This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: jemwalsh Surnames: McCann, McCan, Mcan, M'Can, McCana, McKenna, Cann Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.mccann/1806.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: McCann can be a tough name to research in the Census. In the 1800's some McCanns were still using only one "n" so you need to search for "McCan," too. Then, the indexing can be tricky as sometimes a space is placed between the "Mc and the "Cann." So, try that, too. Sometimes the name was written "M'Cann" using an apostrophe instead of a small "c;" which can be indexed as "Mcann" or "Mcan." Have done some Census searching for your George. The closest in surname spelling, age, and location (proximity to York Co.) in 1860 was a George "McCan" in 1860 Menallen, Adams, PA listed as age 19 in a Harlan household, working as a farm laborer. (The age of non-family members is frequently mis-reported.) The closest in spelling, age and location in 1850 was a George "McCana" age 12 b. Ireland in neighboring Lancaster County enumerated in September 1850. This George was in the household of John Metzger 30 a tailor in the City of Lancaster. Then found a ship's list for August 1850 containing three McKennas, one of whom was an 11 year old George with John 13 and Eliza 10 from Derry, Ireland; they arrived on the ship "George Green" which had sailed from Liverpool, England. There is another, perhaps even stronger, possibility that George was the 11 year old George "Cann" enumerated in 1850 Hopewell, York, PA. Looking at the actual Census page, it seems possible that his Father's name was not written as "Arthur W. Cann" as it appears in the index, but, instead, as "Arthur M'Cann" and should have been written as "Arthur McCann." There was an early family of McCanns in York beginning with an Arthur b.c. 1755 in MD whom I'm told had a son named Arthur; George is a name which also appears in that family. I suspect that Arthur b.c. 1755 had a brother named George who could be the Father of Arthur b. 1805. There are some published early baptismal records pre-1800 for York which document some of this family. See: York County, Pennsylvania Church Records of the 18th Century, in three volumes by Marlene S. Bates and F. Edward Wright. Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.