The document at the top of the page is an entry from Bernard McCauley (IV)’s notes from his interview with his mother Anna McCauley regarding the McCauley Family history.  Bernard McCauley (III) had passed away and his son wanted to capture as much of the McCauley family history from his mother.  While these notes provided a good place to start my genealogy research with some wonderful clues. There were inaccuracies due to information being passed on orally.  A fact that was successfully transmitted and used as collaborating information was the maidan name of Bernard McCauley’s wife, who was Anne Carron.  This first name and the names of most of the children gave me a grouping I could look for when examining censes records.  In the fall of 2018, I began using the search engine “Irish Roots” to examine censes records.  I searched records in all six counties in Northern Ireland from 1870 to 1910 using the name Bernard McCauley, then his wife Anne, and then the names of children.

After many sessions examining counties and time periods I found them in the 1901 Irish Censes.  The names of parents matched, the other names on the form matched aunts and uncles from my father’s notes.  I reasoned that great-great uncles and great-great aunts not listed had emigrated to America.  On this 1901 Irish Censes form we find a Catholic family consisting of: Bernard McCauley (I) and his wife Anne, Bernard McCauley (II), whose occupation is listed as a farmer, Ellen McCauley, a dress maker, Agnes, a domestic servant and Thomas, a coachman.  No unknown names or relations. 

Another fact gleaned from the censes form is that my Great-Great Grandfather had literacy skills, being able to sign the censes form and at the top indicating he could communicate in Irish and English.

Time and again the notes from my father’s interview with his mother would prove to be valuable as corroborative information. Taking an oral history is a good technique for preserving family history.  I encourage completing one with an older family member.  I can attest to the value of having this information since his passing.