In search of Don Constantino O’Neill: I By M.O’Neill

I started my final search for Don Constantino O’Neill, and what I have found is not much, since there are so many O’Neill’s with the name Conn, but not many in Spain, or what is now the Holland and Belgium once known as the Spanish Netherlands. I found a few short excerpts from letters in the 1600’s referring to Constantino O'Neill.

In another letter written this time by Don Eugenio (Owen Roe) O’Neill he writes the following:

“He (that is Hugh Duff O’Neill) desires more particularly to witness to your excellency that I have seen the will of the late Earl of Tyrone, John O’Neill, and the father of the younger man that is lately dead here, after whom is also and another, Conn O’Neill, who is also dead, I can assure you excellency that this Hugh O’Neill that now calls himself Earl of Tyrone, is the third, and consequently, the head of the house.”

This John O’Neill mentioned was Don Juan O’Neill who died in January of 1641 in the Battle of Montjuic in Catalonia. The Conn O’Neill mentioned was the younger son of Don Hugh O’Neill, 2^nd Earl of Tyrone, he is said to have died in the tower of London.

In a letter written in April 12, 1642 on regard of a Don Constantino O’Neill the letter has the following written:

“As to what you write touching Don Eugenio O’Neill, I apprehend no such danger; he is not disposed to claim more than his father enjoyed for he acknowledges that all immediate right to the earldom of Tyrone belongs to Don Constantino, who is in Spain. So long as he lives, Don Eugenio can claim nothing, as he publicly acknowledges, offering to serve no matter who – Don Felim, or another, in common cause of religion and realm.”

What is interesting is Don Eugenio (Owen Roe) O’Neill was asked, if he was or would be the Earl of Tyrone, and he replied by saying the “True” Earl of Tyrone was Constantino O’Neill at the time living in Spain. To my knowledge I don’t believe anyone knows who this Constantino was , and it may look like that I’m not the only one looking for a Don Constantino O’Neill, if it’s the same one which I can no say he is or not at the moment.

What is known is that this Don Constantino in August of 1642 took to the sea from Rochelle with fifty soldiers in a ship laden with arms and powder. La Rochelle is a city in Western France and was the largest seaport on the Bay of Biscay, or the Atlantic coast of France.Where was this ship heading to? And was this Don Constantino O’Neill who was raised in Galicia, Spain? What is also known is that La Rochelle was a haven for French privateers, merchants, and pirates. The Caribbean was well known to these men example are the maps of the islands in the West Indies done in the early 1600’s. I have not found any evidence that a Don Constantino O’Neill sailed to the Caribbean during the mid-1600, and finding records of such a voyage is basically impossible for me to do.

In 1641 around 300 Irish soldiers from Ireland arrived in Galicia, Spain, the question is the progenitor of the O’Neill’s of Puerto Rico among these men? It must not be forgotten that in August of 1653 the Spanish crown declared a moratorium on all Irish soldiers arriving in Spain, and in that same year many of the surviving soldiers, of the army, of Don Eugenio (Owen Roe) O’Neill during the Irish Rebellion arrived in La Coruna, Galicia, Spain. From 1641 to 1654 over 22,000Irish arrived in Spain.The last ship to arrive in Galicia, Spain from Ireland was in 1654.

Was Don Constantino O’Neill among these men in Galicia? From what I have been able to find is that Don Juan O’Neill was likely born in Spain and not on the island of Puerto Rico, and there is a possibility that Don Patricio O’Neill arrived with Don Alejandro “Bloody” O’Reilly in 1765 on the island, yet I have not found any military records to confirm this theory. The general theory is thatDon Juan O’Neill arrived with his two brothers circa the 1700’s from Spain or possible other islands in the Caribbean. From 1686 to 1701 the Spanish crown denied all Flemish and Irish families to settle in Puerto Rico.

What I have found and know is that this O’Neill family was separate and very different from the others O’Neill’s, and it seems that they did not intermingled with others for whatever their reasons. Another thing is the lack of males in this family and this is shown by their y-dna Haplotype and SNP that is not found among the O’Neill’s in Ireland. This has made the search harder not that the O’Neill’s of Puerto Rico do not match any other O’Neill’s I can careless for that but the fact that theydo not match anyone, as if all know relatives have vanished from the face of the earth. Yet this is common among a few families in the SNP L48 it seem that those within this SNP kept the male gene pool limited. On the y-dna end I expect very little news outside new results coming in when I test for some new subclades of the SNP L48. I don’t expect any y-dna matches at all unless another O’Neill of Puerto Rico is brave enough, or cares enough about his ancestry to take a y-dna test, and asking for those to test is something I have given up on.

