If you are a descendant of a McCaulley from Blair county, Pennsylvania, please consider joining our DNA project. We’ve been researching our ancestors for many years, and every bit of DNA helps. Your DNA could be the key to unlocking these ancient mysteries! If you’ve already had your DNA tested on ancestry, but you do not have a paid ancestry account and are unable to access the family trees of your matches, I can help!
If you have your DNA tested on Ancestry, please follow the steps in the photos to add me as a collaborator or administrator so I can view your DNA matches. I’ll receive an email once you complete the process. You’re welcome to message me on Ancestry if you have any questions or particular areas of your family tree you’d like to request I look into. My Ancestry username is FeliciaLmccaulley
This photo is from the collection of Alfaretta McCaulley – Maxwell born in 1911 in Bellwood Antis, Pennsylvania – 2009 in Bellflower, California, courtesy Kathy Eller.
Alfaretta was a descendant of the McCaulley, Taylor, Elli/Ellis, Waltz, Eichenlaub, Rietsche/Ritchey, Zeigler, and Williams families that settled in Blair County, Pennsylvania. This family could be cousins, aunt, uncle, or extended family. It’s also possible they could have been family friends.
What we know about the people in the photo:
The photo was taken by the photographer Reger, and we know he was photographing at this location in just four different years: 1888, 1890, 1893, and 1904. The style of cabinet card and the clothing is early 1890s, so this narrows the year most probably to 1893. The family seems well-off, maybe the man was a prominent figure in Altoona, Pennsylvania at this time. If you can help identify this family, please let me know.
From the collection of Alfaretta McCaulley, courtesy of Kathy Eller. She was a school teacher for many years and won awards. She never married or had kids. She was a small woman, about 5’2″
These photos are from the album of Alfaretta McCaulley. I believe these men are from the Bellwood Antis, PA Taylor family. I recognized the man with the mustache from an Ancestry.com user bargersd photo (Bellwood Car Repair Team) as James J. Taylor 1865 – 1941. He even looks like he is wearing the same hat in 2 photos. However, my photos don’t really look like the photo uploaded by ancestry user Shannon Barger (standing at the fence). It could just be a photo of him when he was much younger.
credit Ancestry user bargersd Bellwood Car Repair Yard
credit ancestry user Shannon Barger Shannon Barger
The next photo I believe is William Taylor born 1827 in Bellwood, PA. This is a small 3″ tin type. Ancestry user urlifeisnow uploaded a photo of William Taylor, but unfortunately the photo is small and the resolution isn’t good. If you can confirm the identity of these photos, please contact me using the contact page above.
photo credit ancestry user urlifeisnow William Taylor
This photo is from the album of Alfaretta McCaulley and belonged to her mother Gertrude Waltz McCaulley. On the back it says “Frank Waltz” and underneath says “Gertrude.” Gertrude was Frank’s neice. Frank was her father Andrew Waltz’s brother.
Frank Waltz married Lucille Behmer, and they had three children – Kathleen, Robert, and Donald Waltz.
This photo is from the collection of Alfaretta McCaulley, courtesy of Kathy Eller.
Google’s facial recognition matched this photo to a woman I believe is Ann Catherine Elli, wife of Andrew Waltz. They do have similar features, especially the eyes. This 3″ tin-type photo has been dated to the 1880s or later based on the dress, location, and Eastlake style architecture.
She appears to be in her early 40s. Her hairline on the front is just starting to turn grey. She might even be late 30s. I don’t think she’s as old as she looks at first glance. Her face is quite unlined and her jaw line is firm.
The boy in the photo looks like he is about 16, and could be Otto Samuel Elli 1868 – 1908. That would date the photo to around 1884. That would make Marie Rietsche about 42 years old in the photo. This woman would be Alfaretta McCaulley’s great grandmother.
If you’re researching this family and can confirm their identity, please reach out to me via the contact form on this page. Thank you.
Our cousin Kathy Eller sent me a box of photos that came from her aunt-figure Alfaretta McCaulley. Alfaretta had photos from the McCaulley, Taylor, Waltz, Elli/Elye, and related families. Most are not labeled, so I and a few cousins are taking on the task with Kathy’s help to identify these photos. I’m also using Google Photos facial recognition software, which is helping to group similar faces.
