O'Neill - Master of Lurgan Workhouse

[DesONeile]

Wait till you hear this for a good one.
Norah (Elizabeth) married a McMahon who lived in Co Doegal, Letterkenny to be precise. They had at least two children Derek and Norah. When I went to Coleraine Academical Institution as a boarder in 1964 Norah, my cousin, was the assistant matron.

By the way, I also live in Bangor.

[diggerdaisy]

Hi Desmond

Uncle Murrays son lol long long time when I used to visit uncle murray and he would take me to the round tower I have lots of photos of your family was it your sister who had twins?

My granny uncle murrays 3rd youngest sister is also buried with her mum and dad.

The last 2 sisters have died in the last few years Glady and Paddy (Patrica) the youngest was the last to die. I have used this site once and have no idea now how to email you or anything ? Did you get the old family tree of David o'neill?? if not I have it

Regards Janet

Not sure how to add a new post this is just some infgo I have about some of the children of John and Emma


I asked granny years ago to tell me about her family and have just dug out the book thought I would post the info here in case it helps anyone

John Henry O'Neill was born 6th Aug 1874 died 5th June 1949
Emma Karr born 10th Aug 1874 died 20th March 1948
James Owen Roe O'Neill (Jim) and Elizabeth Irene (Norah) where both boarders at Methodist College
The workhouse had a rule that there where only 14 boys allowed to live there at any given time so at the age of 15
William Herbert (Bertie) was sent to London to work he died in Rothsay where he lived with his 2nd wife Annie his first wife died
Emma Balmer (my granny) was born in the work house and went to PE Lurgan school
she worked as a civil servant married James Burling McCartney they divorced shortly after the war had 2 sons Kerry and Ross
Ann Beatrice (Nan) was the headmistriss of Kilmacrenan National school and the organist in the parish church for 37 years
Murray was manager of the Belfast bank in Antrim
John Henry (Jack) worked for BP
Gladys was a nurse and married Colin Kearns  ( a surgeon who recieved obe or such like from the queen)   who died when I was very young
children: **
Norah was a teacher and left to work as a clerk at the Clows Flour mill Portadown she married James Alex Wier (uncle Ackie) Ackie's family has something to do with the coach business
Children: Sam (deceased)
** and I think ** (not sure about this)
Patrica (Paddy) was a civil servant and married Robert
Children: **
Jim was a mechanic for George Rowland & Harris Newry George Rowland was Norah's brother in law Jim served in the 1st worl war I have cards and hankies he sent to his mother from France and some lovely photos of him


I would love to learn about the Karr side I know very little would like to slap my self for not listening more and asking more questions when I could

Moderator's Comment: Names of living people aren't allowed to be posted on Rootschat so some details have been removed from this post. If anyone can fill in more recent family details it would be best done by PM (personal message) rather than online.

[diggerdaisy]

Just been through the old box and found some little bits of info on this family thought I would post them incase there is anything interesting in them.

Daughter Nan ( Ann Beatrice) died married Arthur E McMahon (Athur aged 98 died 19/10/1988 in Milford Co.Donegal)
They had 1 son and 4 daughters one daughter at the time of Nans death living in Connecticut buried Milford presbyterian graveyard

John and Emma O'Neil upon her death 20/3/1948 of a cerebral h had been married for 53 years so must have been married some time in 1895 interred new cemertery
Just found clipping of their golden wedding they where married February 12th 1895 at Rostrevor, Co. Down
John Died 5/6/1949

James Owen Roe (Jim) died 1/4/1982 buried family plot Magheralin Churchyard
His eldest son  died as a young teen he was called John Henry (Jackie) their is a very long list of mourners names I have never heard of.

John Henry (Jack) died 4/6 1987 buried Seago cemetery, Portadown
John was also a member of the Portadown Masonic Lodge No:231 and was  a Sir Knight

William Herbert (Bertie) obitury 31st may 1974: he was an Honorary Sheriff of the county of Bute he was ordained as a deacon of Trinity church Rothesay


Please also note in all newspaper ads the family name is spelt O,Neile

[diggerdaisy]

The only information I have found regarding the Karr side of the family is that "Auntie Mac"
was Emma Rebeca O'Niele's sister Elizabeth I have a letter Emma wrote to "My Dear Lizzie"
I know auntie Mac was my granny's favorite aunt. Her name was Elizabeth McMurray she died 22/10/1954 she was a widow with no children. I have her last will and testament and Des you might be interested your dad was named in the will and left the sum of 30 pounds
as where all John and Emma's children. The will also tells me she had a brother Willian Thomas Karr who had a daughter called Lily. After all expenses paid and a granite headstone the remainder was given to the cripples home in Blefast.
So I now know there was at least 1 brother and 2 sisters in the Karr family anyone know anything else I would love to here from you