 The big mystery is to know in reality the true origin of the O’Neill’s in Spain, and the biggest one being the progenitor of the O’Neill’s of Puerto Rico Don Constantino O’Neill.These O’Neill’s kept many secrets one account that is puzzling is the father in law of François-Henry O’Neill, who married one Herminie de la Ponce. NowFrançois-Henry’s, father in law claimed that Brian O'Neill was not murdered as a schoolboy in Brussels, but grew up to be killed at Barcelona in 1641. Now if this is true then this Brian O’Neill, son of Don Hugo O’Neill, 2^nd Earl of Tyrone may have had children. Who knows what truly happened in this family and what they did, I don’t care, if I descend from any of this men , but finding the origins of the O’Neill’s of Puerto Rico is a the goal. 

There is the letter and records that places a Don Constantino O’Neill in La Rochelle, France circa 1642, and I have no idea of his age at that time. Assuming this is the Don Constantino O’Neill I am in search of.

1642 – A Don Constantino O’Neillis in La Rochelle, France.

1670’s - Patrick O’Neill’s son James O’Neill (2nd Comte de Tyrone) receives lands from the Compagnie des Iles d'Amérique or Company of the American Islands, and settles on the island of Martinique.

1686 to 1701 - The Spanish crown denied all Flemish and Irish families to settle in Puerto Rico.

Early 1700’s – Don Juan O’Neill is Born.

1761 - Colonel Don Tomas O’Daly, who served in the Ultonia Regiment in 1744, and also was educated in Barcelona, by 1761 O’Daly, had a thriving sugar plantation in Puerto Rico, and Don Tomas O'Daly had a brother named Jaime O’Daly, who resided in Cadiz circa 1763.

1765 – Don Alejandro “Bloody” O’Reilly arrives in Puerto Rico.

1775 - Jaime O'Daly applied for a license to export goods from Puerto Rico, and with the protection of his brother Colonel Don Tomas O’Daly, he became a well-known sugar and tobacco merchant.

1778 - Don Patricio O'Neill Garcia married Anna Feliciano in in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico.

From what we see is that those in the Ultonia Regiments already had settled in Puerto Rico in the start of the 1760’s, or possibly even earlier. Once more documents are found more will be known, and the records from the Ultonia regiment are one component that is necessary to solve this mystery. I have other leads that I will no talk about that will likely give me some results, and I hope that in my spare time I’m able to find some clues.

SIDE NOTE: Any info is welcomed I can be emailed at theredhandking@gmail.com

Does it matter? by M.O'Neill

Does it matter if the O’Neill’s of Puerto Rico match their y-dna with any other O’Neill in Ireland, Australia, or the United States?  To me personally it does not matter at all and it doesn’t make any difference, since the O’Neill’s of Puerto Rico are likely not to match anyone at all, or even the O’Neill’s of the Fews and the Clannabuidhe O’Neill’s. If an O’Neill those match us outside the Island of Puerto Rico? It will be interesting, but, in my opinion, matching a person with that McLachlan or McLaughlin surname would be of a greater importance, since they are the closest kindred of the O’Neill’s.There are McLaughlin’s who are of the SNP U106 and have not tested for the SNP L48, although their haplotype doesn’t match ours. 

The O’Neill’s of Puerto Rico are unique and from an ancient Germanic tribal origin. The most important things are one is to find a different progenitor, or a common one, among the various O’Neill families in Puerto Rico. Second finding the O’Neill’s Germanic tribal origins of our ancestors is important all points to an East Germanic origin.The East Germanic tribes were a wave of migrants who may have moved from Scandinavia into the area between theOder and Vistula rivers between the years 600 and 300 BC. Some theories have the East Germanic tribes, related to the North Germanic tribes.

Looking at those matches with a -20 and – 18 genetic distances within the SNP L48, and then those that have the value of 21 on the marker DYS YCA II b the regions of those matches are in Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Sweden.I highly doubt although not impossible that our O’Neill’s ancestor origins is of a Germanic tribe that made their way from Central Europe all the way into Ireland. Among the possible ancient ancestorsof the O’Neill’s of Puerto Rico are the Belgae ,the Bastarnae, theBurgundians, theGoths, the Thervings, the Greuthungs, the Visigoths, the Ostrogoths, the Crimean Goths, the Gepids, the Rugians, theScirii, theVandals, the Heruli, or the Lombard.

