born in Mayo in the period 1820-1840 but the father's name is Michael

[Billiegirl]

Thanks ShaunJ, that gives me a few more leads to follow. Yes, that must be her in Northwich, as they were married there, as you say. The 1861 census you found is very interesting, as I haven't seen that one. It must have been shortly before her marriage. Does it give an occupation for her at all?
In a way I can understand the age discrepancies, as she was illiterate.
The info you gave about the Patrick in America might be a good lead too, thanks again

[oldwestport]

In the 1901 census there are not that many Feeneys living in Mayo aged 70 (+/- 5yrs). Perhaps one of them was a sibling of Margaret's. If you don't know any of her siblings' names, you could take the list of results, go to (e.g.) familysearch.org and search for their birth/marriage records. If you find any whose father's name was Patrick, then that's a possibility, the others you can eliminate. Then you could identify the parishes where the possibile siblings came from, then use parish records to look for a baptismal record for Margaret.

[Billiegirl]

Thanks Oldwestport, that's a very good idea, I'll see what it comes up with. 

[Yonks Ago]

Hi there,

 www.rootsireland.ie/‎     BMD for Ireland [ not for NI ] in my research for Sligo my family were at times in Mayo as the boarders were sometimes spilled over due to church/priests, so if family lived in Sligo but were closest to their Church in Mayo.

The link is a pay to get transcriptions and you need to join but you can also view as well.

Cheers
Yonks