To Mr. George T. O'Neall

My dear Cousin

Your letter of the 2^nd of March reached my residence in Springfield, Newberry while I was absent on my Spring Circuit as the land Judge. I did not reach home till 15^th of April, a month was then spent in going to and returning from Charleston: a month was dedicated to my affairs about home: then I came here 1^st May to attend the Court of Appeals of which I am President. Thence the delay in answering.

I remember your father, your Uncle Kelly, your Aunts Mary Anne and Sarah. Your Grandfather visited So. Ca. about 1810 and I have a most vivid recollection of the good old man. Your father is only two years older than I am. I was 61 the 10^th of April last. My health is good. I have only one child living. She is my daughter Sarah S. Harrington, the wife of Dr. Wm. H. Harrington. They live near me. They have six living children, Helen Pope, Mary Moriat, Harriett Victoria, Hugh O'Neall, Young John and John Belton. On the 14^th of March they lost their second child of nine years of age, Anna Calmes. She was a most lovely child.

My Great Grandfather Hugh O'Neall was, as I have always understood, a midshipman in the British Navy when he jumped overboard and swam ashore in Delaware. He was a youngest son of the house of Lord O'Neale of Shanes Castle, Ireland. The tradition, I am told, in the family in Ireland, is that such a person was lost at sea. To escape detection he varied the final e into an L. He never had any correspondence with his family. Our Grandfather Wm. Was his oldest son. The Lord O'Neall of the present day is John Boscannon O'Neall [see note]. He is a Bachelor of about 70 years, on his death, the title and estates go to some collaterate branch, unless our families could claim. I know no way of establishing connection. It may be that some of the old family records – the bible or something of that kind may be in your Grandfather's family.

I am very glad to hear of your Uncles and Aunts – and your father's family. Is your great-Uncle Samuel Kelly still alive? My mother, his Cousin, died Oct^r 1850 beyond the age of 83.

Most kindly remember me to your father and mother, yr Uncles and Aunts – yr brothers and sisters.

Accept my best wishes,

1. In fact, the last of the male-blood-line Clannaboy O'Nealls was John Bruce Richard, 3rd Viscount O'Neill, born 30 December 1780, who died unmarried, with gout (12 Feburary 1855), when his Peerage became extinct. He was succeeded in the vast Shane's Castle estates by the heir-general of the last Lord of Clannaboy, Rev. William Chichester, great-grandson of Mary O'Neill, heiress to "French John".   Back to text.

2. This letter was handed down by George Thomas O'Neall to his brother's grandson, Albert E. O'Neall. Since making this copy, A. E. O'Neall has passed it on to a direct descendant of John Belton O'Neall.]
 

[back to the tradition of Hugh O'Neall]