Diane,
Death registration only started in Ireland in 1864. Prior to that there are generally no death records unless you were wealthy enough to have a gravestone (most were not) or in the Church of Ireland, the only denomination to routinely keep burial records. I have searched the Ballymoney registration area death records for Francis McCarroll in the Loughgiel area, 1864 onwards, but do not see one that might fit. I’d therefore assume firstly he died pre 1864 and secondly perhaps his death may have been the trigger for the rest of the family to emigrate. So their arrival in the US may indicate when he died (roughly).
You ask what your families did in Ireland. Loughguile is a rural agricultural area with almost no industry other than farming and labouring. The tithe applotment records (essentially a tax on land), in 1832 did not list any McCarroll or Kendall farms in the parish. It is therefore likely that your families were labourers and weavers, since thats what 90% of the rest of the rural population did).
https://www.irishgenealogyhub.com/antrim/tithe-applotments/loughguile-parish.php
If you are looking for social background, the Ordnance Survey memoirs (1833) give a description of the parish, albeit a rather condescending one. Nevertheless there is factual information that might interest you. Population of the parish in 1831 was 6889, a mix of Scots, English plus “the primitive inhabitants.” By which the (English) writers meant native Irish. "The pure race of the latter are to be found in the mountainous range of the parish, and the Irish language made use of to this day, but very partially.” Half the population were Catholic and half either Presbyterian or Protestant (ie Church of Ireland).
Most young men were weavers and labourers. “Amusements were dancing, cards and cock-fighting. The latter on the decline. A sort of hurling of “cammon playing” as it is called in the north, is still kept up, chiefly among the Catholics. Going to fairs is also an amusement they are fond of.”
“About 20 go annually in spring to Canada and few, if any, return. About 30 go annually to the English or Scotch harvests and return when they are over. They leave their families at home and sow and plant for their winter support.”
Possibly DNA testing may be a way of matching with others who have additional information about where your families originate. Family Tree DNA reportedly has more people with Ulster roots than any other company. That obviously increases the chances of finding a match. If you have already tested your DNA with Ancestry, My Heritage or 23&Me you can upload your DNA results to Family Tree DNA for free and then join the North of Ireland Family History Society DNA Project. Simple instructions on how to do this can be found here:
https://www.nifhs.org/dna/uploading-your-dna/
