Genealogy of the McCaul/McCall Family, Clonfeacle, Co. Tyrone

Eddie,

Irish records start to get a bit thin on the ground as you get back towards the early 1800s due to the lack of records. Clonfeacle RC’s parish records only start in 1814. If you have found John’s baptism in 1824, then sadly you may not get much further. You might find his parents marriage, if they married after 1814, but you won’t find their baptisms or their parents, assuming they came from Clonfeacle.

Have you searched for siblings to John? The records are on rootsireland and can easily be searched there. If you find them, then you might find that someone else has researched the same family and has more information.

Death registration didn’t start in Ireland till 1864, and most RC parishes didn’t keep burial records, so unless John senior & Margaret died after 1864 there may be no record of their deaths.

The tithes list farmers (they were a tax on land) but the majority of the population didn’t have titheable land – they were labourers and tradesmen etc – and so unless you know John senior was a farmer, then he probably won’t be in the tithes.

Possibly DNA testing may be a way of matching with others who have additional information about where the family originate. Family Tree DNA reportedly has more people with Ulster roots than any other company. That obviously increases the chances of finding a match. You might want to try them or, if you have already tested, you can transfer your results to them for no fee.

The North of Ireland Family History Society is running an Ulster DNA project in conjunction with FTDNA and can offer testing kits at a reduced price.  http://www.nifhs.org (Go to DNA project on the website).

Elwyn, thank you for your reply and, to be honest, it probably is as much as I expected. I have gone through the Moy, Clonfeacle RC church registry page by page, (some of which is not the easiest to read and understand), but have not been able to find either a confirmed entry for John and Margaret's marriage noy a record of the baptism of siblings. I have access to and have used both RootsIreland and the nli Catholic Parish Registers without success. There are a number of McCall/McCaul baptism's but none recording John and Margaret as the parents. I am building a database of all that are recorded to see if I can find any commonality or family links.

I am sure that John McCaul, (b1824), had a brother whose name was Patrick, (b1827), as they are recorded on the 1851 Census in Finniestown, Glasgow living at the same residence. John was by the married to Mary Hughes and there are 4 people at that residence, John McCaul, Head; Mary McCaul, Wife; Patrick McCaull Lodger & Brother; Michael Hughes, Lodger and Brother. I also have the registration of John and Mary Hughes marriage at St. Andrew's RC church, Glasgow in 1850. Patrick subsequently married in 1851 at the same church and, confusingly, he also married a lady who has the same, Mary Hughes, name.

I have searched for death records of John and Margaret Carr, (parents), but without success.

I have my Y-DNA results through FTDNA, (Y111 and BIGY700), but, to date, they have not thrown up any positive prospective matches. Perhaps with time that will become helpful.

I posted mainly because I am hopeful that, perhaps, some other member of this community may have some knowledge that is relevant.

Many thanks Elwyn for your reply and time. Best Wishes, Eddie

Eddie,

Tradition was to marry in the bride’s church, after which she’d attend her husband’s. So one possibility for the McCaul-Carr marriage is that it was in a neighbouring parish. Or as said already it may have been in Clonfeacle but pre 1814. If you can’t find any siblings for John, then that could suggest father John was an itinerant labourer who had moved to Clonfeacle for work, and that other children were born in a different parish(es). Many RC parishes don’t have records for the early 1800s, so that adds to your difficulties.

If you could find Patrick McCall/McCaul’s death in Scotland it should i) confirm his parents and ii) tell you his father’s occupation which would, for example, rule him in or out of the tithes. If either parent were still alive then it would tell you that too though that doesn’t seem likely to me.

The other possibility is that the parents also moved to Scotland. You do see that sometimes. They’d likely be living nearby to Finnieston.

In case you don’t have it, Mary McCall may have died in Glasgow in 1870 aged 41. Mother’s maiden name Judge.  There is a death of someone in Anderston, Glasgow with the maiden name Hughes that year.

I had a look for Patrick’s death in Scotland up to 1920 but didn’t see it.

Elwyn,

Thank you for your further advice and suggestions. I thought I had replied to your latest post shortly after it was received but I note that, for whatever reason, it doesn't appear on this trail.

You are correct that Mary McCall, (nee Hughes), died in Glasgow in 1870. That Mary Hughes was the wife of John's brother, Patrick. I have a copy of her Death Register and from it I have gained 2 unknown pieces of new information: Her mother's maiden name was Judge, (as you state above) and that it was her brother, Thomas Hughes who was the informant. I was not aware that she also had a brother who was in Scotland at the same time as her but who lived in a different town/city, i.e., Greenock. Both of these pieces of information add to my knowledge and understanding and will promote another investigations/research.

Given what you have said about the probable location of the marriage of John and Margaret Carr, I shall embark on a search of Catholic church marriage records in adjacent parishes to Clonfeacle and I thank you for drawing my attention to that possibility.

The possibility of John senior being an itinerant farm labourer also opens up the need to search for further children being born at different locations to John junior. I never did find the birth record of his brother, Patrick, at Clonfeacle and this might be the reason why. So, for more than 1 reason I should give attention to records away from Clonfeacle. Of course, given that Clonfeacle catholic parish is on the border with the Amargh Diocese it could even be that parishes/townlands within Co. Amargh might be fruitful.

My confirmed source record information for Patrick goes up to 1871 and the Glasgow census, a year after his wife, Mary, died, and confirms that he is a widow with a 12-month-old son as well as 2 other children. I have not found him beyond that date so I do not, at this time, no when or where he died, and I shall continue pursuing this.

Thank you for the suggestion that John snr. and Margaret, his wife, may also have moved to Glasgow, I hadn't considered that as a possibility, and I will try and follow that up.

Once again, I am very grateful to you for your review, consideration, suggestions and advice and, who knows, there may well one day be someone who is a member of this community who reads these posts and might be able to add to knowledge.

Best Regards, Eddie