Barb, I am SO glad you discuss this litteracy issue of our Irish ancestors. Let me add, that sometimes the censuses or civil registrations recorded that a person could not read or write, and I suspect that might mean the Irish person could not read or write ENGLISH, but may well have done well in GAELIC, which didn't count. Enumerators and registrars might collect Xs, for signatures, but I have found UK records that my family could not write and the next year in USA, they wrote in beautiful handwriting from America or Wales. The learning in bush schools or families had continued, under the table. And, the first thing my families did in America was take back their O in O'Connor! And you can feel the excitement in 1920 when all my Irish families registered as from the Irish Free State! Regards, Candi in California http://www.corbinconnections.com/