Here are some photos we think we have positively identified —
This first photo is almost positively Thomas Asbury McCaulley and his wife Eliza Taylor with their children, left to right: Elizabeth Florence, Thomas A jr, Oscar Wellington, baby George Weston, Roxie Missila, William Taylor. Courtesy Kathy Eller.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
This could possibly be Elizabeth Massilla Williams born 1825, wife of Thomas McCaulley Sr. born 1823 in Antis, PA. The top photo is labeled “T.A. McCaulley Bellwood, PA” The photo has been dated to around 1878 based on the photographer and his location listed on the back. She would be 53 in this photo.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
The bottom photo is from the collection of our cousin Diana Nolan who inherited her genealogy hobby from her father. She had this to say about the photo, “The other photo is labeled Nancy Turner, but I’m having some doubts now. I believe it could actually be Elizabeth Williams. I have the original photo and it is clearly labeled on the back in my father’s handwriting Nancy Turner McCaulley b. 1849, d. 1921. However, above that is another, older inscription that says Great Grandma McCauley to Mabel Fowler about 1820/Picture taken 1900. Mabel Fowler is my grandmother (Fowler was her second husband so this was given to her after 1940). I don’t know who wrote the inscription, but Nancy was Mabel’s grandmother; Elizabeth Williams was her great-grandmother. Elizabeth Williams was born in 1825 according to my records. And if this picture was actually taken in 1900 as stated, then this woman looks the right age (~75) vs. Nancy who would have been only about 50 in 1900. So I think this is more likely Elizabeth Williams.”
Rowan Clark McCaulley 1865 – 1932 photo credit Debbie Welder
My sister and I started researching our family history a few years ago when we found the MacAulay DNA project. We had our father’s Y DNA tested. I recommend this to anyone seriously interested in finding ancient ancestors with your surname. With the help of geneticist/genealogist Lucas Mccaw and MacAulay genealogy expert Ian MacAulay of the Macaulay DNA Project, we were able to discover our ancestor Angus MacAulay from the Isle of Lewis, Scotland. The Lewis Island MacAulays have a rich and interesting history. If you have a McCaulley ancestor from Blair county, PA, there’s a very good chance you are also descended from the Lewis Island MacAulay clan.
I had grown up my whole life thinking I was Irish because of my surname, when in fact, my surname was Scottish and was changed in the late 1700’s when my ancestors came to Pennsylvania. Our name was changed to the more well known Irish spelling McCaulley and McCauley on early census records.
What we know
Our earliest paper documented ancestors are John McCaulley and his wife Mary, probably born in the 1750s. They had at least 3 sons –
Daniel born in 1779 who married Nancy Coleman
William born in 1780 who married a Mary
Henry born in 1781 (as of March 2020, we still have ZERO DNA matches to prove that Henry was related to our family)
Oral history passed down from Alma Pearl McCaulley-Wiser also names another son –
John, probably born in the 1780s, who married Mary Polly, maiden name uknown.
Nearly every McCaulley and McCauley descendant from Blair county Pennsylvania is a descendant of these four men. The family line between John and Angus is still fuzzy, though we have some leads based on DNA evidence. Our DNA evidence shows we are related to MacAulays, McAuleys, and McAulays from the Isle of Lewis, Harris, Canada, and of course McCaulleys and McCauleys of Blair county, PA.
How you can help
If you’ve already had your DNA tested on ancestry, but you do not have a paid ancestry account and are unable to access the family trees of your matches, I can help! Feel free to email me at felicialmccaulley@gmail.com for help searching your matches.
If you are a descendant of the Blair county McCaulleys or the Lewis Island MacAulays or suspect that you are, you can help by having your DNA tested. The more DNA we have to work with, the better we are able to paint a picture of our ancestry. Even DNA from siblings and close relatives is helpful because of the way DNA is inherited. Ancestry’s family finder (autosomal) DNA tests go on sale around holidays, so take advantage of those sales!
Females and males can both submit autosomal DNA which is inexpensive and helpful in finding relatives as distant as 5th – 8th cousins. Males can submit Y DNA which sequences the Y chromosome which is attached to the surname. Y DNA testing is a bit more expensive, but it can help find ancestors from hundreds of years ago.
Advancements in DNA genealogy is helping to break down walls in these family history mysteries, but we wouldn’t be where we are without genealogists like Matthew and Michael McCaulley and Joe McCauley who laid the groundwork with their decades of research.
