Sean at [email protected] writes: << born in 1865 at Fos Longford in the district of Ballymahon. Cannot find Foslongford on the map >> Sean, Without some other information on possible nearby placenames of other family members, I can only suggest the townland of Furze. It is in the civil parish of Rathreagh in the PLU of Ballymahon (about the same as district, I guess). It would take some odd speech and/or listening habits to convert Furze into Fos.......... but this is Ireland, where all things are "possible" (nay, "probable"). There is a Faus in Co. Roscommon, but in the wrong part and not near the Longford border. Nothing in Westmeath, either. You don't have anything in the way of BMD info for John Derwin's relatives? That might help with the location - especially if it's not a townland name. Pete Schermerhorn, in the glorious Berkshire hills of western Massachusetts