Now I would not discard a possible Norman origin during their time and well known involvement with the O’Neill’s in Ulster. A Non Paternal Event like the marriage of a Viking, and an O’Neill daughter that has been well documented to have occurred, and have spent some time in previous blog postings on this very subject.

I estimate that there are around 100 to 150 O’Neill’s of Puerto Rico males. I also estimate that around up to 60 % of the male O’Neill’s of Puerto Rico will share the same common ancestor, and will be of the SNP L48 ,or its subclades, and the rest 40% maybe of various other SNPs.

·         Any O’Neill of Puerto Rico or in the Caribbean that is willing to take a y-dna can contact me at the theredhandking@gmail.com . 

The Last Of Our Kind? By M.O’Neill

I have had various experts look at the Haplotype and none has found a possible origin outside it being of a Germanic origin. Only two O’Neill’s of Puerto Rico are currently FTDNA y-dna tested and from my SNP test results it’s concluded that both are R1b1b2a1a4 L148- L48+ P107- U106+ U198- . The only current match is this distant cousin from Puerto Rico who tested, and was 35/37 markers. And he did not only not on the mismatch marker of DYS CDY a/b which is common. Outside that we are 100% related with a TMRCA estimated around 95% circa the year 1710 A.D. This being the progenitor of the O’Neill’s of Puerto Rico Don Juan O'Neill.

(TMRCA this term used by population geneticists indicates the Time to the Most Recent Common Ancestor shared with another person.)

DYS 393 = 13

DYS 390 = 23

DYS 447 = 24

DYS 448 = 19

DYS YCA II a = 19

DYS YCA II b = 21

DYS 456 = 13

DYS 537 = 11

DYS 534 = 17

DYS 413 a / b = 23, 23

DYS 492 = 13

(MISMATCH MARKERS VALUES: DYS 439 = 11; DYS 385 a/b = 11, 14; DYS 389-1 = 13; DYS 389-2 = 29; DYS 458 = 19; DYS 459 a/b = 9, 10; DYS 464 a/b = 15, 15; DYS 576 = 18; DYS 570 = 18; CDY a/b = 38, 41)

The O’Neill’s of Puerto RicoL48 SNP Haplotype matches at 67 markers and the closest genetic distance are -18. There is no doubt that the O’Neill’s of Puerto Rico are of a Germanic origin, but it looks to be of an ancient origin, since all matches are -18 and -20. In my opinion, the O’Neill’s of Puerto Rico look to have origins sometime around 400 B.C. – 300 B.C.in the ancient regions of what are now the Czech Republic, Austria, Germany , Poland, and Switzerland.

Using all 67 markers searching for matches with those already of the L48 + SNP I had these results:

Staffordshire, England -18

Banbury, Oxford, England -19

Banbury, Oxford, England     -21

Switzerland   -20

West Bromwich, England -22

Sarvijoki, Jurva, Finland -20

Region Westph.Low Saxony,, Germany -21

Netherlands Antilles    -21

Scotland -21

Sweden    -23

Dublin, Ireland -22

Devonshire, England -21

Altona, Germany    -22

Germany   -23

Ippischburg (now Eppisburg), Bavaria/Bayern, Germany      -23

Goteborg, Sweden   -23

Orkney, Scotland -23

Outer Hebrides, Scotland -25

Kronoberg, Sweden -24

Rukingen, Germany -24

Germany   -24

Yorkshire, England -24

Denmark   -24

Gent, Belgium -25

Almendralejo Spain, Spain -26

Smaland, Sweden -25

Cologne, Germany -25

Gnevezow, Mecklenburg, Germany -24

Prussia, Germany -26

Spain     -27

Germany   -26

Nanzweiler, Germany -26

Canton Berne, Switzerland -27

Vardingholt-Rhede, Germany -27

Norway    -29

Stockholm, Sweden -30

Rijkevorsel, Belgium -29

Denmark   -30

Stockholm (city), Sweden -31

Hoelstein, Canton Basel, Switzerland -30

West Prussia, Germany -32   

Prussia, Germany -32

Romania   -33

Bavaria/Bayern, Germany -35

Those R1b1a2a1a1a4 / L48 that match at 37 markers tested and their – minus genetic distances. A 36/37 match is a 50% probability that there is a MRCA within 4 generations within (120 years), and a 95% probability within 10 generations (300 years).