John McCaulley born in the 1750s and Mary’s (maiden name unkown) children –
Daniel McCauley 1779 – 1861 married Nancy Coleman 1792 – 1869
William McCaulley 1780 – 1869 married Mary 1796 – 1880 possibly born in Indiana county, PA
Henry McCauley or McCanley 1781 – aft. 1860 spouse unknown
John McCaulley married Mary Polly maiden name unknown
Daniel McCauley and Nancy Coleman photo credit Tami Kinser
Daniel McCauley and Nancy Coleman children –
William McCauley 1822 – 1898 married Keziah Ann McCartney
Elizabeth Jane McCauley 1824 – 1890 married Louden
Phoebe Gray McCaulley 1826 – 1902 married Dougal McCartney
Nancy Ellen McCaulley 1830 – 1892 married John Blair Cunningham
Micham (Michael) Robert McCaulley 1832 – 1920 married Annie or Anna Smith
Thomas D McCauley 1835 – 1905 married Artemesia Reese
Taylor Mordecai McCaulley 1820 – 1893 son of William McCaulley photo credit Linda Peterson
William McCaulley and Mary children –
Taylor Mordecai McCaulley 1820 – 1893 married Hannah Etta Glasgow
Martin B McCaulley 1830 – 1898 married Mary
David McCauley 1832 – 1899 married Clarissa Hines
Benjamine Franklin McCaulley 1834 – 1904 married Elizabeth
George W McCaulley 1836 – 1902 married Mary
David McCauley 1832 – 1899 son of William McCaulley photo credit Ruth McCauley
Henry McCauley 1781 and unknown spouse children (as of March 2020, we still have ZERO DNA matches to prove that Henry was related to our family. It’s unlikely he is.) –
Thomas McCaulley 1824 – 1880 married Ann Ramey
Margaret Jane McCauley 1829 – 1851 married James R. Campbell
Ann Elizabeth McCauley 1831 – 1921 married James R. Campbell after sister’s death
**Edit 2020 – this is more likely be Thomas Asbury and Eliza Taylor McCaulley. “Thomas McCaulley b. 1823 with wife Elizabeth Massilla Williams. ” Photo credit Debbie Welder
John McCaulley and Mary Polly probable children –
John A. McCaulley 1814 – 1889 married Elizabeth Hopkins
Jane McCaulley 1819 – 1861 married Joseph B. Robinson
Daniel Calvin McCaulley 1822 – aft. 1853 married Phoebe Williams then Elizabeth Ohler
Thomas McCaulley 1823 – 1875 married Elizabeth Massilla Williams (sister of Daniel Calvin’s wife Phoebe)
McCaulley family reunion 1900 photo credit ancestry user McLWV. “Rowan Clark McCaulley family reunion circa 1900. Rowan Clark is 3rd row from the front 2nd in from right holding the baby. Next to him is Hannah Jane Murphy McCaulley, his wife. The man in the center back row on the porch with the hat, I believe, is Thomas Asbury McCaulley. The oldest man in the pic in the center of the second row with the beard, I believe, to be Daniel McCaulley, my great great grandfather Thomas McCaulley’s brother.”
1915 McCaulley Family Reunion in Bellwood, PA photo courtesy Kathy McCaulley
Bellwood, Blair county, Pennsylvania Fire Department 1919 photo courtesy Kathy McCaulley
George Weston McCaulley born 1891 Bellwood, PA photo courtesy Kathy McCaulley
George Weston McCaulley Bellwood Fire Company 1919 photo courtesy Kathy McCaulley
Log Cabin possibly McCaulley or family of James Taylor born 1762 in Antis, Blair, PA
Margaret Carnegie Ford McCaulley born 1901 with sister in law Gertrude Waltz born 1891 photo courtesy Kathy McCaulley
Talford De Sales McCaulley born 1916 photo courtesy Kathy McCaulley
Thomas Asbury McCaulley oldest sons left to right: William Taylor, Thomas A jr, Oscar Wellington, George Weston. Photo courtesy Matthew McCaulley
Brothers Thomas A jr and William Taylor McCaulley photo courtesy Kathy McCaulley
William Alfred McCaulley born 1847. “William McCaulley Civil War Run off at 16 years of age US Cavalry Died in Buffalo, NY” Photographed at H. Bishops New Sky Light Gallery, Chambersburg, PA Photo courtesy Kathy McCaulley
Possibly Malachai Spurgeon McCaulley born 1863, brother of Thomas Asbury McCaulley. Possibly an unknown Waltz. photo courtesy Kathy McCaulley
McCaulley DNA Project 