The O'Neal Genealogy Association Newsletter

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TOGA NEWS Volume III, Issue 1, January, 2003

For many years we have known about Bennet O'Neal's step siblings. In a letter he wrote to his nephew in 1859, Bennet noted that his father John O'Neale remarried after Rachael Wood died and had 3 daughters and 3 sons, all of who moved to Ohio. TOGA members and researchers Ron O'Neal, Kristen Bush, Bev Crowe and myself have been corresponding for some time now, in the hopes of locating these step brothers and sisters.

The article below is a result of that search. While not proved yet beyond a reasonable doubt, I'm sure you'll agree that the group has accumulated some very compelling evidence to show who John's 2nd wife was, and the 6 children they bore together. This article was written by Ron O'Neal, who spearheaded this project. If you can provide any input on this family, please contact Ron at <rononeal@adelphia.net> For additional information on this family, please visit Ron's excellent new O'Neal website at <http://users.adelphia.net/~rononeal/>

Q. Who are the parents of Joseph, Colbert, and Betsey O'Neal?

The relationship between Joseph, Colbert, and Betsey has been established through margin notes* in a book entitled The History of Belpre by C.E. Dickinson, owned by Kristin Bush, a descendant of Betsey O'Neal. The margin notations were made by Eunice Horton, the granddaughter of Betsey O'Neal. I'm limiting my question to these three, because the relationship of Ezra and Mary O'Neal to Joseph, Colbert, and Betsey, or to each other for that matter, has not yet been determined.
*Margin notes on page 6.

Below are several excerpts from a letter written by Bennet O'Neale, postmarked 09 May 1859. Bennet was writing to his nephew about family matters.

My father's name was John. He was born in St. Mary's County, Maryland, the 9th day of Oct 1749.
My father came from Maryland to Culpeper County Virginia where he lived and died.
My mother's name was Rachil Wood ... born in St. Mary's County, Maryland, the 14 the day of February 1752 and married to my father 16th day of February 1781.
My mother died when I was a boy. My father died before I was grown. My father married a second time, had three sons & three daughters. They all moved to Ohio state. The last account I had from them, which is about 12 years past, three of them were dead.

The 1790 census for Culpeper County, Virginia shows John living there.