The 'Stafford' O'Neills of Rocktown / Ballymacpeake

[M_ONeill]

Looking to see if there's any local historians who could help me with what's proving to be a very tricky bit of research. This might be a bit of a long post, so buckle up! 

I'm trying to see if I can find a link between two branches of O'Neills living in the triangle formed between Portglenone, Bellaghy and Maghera in the 19th century. I've been referring to them as the 'Stafford' O'Neills as they seem to be linked by the seemingly traditional use of 'Stafford' as a given name in their families, (first or second name).

My theory is that they may be linked to the Stafford-Downings of the same area, but I've yet to find firm evidence. There are a small handful of other local families that share this Stafford naming, such as the catholic Dinnens, McCanns and (some) McLaughlins, and the protestant McQuillans. By 1901 the Downings themselves seem to be fairly evenly split between catholic and church of Ireland.

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One branch of Stafford O'Neills, the one directly linked to my own tree, lived in and around the townland of Rocktown, between Bellaghy and Knockloughrim. This is the family of my 3x great grandmother Ellen O'Neill (b. c.1820-1827, d. 1908). She married a John Carmichael, marriage date unknown, and had at least four children that I have found: William James, Thomas, Francis Stafford and my 2x great grandmother Ellen Carmichael.

Their immediate neighbours in the townland were the family of one Stafford O'Neill (b. c.1830, d. 1894). He married a Sarah McErlane in Greenlough up near Portglenone on 12th August 1855. Stafford and Sarah had 8 children with 6 surviving (as counted in the 1911 census). The 7 I've found in the record are Henry, John Stafford (died age 6), Francis, James, Stafford, John and Mary Anne (twins). Stafford senior first appears in the Rocktown record in 1862, taking over the lease of 16 acres of land from a James O'Neill, exact relation unknown.

I have no firm evidence for this, but my hunch is that Ellen and Stafford O'Neill may be siblings (or at the least cousins). Apart from moving to live on neighbouring farms at the same time, there are other confirmed links between the two families; Stafford O'Neill junior was one of the signed witnesses at William James Carmichael's marriage to a Catherine Kelly in 1898. The family also has some potential links to other Stafford families in Dreenan. A Stafford McCann is a sponsor to Stafford and Sarah's son James Stafford O'Neill's 1862 baptism. The Dinnen family of Dreenan also has a possible link to the O'Neill / Carmichael family; in the first Griffiths valuation a John Carmichael is renting some land to both a John and Stafford Dinnen. However, as of yet this is only a possibility, I have no firm evidence that this is the same John that married Ellen O'Neill.

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[M_ONeill]

The other branch of Stafford O'Neills is from Ballymacpeake Lower, which is further North from Rocktown, near Clady. This branch is being researched by a New Zealand based researcher who has done an amazingly comprehensive rundown of his research on his personal website here. The two key figures are a John O'Neill (b. c.1820 - d. 1900) and his (presumed) brother Stafford O'Neill (b.1825 - 1883).

John O'Neill first married a Bridget Mulholland in Greenlough in 1851. She was apparently a cousin of his (listed as 'tercio', related in the third degree). She died in 1859 at the age of 26. John remarried, apparently to another third-degree cousin, an Alice ('Ally') O'Neill in Greenlough in 1861. The Ballymacpeake Stafford also needed dispensation to marry a cousin, A Cecily or Cecilia O'Neill in 1853, also in Greenlough.

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Other Rootschatters, especially dukewm, have done a lot of great work on the local Downing families as can be seen in threads such as this one, and this one and this one. In one, he mentions information he got from a local Catholic priest who was connected to the Stafford Downings of Dreenan. This quote from dukewm covers the key piece of info for me (emphasis mine):

I am working on possible connections between various DOWNING branches headed by
1. (Capt.) Adam, b.1666
2. Alexander, b. 1858
3. Stafford, b. 1734 ?

The Stafford mentioned above (supposedly) had a son named Stafford who married
Rose Mulholland (all dates unknown). They had four (4) daughters
1. Mary, b. abt 1785 ; m. John Downing (possibly a relative)
2. Ester, b. abt 1789 ; m. James O'Neill
3. Elizabeth, b. ? ; m. Michael Dinnen
4. Elinor, b. ? ; d. unmarried

Now obviously those three names are of interest to me, but I can't seem to find any concrete links. A lot of these Stafford families seem to be marrying within a fairly small pool of names (even excluding the direct cousin marriages). A Stafford Dinnen who married a Bridget O'Neill in Moyagall in 1872 (aged 60 and a widower!) was the son of a Michael Dinnen so he may be the child of Michael Downing and Elizabeth Downing. The witnesses to this marriage were a James and Hannah O'Neill.

So as you can see, it's a bit of a tangle! I have a feeling the Church of Ireland marriages of the daughters of Stafford Downing and Rose Mulholland may be the key, but no matter how I turn it I've yet to make it fit with the rest of my evidence.

Does anyone have any local knowledge of this area or suggestions for evidence I might have missed? All help gratefully appreciated! 

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[ocian_c]

Hey there I live in this local area and I could ask my aunt if she has any knowledge of this.

Have you checked the greenlough graveyard for burials, sometimes this can help and also irishgenealogy.ie which publishes free BMD before 1921 for NI.

[M_ONeill]

Hi Ocian! Thanks for the offer of help, any and all local knowledge would be appreciated!

I've been able to comfirm a link between the Stafford-Dinnens and my tree, at least by land if not by blood (though I still suspect the latter to also be true).

