Francis O'Neil and the O'Neil Family - Part 1

The O'Neil Family, Ireland, Scotland, Wisconsin, Iowa

This post, about Francis O'Neil started off as part of my Short Biography series but is has grown significantly as more information has come to light. For that reason, I have pulled this one out of the Short Biographies and have elevated it to a Family Story.

Francis O'Neil was born in 1812 in County Armagh in Ireland (now Northern Ireland). He is reported to be the son of James O'Neil (b.1785, d.1817) and Nancy (Agnes) Hughes (b.1787). James was born in County Antrim and is reported to have had a least two brothers, John and Barney. Not much else has been found about this or prior generations of the O'Neil family. When Francis was about five years old, his father died, and his mother took the children and moved to Scotland.

Francis O'Neil and Elizabeth Nevin