The 'Stafford' O'Neills of Rocktown / Ballymacpeake

[M_ONeill]

So, a quick update to this thread:

I've found out that James' wife Hannah was originally a Brannon which tallies with the other Brannons appearing on death and marriage records earlier in the thread. Her father was possibly an Arthur Brannon and she had at least two siblings (probably more) Arthur Brannon and Rosie McKenna (née Brannon). They came from Broagh.

After asking advice in this thread here, the consensus was that the (Henry) on James' will likely referred to his father's christian name. If so, that seems to be evidence against him being the son of James and Esther O'Neill. However, he still seems strongly (if circumstantially) linked to the local 'Stafford' families of Dreenan.

[JulieDee]

Hi, I am not quite sure how to join in this link, but I am particularly interested in the 0'Neill's one in particular a Mary O'Neill that married a Patrick Henry in 1876,  Mary said she came from Greenlough Derry on one of the census forms, and in 1921 said she was 68 years and 6 months, I just  can not seem to get over the starting line with this couple, Patrick only ever said he was from Derry,.... I have altered their birthdays and parents that many times?!!!! Another name that jumped out at me on this link was McAtamney marrying an O'Neill, spelling was slightly different, but I have a 2-3 cousinship with a McAtamney, but it is the O'Niell and Henry combination I really want to get to grips with they settled in Gateshead Durham UK
Please can anyone help?

[M_ONeill]

Hi, Julie!

As I've done quite a bit of work on local O'Neills I'll see if I can help you out.

As a first question, have you found a specific marriage record for Mary and Patrick yet? I was wondering if they were married in England or back in Ireland.

[JulieDee]

Hi, Thank you for replying, No, the only marriage certificate I have been able to find is on 11th Sept 1878 between Mary Ann O'Neill age 22 years and Patrick Henry age 24 years, in Belfast, both sets of parents living in Belfast.........I am sure it not theirs, as on the 1881 census they were both living in Gateshead Durham and Patrick said he was 30, and Ann 28..... Patrick on all the census forms usually only stated he was from Ireland, but he did say Derry on a couple, Ann on the 1921 census actually said Greenlough, ?!!!do hope you can help I am trying hard to work my way back from Ireland with DNA connections, it would be much simpler if I can work from the start.    Julie

[JulieDee]

PS,  I made a mistake and quoted Ann twice on the communication I just sent, the marriage certificate say's Mary Ann,  but Patricks wife is most definitely a Mary,  I have found a birth certificate of a Mary O'Neill born in June 1852 in Greenlough but I cannot be sure if I have the right one?   Julie

[Kiltaglassan]

Welcome to RootsChat 

I was wondering if they were married in England or back in Ireland.

No marriages in Ireland in 1876 featuring a Patrick Henry.

[JulieDee]

I have not been able to find one in the UK either, I am quite baffled......all their children were born in Gateshead Durham and baptised at the same church

[M_ONeill]

So in the Greenlough parish records I can find the following Mary O'Neill's baptised in the 1850s. I've highlighted the one I believe you've already found from 1852:

• Mary O'Neill - 1851 - Parents: John O'Neill and Rose Slamin (sometimes written Slamen)
• Mary O'Neile - 1852 - Parents: Daniel O'Neill and Nancy O'Neile
• Mary O'Neill - 1855 - Parents: James O'Neill and Peggy McPake (spelling variant of McPeake)

After that there is a gap until the next Mary, born in 1862, probably slightly too young to be your ancestor.

Daniel O'Neill and his wife Nancy O'Neill have come up a few times in the research of myself and the previously mentioned Patrick O'Neill, a co-researcher who is a descendant of the Stafford O'Neills of Ballymacpeake in Greenlough and has done a huge amount of research in the area.

Patrick is a DNA match with some confirmed descendants of Daniel and Nancy through their son John O'Neill, who married a Rose Heverin. The couple then both moved out to New Zealand. I'm therefore fairly certain that either Daniel O'Neill or his wife Nancy are somehow related to the 'Stafford' O'Neills. Of course, O'Neills marrying O'Neills make the precise connection difficult to find, but I believe it's in there.

In terms of your own link, it may be of note that the area that Daniel and Nancy lived in, right by the Dreenan Bridge (number 12 on the map below, taken from the Griffiths valuations) had a huge number of Henry families living there, many the immediate neighbours of the O'Neills. In fact, Henry is one of the most common surnames in the area. There are also a number of confirmed links between other O'Neill families  in the area and Henry families. I believe Patrick already has a number of them in his own tree.

What I would suggest is that firstly you contact Patrick (I can pass on his contact to you); he is far more knowlegeable in the Greenlough area than myself. You've mentioned wanting to use DNA, and I find myself wondering whether you could be a match with Patrick, or at the very least share some matches.

Secondly, I would take a look through the other Mary Greenlough births and see if you can rule any of the other births out and narrow it down to Daniel and Nancy's child.

Hope that helps!

[JulieDee]

Hello Mike, I am so sorry(again) made a faux pas pressed a wrong button and lost your pm this morning, I am so excited at the information you have been able to give me too, I had read it, feeling like I can see the light at the end of this  dark tunnel.  You can tell it has been along time since I last used Roots chat, tried to retrieve your pm but no joy