Re: McCORMICK JEFFERSON CO IL 1850

Sharon, I hope you are able to read these messages.William C. Beal is my 3rd great grandfather.I recently have been in contact with a woman whose husband also descended from William through Samuel, as I do and she said the story on the McCormick/Beal connection went like this.

In Ireland a female Beal was in love with a male McCormack they planned to marry but needed money to start their life, he went away to work, but, there was already a little one on the way.In those days no matter if the mother and father married later (which they did) the child out of wedlock had the mother's name.All of the other children of this couple were McCormack's even though all had the same parents.The ancestry lead has the names mixed up it should be male McCormack and female Beal.

This coincides with what my family had passed down the story as far as the McCormick/McCormack was male and the Beal was the female.
I don't know about the going back into Ireland.I think John B. McCormick that lives next door to William in Jefferson Illinois in the 1850 census, may be his father or uncle, and the other younger McCormicks may be siblings or cousins.I'm searching with these things in mind and maybe that will make the difference!
I figure it's worth a try!
Kandie