Yorkshire, England - 14

West Prussia/ Germany - 12

North Rhine- Westphalia, Germany -16

Lippe, Germany     -17

Posen/Pozna'n, Germany - 19

Nordrhein-Westfalen/North Rhine- Westphalia, Germany -18

Epleny/Olaszfalu, Hungary -18

Bukovina, Transylvania, Hungary   -16

Saponara, Sicily -18

Agdenes, Norway -20

Kleinmantel, Germany -21

Germany   -21

Joniskis, Lithuania -23

Hessen-Kassel, Germany -23

Roxburgh, Roxburghshire, Scotland     -23

Switzerland   - 23

Soppe le Haut, Alsace, France -23

France    -23

Hutton le Hole, Yorkshire, England -23

Sachsen (Electoral Saxony), Germany -10

Those that only match 23 of the 25 markers, but do not match past 25 markers. Many are of different SNP’s and do not match outside just markers. Currently only two have not tested past 12 to 25 markers, and the rest have tested for 37 markers.

Wilkinson (Y37);Broadhurst (Y37);Plies (Y37); Wilkerson (Y37); Roper (Y37);Banks (Y37); Lee (Y37);Crowe (Y37);Brown; Harvey (Y67); Holliday (Y37); Sherwood (Y67);Beal; Leask (Y37);Holden(Y67).

Surnames that just match -1 GD at 12 markers there is a 95% probability that there is a MRCA within 1,410 years. Only the McLaughlin’s have tested positive for the L48 SNP, but are too far apart when it comes to above 12 markers. 

Kelley (Y67); McLaughlin (Y37); Holmes (Y67); White (Y37); Walker (Y67); O'Neill (Y37); Boucek (Y67); Broadhurst (Y37); Harris (Y67); Johnson (Y67); Sorensen (Y12); Lynch (Y67); McLaughlin (Y67); McLaughlin (Y67); Mones (Y67); Harley (Y67); Nieves (Y37); Grant (Y67).

Side Note:

For those O’Neill’s of Puerto Rico who have yet to have a Y-DNA test or don’t understand why its’ important. Y-DNA passes from father to son almost unaltered for long periods of time, and this is why it’s important to know who is related to whom or who is not.

According to the O’Neill’s of Puerto Rico Oral History: By M.A.O’Neill

The oral history of the O’Neill’s of Puerto Rico states that the progenitor our line was a tall man of blue eyes and dark hair. He arrived in Puerto Rico with his brother both military men, but in reality there seems to have been three brothers, and it’s not known if the third even arrived in Puerto Rico. There are said to have fought in the land were people wore Wooden Shoes and there were windmills , and this at  first I knew nothing of but then realized this was the Spanish Netherlands what is now  modern day Belgium. He was said to have been involved in piracy and had a violent temper that fought bulls with a shield and gun for entertainment. The family oral history also states that our origins are from a man named Edmundo, Eamon, or an Enrique Rui O'Neill who fought in the Spanish Netherlands and the head of the family was a man named Don Constantino O’Neill.

This Don Constantino O’Neill seemed to have been based out of Galicia, Spain and possibly also in the regions of Asturias. He had some association with a woman named Rosio or Rose.From my understanding he was raised alone most of his life, but had two other brothers. Now the question is was Enrique Rui / Rua O’Neill his brother? I doubt that this Enrique was the son of Owen Roe O’Neill, Don Enrique RuaO’Neill that was taken prisoner by Sir Charles Coote at Scariffhollis and beheaded at Derry on July 1650.

Owen Roe "the Red" O’Neill, died on November 6,1649 , he was a Spanish Officer for 30 years, held Arras against the French, surrendering "after a notable resistance" in 1640. Eoghan was the Lord General of the Catholic Army in the Ulster. Most important is that he served in the Spanish Netherlands, was married to a Rose, had four sons and among them was one named Conn Rua O’Neill, and he was of the Feardorcha “Matthew” O’Neill bloodline. Yet there was other O’Neill’s in the Spanish Netherlands and in Spain named Conn, but only these O’Neill’s fit the oral history very well. Outside that one of the sons named John (Juan) O’Neill became a monk. There was the third son of Art O’Neill; his name was Don Conn O’Neill who had two sons one named Daniel and the other named Brian O’Neill who had a son named Conn O’Neill who died in Spain.

