Also for reference, this is the full extract about John and Jane McCauley from “Some Recent Cases of Remarkable Longevity” (Seaton F. Milligan) in The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, Fifth Series, Vol. 2, No. 3 (Oct., 1892), pp. 224-236
The following is a verbatim copy of a letter written in reply to some queries of mine, by an old schoolmaster who lives near Ballyclare, county Antrim; it is interesting from the quaint style in which it is written, as well as for its minuteness of detail:-" A short account of John M'Cawley, of Ardymagh, farmer, county of Antrim, barony of Upper Antrim. He was born in Braidlee, Glenwherry, of humble parents, both natives of said county, and about one mile distant between their places of birth. He married at the age of 30 years one Jane Gardiner, a native of Magheraban, in the next townland to where he was born; she was his junior by the space of six years. The marriage was performed by a blind minister who resided in Larne, who was allowed to earn his living by such. Both walked on foot to his destiny(1) and back; no conveyance was requisite. The said John M'Cawley entered upon their new career of life, for better for worse, with a goose and her goslings; made favourable progress onwards and upwards to sumptousneas and respectability. He was never known to have been the worse of any strong drink but once in an April market in Ballyclare. He was pressed owing to some extra business to partake of two or three halfs, of which he was a great amount the worse, he said, as when he reached his destiny, got into bed, ejected a few mouthfulls. He was never known to have a headache, or sickness of any kind, neither smoked or chawed any ingredient excepting his food. Had all his teeth with him to the grave, all of them a double(2) set. His grey hairs were so few as not to be perceptible to the eye at a short distance, it was very dark and crisp, he had not much sickness at his latter end. They both died in Ardymagh, about one mile distant from each of their places of birth; she died first, and he on that day month exactly. She died on 12th July, aged 97 years, he on 12th August, aged 103. It is believed that both deaths occurred at same hour of day, two o'clock. He was father to 4 sons and 6 daughters, all of which were alive at his decease but one daughter. He had 46 grandchildren living at same time, viz. 19 grandsons, and 27 granddaughters. As to great grandchildren it is not known whether there were any or not, if any they could not be more than 3 or 4 at most. Emigration intervened, and docs so still; there are any amount of such since his death."
1. For destination.
2. I made enquiries, and was informed his front teeth were formed, like his molars, the same all round.
^ This is copied using Adobe OCR, so will no doubt contain errors.