I've confirmed that the small plot of land (just under 4 acres) being rented jointly to John and Stafford Dinnen in Dreenan was indeed leased out by my 3x great grandfather John Carmichael. I've confirmed this by looking through the griffiths revision books - the leasehold for this land later transfers in part to Ellen Carmichael, John's wife, and in part to William James Carmichael, his eldest son. The majority of the Dinnens' farmland is rented directly from the then-joint owners of the Bellaghy estate, so I wonder about this curious little addition from John Carmichael.

I found Stafford Dinnen's full registry entry for his second marriage in 1872. Bridget O'Neill does indeed seem to be a cousin and his parents were listed as Michael Dinnen and Elizabeth Downing, confirming him as the grandson of the Stafford Downing listed in the pedigree quoted previously. Bridget's parents were a Bernard O'Neill and a Martha Cassidy.

As an aside, there seems to have been an inquiry into Michael Dinnen's death which gave verdict in 1841; that while being 'a little intoxicated' he had fallen into a ditch and 'drowned or suffocated'. Sure enough, Michael Dinnen's burial is listed in the local parish records for 1839.

So still no hard proof, but a strengthening body of circumstantial evidence tying these various Stafford families to the Stafford-Downings listed above (shared naming patterns, land ties). My hunch is that my tree links in with James O'Neill and Esther Downing, but I simply can't make the timing of the generations fit for both branches of Stafford O'Neills (The Rocktown/Killard and the Ballymacpeake).

[M_ONeill]

I think I've narrowed down the James and Hannah O'Neill who were listed as witnesses on the civil record of Stafford Dinnen's and Bridget O'Neill's wedding in 1872.

James O'Neill was born c.1813 (according to death record) and died in 1884 in Dreenan. He was a 'Farmer and Grocer' according to his will. His wife Hannah was born c. 1824. An Arthur Brannon was the informant on her death record. A Sarah Brannon was the second witness on the parish record of Stafford Dinnen's marriage, so there may be some link to the Brannon family, possibly friends, neighbours or even relations.

A 'James O'Neill (Grocer)' is listed as one of the donors towards the construction of Lavey Chapel, there his residence is given as 'Dreenan Lower'.

[M_ONeill]

Okay, I think I'm officially stuck on this branch of my tree. 

While I'm fairly certain that my line does descend from Esther Downing and James O'Neill, I have no idea how to confirm how they fit into my tree. I can't seem to figure out how the various 'Stafford' O'Neills descend from them. The lack of catholic records prior to 1830 is a real killer.

It's very frustrating. I'm not sure where I go from here.

[grannypammy]

My ggg grandfather Hugh O'Neill 1898 Rocktown moved to Dungiven after his clandestine marriage to Mary Irons in August 1826 St. Patrick's R.C. Church Dungiven..I have the same problem I can not make any links to other O'Neill Rocktown family due to the lack of records and very little progress on  DNA O'Neill cousins

[M_ONeill]

Hi Pammy,

Nice to hear from you! I believe you may have already been corresponding with one of my other cousins via facebook - he let me know about your potential connection to the Rocktown O'Neills.

I'm assuming, based on some of your other Rootschat posts that this is the death record for your ancestor Hugh - a grocer who died on the 23rd March 1883 in Dungiven, his son John as the informant. His age is listed as 84 which would place his date of birth at around ~1799.

I think I've found your Hugh in the Griffiths Valuation books for Dungiven Town; he's present in the first valuation listing in 1858 renting 'House, Off(ices), Yard and Garden' from a William Hamilton. As this is the first valuation we can't be sure when he first moved in. He seems to continue as the tenant until 1872 when his name is crossed out and replaced by a Francis Devine, who is in turn replaced by a Patrick Keaney in 1880.

Assuming this is your Hugh, it's not clear what happens to him between leaving this property in 1872 and his death in 1883 - but as he would have been ~73 in 1872 it's possible that he could have moved out due to old age.

Do you know the names of any other children of Hugh O'Neill and Mary Irons? It might give some idea of avenues to look in the other branches of Rocktown O'Neills. Looking at the lists of Baptisms for Lavey there is one later Hugh O'Neill born on the 25th of June 1852.

This *may* be the same Hugh listed as being baptised in the parish of Ballinascreen (sometimes given as 'Ballinascreen and Dungiven') to a Patrick O'Neill and a Mary Quigley, but I've yet to confirm it - the date does at least match. The parents' residence is listed as Desert (or Disert, a townland to the southwest of Draperstown), so I'm not sure why it would appear in the list of Lavey baptisms. There is a later entry for a Hugh O'Neill in the list of donors to the Lavey church (1860s and 1870s) living in Dungiven, who I think may be the Hugh baptised in Ballinascreen. Obviously he's too young to be your Hugh, but I'm wondering if there might be any link to the name. A long shot, but worth investigating - if only to rule it out! 

[anneannielouise]

Hiya, I am an O'Neill cousin too, descended from Hugh and Mary Irons O'Neill of Ardinarif , Dungiven and Rocktown. Just wondering if any of you who are linked to the Stafford O'Neills have done their DNA? I am through the female line and have done my MT dna too though that goes through our Kealey and Campbell line. It would be nice to see if any of us match up. We have no knowledge of any other siblings for John unfortunately though I think he must have had them as my mother talked of some of the aunies and uncles in America - one auntie in particular who was a lion tamer with a Circus perhaps in California. My mother and granny usedto visit Rothsay on the Isle of Bute a lot and I believe that may have been to O'Neill family. Also there is a Mary O'Neill Bradley who was the godmother of my eldest brother who is believed to have been an O'Neill somehow too, possibly a cousin through one of John's siblings.