hello I am searching for information on my great great grandparents Charles O'Neill and Sarah McElwee both born circa 1800.They had seven children beginning with Mary born 1823, then Charles born 1824, Patrick born 1827, James born 1830, Sarah Ann b 1833, Margaret b 1834 and finally Peter born 1837 and died 1914 (my direct ancestor). I was provided Parish of Lissan entry numbers (starting with Mary 16.00184) for these children which included the names of their sponsors. I would like to find the date of birth of Charles and wife Sarah, date of death and where they are buried. I would also like to find the death dates for their children. I would also like to find the names of Charles's siblings. Your help is appreciated. Kathleen O'Neill Benshila, Paris France
Kathleen
Friday 23rd Oct 2020, 04:16PMMessage Board Replies
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Kathleen,
Charles & John O’Neill were listed in 1827 as farming in Dirnan in the tithe applotment records:
http://www.irishgenealogyhub.com/tyrone/tithe-applotment-books/parish-o…
Griffiths Valuation for 1859 lists Sarah O’Neill in Dirnan. That suggests Charles was already dead and she was a widow. She had plots 19 to 22 which were a total of about 14 acres. Next door on 23 & 24 was Mary O’Neill (probably another widow, presumably of John O’Neill) with 5 acres. Those farms today are on the modern Dirnan Rd. Charles and John were probably related (brothers perhaps). The Valuation revision records show Sarah’s farm changing to Peter in 1882. Following Peter’s death in 1914 the farm changes to James in 1918 and then to Joseph in 1920.
Death registration didn’t start in Ireland till 1864 so if Charles died before that as seems highly likely there may be no record, unless he has a gravestone.
Still 2 O’Neill farms there in 1901:
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Londonderry/Lisson_Upper/Dirnan/1533897/
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Londonderry/Lisson_Upper/Dirnan/1533894/
That second couple were Charles O’Neill and Susan Holly. Charles’s father was Michael O’Neill.
Probate abstracts from the PRONI wills site:
O'Neill Charles of Dirnan county Londonderry farmer died 22 April 1901 Administration Belfast 7 December to James O'Neill farmer. Effects £48.
Probate of the Will of Peter O'Neill late of Dirnan County Londonderry Farmer who died 17 February 1914 granted at Londonderry to Matthew Conlon and Joseph O'Neill Farmers.
O'Neill Michael of Dirnan Lissan county Londonderry farmer died 22 May 1948 Probate Londonderry 15 July to Charles O'Neill farmer. Effects £725 19s. 1d.
O'Neill Joseph of Dirnan Lissan county Londonderry farmer died 30 May 1954 Probate Londonderry 19 August to James O'Neill and Patrick Donaghy farmers. Effects £891 11s. 9d.
Sarah O’Neill death in 1877 aged 86. Informant was Kate O’Neill.
Lissan RC’s baptism & marriage records don’t start till 1822 so you won’t find a record of Charles or Sarah’s baptisms or their marriage, unless it was in 1822/23.
I had a look for marriages for Peter’s siblings but the surname is so common in that area, I could not be sure of identifying any. So I have no idea where they went, except that his sister Mary evidently never married as she was still on the family farm in 1911:
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Londonderry/Lissan_Upper/Dirnan/614591/
She died 12th May 1912:
There’s an RC graveyard in Broughderg, parish of Lissan. That might be where the family are buried.
Elwyn
Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘
Friday 23rd Oct 2020, 05:47PM -
Elwyn hello -I am not sure I sent you a thank you. I think I did but am just learning my way around this web
site. In any case all of the informatio you sent me is very much appreciated. I know it is practically impossible to find records going back to 1800. My quest is now to find out the names of my gg grandfather Charles' siblings. From your information, it looks like John might be a brother. Michael also? The more I dig, the more confusing it gets. So much to cross check. Your help has been invaluable. My heartfelt thanks to you again. Kathleen
Kathleen
Saturday 24th Oct 2020, 07:01PM -
Here’s Michael O’Neill’s death in 1894 aged 73 (so born c 1821). That would certainly make him of an age to be a sibling to your Charles.
His wife had pre-deceased him.
John O’Neill could be another brother or could also be Michael’s father. Hard to say for certain but he was an adult in 1827, to be the owner of the farm, so born c 1800 or earlier. I’d assume he was more likely to be a father than a sibling.
The Valuation Revision records don’t help very much. They don’t mention Michael at all. They go from Mary (who I think was probably John’s widow) to Charles in 1862, at which time the 2 farms appear to have been combined. Then to Sarah in 1869 and to Peter in 1882.
If you are feeling energetic you could go through all the deaths from 1864 to the 1890s, registered in Magherafelt, looking for other O’Neills from Dirnan. You might find Michael’s wife or other clues. The deaths for 1864 – 1870 are not on-line free yet so if you want to look at them you need to pay to view them on the GRONI site.
Elwyn
Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘
Sunday 25th Oct 2020, 07:47PM -
Again all my thanks Elwyn for this precious information. I will look into the death records as you suggest.
kathleenKathleen
Monday 26th Oct 2020, 07:52PM -
Kathleen,
I'm the last O' Neill in Dirnan - I could send you details from our family headstones.
There were another O'Neill family but last family member went to England at least 40 years ago they were third / fourth cousins of mine.
A cousin in London has researched the family tree so I could find out further details.
Seamus
Wednesday 8th Feb 2023, 12:40AM