From: "Cynthia N. Russell" 
Subject: Ulster Historical Foundation 
Take a look - searchable database available!  Alas, no Fergus, but lots with
FergusON . . . do take a peek. Cynthia


Subject: Co.Antrim Website 

Hello - have been searching around for my Fergus name and found quite a few
FergusON listings - worth the visit if you have not already been here.

Cynthia Russell




The following is taken from transcriptions from the copies I made at Oxford
House, Belfast 3/98. The "Index to Births Registered in Ireland in (Year)
list the Last Name, First Name, Registration District (usually the town or
city), the Volume, and the Page Number.  There is NO date listed, but from
the volumes and page numbers one can figure out if it was an entry early or
later in the year for the years 1871-1877.  Beginning in 1878 the births
were recorded by quarters and therefore require searching through 4 volumes
of index per year, and also checking the end of the indexes for additions.
I will continue to add additional years.

It is a laborious project to access and copy the indexes in Belfast. The
Registrar General's Office (GRO), Oxford House, is located two blocks from
the Belfast City Hall, 49-55 Chichester Street, Belfast BT1 4HL, Northern
Ireland, telephone 01232-252013, fax 01232-252044 is open Mon-Fri 9:30
a.m. - 4 p.m.  They prefer an appointment.  One must have identification and
apply to do a general search.  There are computerized indexes available from
1922 to the present.  There are no general indexes for deaths and marriages
before 1922 so it is necessary to know the district of registration.  There
is a 6 pound fee to search for up to 6 hrs; additional fees per page to
copy; 6 pound fee for a full certified birth, death, or marriage
certificate; 4 pound fee for a short birth certificate; staff search for
each five year period is 2 pounds.

The GRO Northern Ireland was opened in Belfast in 1922 following partition.
Previously all records were kept at the GRO in Dublin, which was established
in 1845.  GRO NI houses vital records for the 6 counties of Northern Ireland
for issue of certified copies to the public.  These include birth, deaths,
marrriages, still-births and adoptions.  Birth, death, and Roman Catholic
marriage registrations date from 1864 to the present; still-births from 1961
to the present; and adoptions from 1930 to the present.

The following is a distibution chart of Fergus births by county, registered
1871 - 1882:

                  Co Antrim    -   6 listings
                  Co Armagh    -   4    "
                  Co Down      -   7    "
                  Co Fermanagh -   1    "
                  Co Galway    -   4    "
                  Co Kerry     -   1    "
                  Co Mayo      - 123    "
                  Co Tyrone    -   2    "
                  Co Westmeath -   1    "

Requests for additional information or listing of names must include the
county.  Although the majority of births occured in Co Mayo, it may be
easier to track the families in the other counties as there are fewer to
research.

This is probably MORE than you ever wanted to know . . . but I think it will
be valuable to chronicle the information that I have found, along with the
source, and other general details.  Eventually, this information will be
added to the Fergus Website listed below.

Cynthia Russell
g-g-g-g gnddaughter of Francis Fergus, b 1752, Co Tyrone