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Every year many O'Neal's gather at the Old Frame
Church and at the Peter O'Neal Cemetery to hold a Family reunion for the
Descendants of Peter. I thought this would be an appropriate time to print
a Biography of Peter O'Neal.
Peter O'Neal and Sarah Sparks O'Neal have over 4,
700 descendants spanning nine generations. Over the last 250 years these
descendants spread out into the world to make their fortunes and have lived/
are living in almost every State of the Union.
Peter O'Neal was born in 1754, in Saint Mary's,
Frederick County, Maryland to John O'Neale and Margaret Barton. Peter moved
his family from Maryland to Pennsylvania where he married Sarah Sparks
and they raised seven children, namely, John, Chloe, Joseph, James, Solomon,
William, Mary and Margaret. We'll probably never know why, but this family
chose to drop the ending "e" from O'Neale. All of Peter's descendants were
henceforth known as O'Neal. Some of the O'Neale's who remained in Maryland
carried the e for another generation or two before dropping it.
Kenneth O'Neal wrote an excellent biography of Peter, which is
reprinted below.
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September 2, 1776 Peter was living in Fredrick Co. Maryland on Sugar Land
Hundred Plantation. Peter and three of his brothers left Southern Maryland
at the time of the Revolutionary War. They were born in St. Mary's Co.1749-1766.
The family moved to'' Sugar Land Hundred '' west of present day Rockville,
MD.
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Peter went to Bedford Co. PA about 1779 where he is listed in a Return
of Property for Colerain Twp. as a '' single freeman'' and a "single freeman
in Providence Twp. in 1783. He paid One pound , 18 shillings '' Federal
Supply Tax on his 200 acres, one horse and two sheep.
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He is listed in the census of 1784 as a single freeman in Providence Twp.
He is listed as a Warrantee of Land in Bedford Co.called 'Hibernia' in
1786, 1793, 1813.
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He probably followed or traveled with the Sparks and McDaniels families,
who were also from Fredrick County, Maryland. Sarah Sparks (his future
wife) possibly traveled with her brothers, Solomon, James, and Joseph Sparks,
who were all in Bedford Co. during the Revolutionary War and were soldiers.
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Tax records for 1796 Bedford Co. show Peter owned 650 acres of land in
Bedford County, Pennsylvania. Peter and family show on census records for
Bedford County For the years 1790, 1800, 1810. Peter was the first O'Neal
of OUR ancestors to live in Pennsylvania.
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His name is found spelled as follows, Peter Neel, Peter Neil, Peter Neal,
Peter O'Neal From 1810 he is found as Peter O'Neal.
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He received pay for service in the Pennsylvania Continental Line Co. PA.
in the Revolutionary War as Pvt. Peter O'Neil PA Archives PA. 5 S V 4 P
247. He is listed on DAR list as Peter O'Neal
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Peter was also a member of The Frontier Rangers, a group who fought Indians
and recovered captives from the Indians. Peter apparently lived a very
active life.
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His will was probated May 10, 1832. Peter is buried in a family cemetery
on a farm near Clearville, Bedford Co. PA , which was his first homestead.
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On July 25,1998 a marker from the Veterans Administration for his service
in The Revolutionary War was dedicated by his descendents, at the O'Neal
reunion at his grave site.