Regards Daisy

[diggerdaisy]

Just been reading many letters John Henry O'Neile sent to his daughter Emma and I don't think he was quite the grooch he liked to present after his wife's death he wrote a very long letter he always knew the girls sneaked out to the movies and his wife would slip out of bed after he bolted the front door and open it for them to slip in. He knew they smoked tealeaves up the chimney. I lovedthe bit he tells about after the boys and older girls had left the breakfast table (he always had 2 boiled eggs soft yolk and toast fingers (soldiers) he would give the 3 youngest a soldier each to dip in his yoke and their marriage around valentines. All letters are to his darling daughter and signed your ever loving father.
I think he had a big soft heart

[hamlets]

Hello Diggerdaisy!
I have (am sure I am not the only one) really enjoyed your tales of "Stern John", especially the second posted on 26 July last (the girls, the tea leaves, the pictures - all this will bring back similar memories to many!!).
In your first post of 26 July, you seem to lament that you do not know anything about the Karrs of Roscommon. This is what I have found to date:-
Emma Rebecca Karr was the second youngest child of William Karr (1834-1913) and Elisabeth Irwin (1838-1897). The other children were Elisabeth (m. McMurray and d. 1954), Mary Ann (b. 1866), Martha (1868-1869), and William Thomas (b.1875 and m. 1912). All from near Dereen/Toomna. Co. Roscommon.
William Karr's father was also a William Karr (1805-1875).
Elisabeth Irwin's father was an Arnott Irwin (1803-1887)
Elisabeth Irwin had a sister Margaret Irwin (b.abt 1847 Co. Roscommon) who m. Thomas Percival on 11 Nov 1867. They had two children Eliza Percival (b. 1868) and Fanny Percival (b. 1870). Here (in cos. Roscommon, Leitrim and Longford) be Percivals - difficulties aplenty.
Hope the above will get you started!

[linny1]

Do you happen to know anything more about Thomas Percival?  I am researcing the Percival families of Co. Longford and Leitrim.

[hamlets]

Linny 1-
John Henry O'Neill/O'Neile - the start of this topic - belongs to another branch of my family (or should I say clan?). His wife's antecedants have now made me arrive in Roscommon and linked to the Percivals.

The reason for my comment in my post of the 7 August {"Here (in cos. Roscommon, Leitrim and Longford) be Percivals - difficulties aplenty".} is that, although I have "out of the blue" linked to Percivals in Roscommon, in fact I have a more personal interest in the Percivals of that area as my gt gndmother was a Percival from Longford. Yes, I have arrived looking for Percivals in the Roscommon/Leitrim/Longford area from two entirely different directions.

So maybe this post should be under "Longford"

And the reason for saying "difficulties aplenty" is that I have made no progress with my Longford Percivals (at last, the answer to your question).
But here is what I know:-
Robert Jones (1847-1915) of Cloonageeher (Co. Longford) m. Ellen Percival (b.1848) of Cloonageeher in Mohill Parish Church (CoI) (Cloonageeher in Longford is part of Mohill Parish in Leitrim!) on 4 Sept 1873. (Robert's residence at the time was Tyrrellspass).
The father of Robert was Hugh Jones (farmer).
The father of Ellen was Robert Percival (farmer).
Robert and Ellen had some seven children, Margaret Percival Jones being my gndmother (also m. in Mohill in 1910).
Regards.

[linny1]

Amazing stuff....to think there is another person out there actually interested in my family. I am in Australia. There is also a man in New Zealand doing our tree.I am the ggrand daughter of Arthur Percival b.1833 son of John Percival and Ann Rosemond.Arthur came to New South Wales in 1855.His sister Ann married William Jones and their son Robert b 1.9.1844 also came to NSW.I have been to Ireland and met some of the relatives who are still in Co Leitrim.  The Percivals were in Co Longford and Leitrim but we have now been able to make all the connections.Arthur also had a brother Henry who had  a wife who's address was" Cloonagare Newtownforbes Co Longford Ireland".....according to Griffiths there was also a Margaret Percival in Cloonageeher in 1854....what else do you know and do you have any documentation ? Where are you?