To all HAMILTONS and O’CONNELLS out there, I need help, please.
I have now followed every possible lead to find info about my elusive 4th Irish great grandfather DR GEOFFREY O’CONNELL *abt. 1760 †1815 Kerry Ireland and struck the proverbial brick wall. The last possible lead I have to research/to follow is the marriage between a DR MICHAEL O’CONNELL of Cork and LADY PHILIPA HAMILTON abt. 1721 after the death of her first husband REV BENJAMIN PRATT. Michael and Philipa had a son. (This info is from Cracroft’s Peerage – The complete guide to the British Peerage & Baronetage) “Lady Philipa Hamilton d.27 Jan 1767, mar. (1) Very Rev Benjamin Pratt DD, Provost of Trinity College, Dublin 1710, and Dean of Down 1717, d. 6 Dec. 1721. And (2) Michael O’Connell, of London, and had issue by her second husband. From The Last Colonel of the Irish Brigade(THE SAME ARMS WERE IN 1755” ALLOWED” By Hawkins, Ulster to James O’Connell, of Castle Connell, County Limerick, son of Michael O’Connell, of London, and Lady Philipa, his wife, daughter of the sixth Earl of Abercorn”. The O’Connell Family here in South Africa thinks that our Irish Grandfather, Dr Geoffrey O’Connell may possibly be related to Dr Michael O'Connell and his son James O'Connell. I realise that I may be barking up the wrong tree here and would like to discard the idea if I cannot find any evidence to prove this. Help to unravel this puzzle would be greatly appreciated. Please accept my sincere gratitude. Kind regards, Marié Claassen de Vries, South Africa.