There possibility that Don Constantino O’Neill was in the Caribbean during the late 1600’s, or possibly just his sons. Spanish military records show a Constantino O’Neill being talked about his involvement with the Commander General of the Havana, Cuba Navy Don Juan de Araaz.What people don’t understand is that there are plenty of O’Neill’s that live in Spain, with no clues abouttheir own origins. Not everything was written down, nor did the O’Neill’s to leave certain trails of their exploits for all to known. There is so much yet to be discovered! Believe me there is somewhere in some dusty records in Spain, or the Netherlands the facts of the origins of Don Constantino O’Neill.

In 1765, Colonel Thomas O'Daly and Field Marshall Don Alejandro "Bloody " O’Reilly were sent to Puerto Rico on the orders of King Carlos III of Spain, to investigate contraband, and piracy. Church records show that Don Patricio O'Neill Garcia married Anna Feliciano in March 5th, 1778 Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. That was 13 years after the arrival of Don Alejandro “Bloody” O’Reilly! Did Don Patricio arrive in Puerto Rico with Don Alejandro” Bloody” O’Reilly? And then married Dona Anna Feliciano 13 years later after his arrival?  Don Patricio’s father Don Juan O’Neill may have already been in Puerto Rico, or maybe he was in Spain?  Don Juan who could have been either named original named Sean or John O’Neill.

On a Side Note:

Nowmy main goal is finding the origins of Don Constantino O’Neill in Spain, or the Netherlands is the key to finding the origins of the O’Neill’s of Puerto Rico.  I know for a fact that there must a few people out there who know exactly who this Don Constantino O’Neill was, and will not share the info, but it doesn’t matter, because at the end the truth will be shown and made public for the world to see. I know exactly why they do not share information or hide the facts. Many of these O’Neill’s live in a fantasy, and an illusion, of being the descendants of some Royal lineage, and I can careless for all that nonsense. Nor do I care what other O’Neill’s think! If they don’t share my genetics or are from the Island of Puerto Rico why should they matter? 

And why do I say this? Because the O’Neill’s of Puerto Rico are the last of a long bloodline, and with the some miracle we found some safety on a small island, with the help of the Spanish crown, and our ancestor’s military service. I take pride that we stand alone with no ties with any other surname or any other O’Neill.

Unlike some of the O’Neill’s in Spain, France, and Portugal I don’t fear the truth and that is why the O’Neill’s of Puerto Rico y-dna is there for the whole world to see.  One day the true origins of the O’Neill’s of Puerto Rico will be known, and it won’t matter, if I have to do it all by myself what I know is that I get things done.It’s a big puzzle to decipher but I have slowly done so going on the oral history ,and documents have slowly come to find some clues, yet it’s a long road ahead, and this is why my main focus now is to find the origins of Don Constantino O’Neill , Rose , and Don Juan O’Neill. I did enough trying to help putting together the genealogy of the various families the O’Neill’s of Puerto Rico and the Sevilla O’Neill’s of the Fews that I uncovered through my research.

Now is time for those who care like I stated in an earlier blog post is up to them to find their own origins, and if they want to obtain a y-dna test to prove they are of linked to one of the O’Neill’s of Puerto Rico branches they are more than welcomed.  At this moment there are only 3 O’Neill’s of Puerto Rico that I can take into account as I move forward in any future development, and they know who they are.

What has been accomplished so far? By M.O’Neill

I have taken most of my free time doing research on the O’Neill’s of Puerto Rico, unlike any other O’Neill in Puerto Rico, since the arrival of Don Juan O’Neill in Puerto Rico. Due to the lack of interest by many O’Neill’s on the island of Puerto Rico it makes it nearly impossible to find any clues, or further the research, since at this moment, sadly, I have to say that only 2 others outside myself have been brave, or show great interest to know their origins that they have taken a y-dna test. Mainly what many of the O’Neill’s of Puerto Rico have been doing is just assuming that they are all related. If it was not for the kindness of a female O’Neill who had her brother y-dna tested I would have never developed a haplotype that show that the descendants of Don Juan O’Neill all share common mutations in their haplotype. And if it wasn’t for the interest, of another O’Neill, for his origins we would have not found the SNP J2 among one family that this may shed light into the various oral history of other O’Neill’s and their origins.Again it’s very easy just to sit back and let others do the work, and research, and not participate or not care at all.

Example: A few years ago I was given limited genealogical information by an O’Neill of Puerto Rico, and then when I ask him to take a y-dna test, he no longer emailed me back. I had another email me once about his descendants from Fajardo, and when I asked him to obtain a y-dna test never emailed again this is very common.

                                                               This is why I don’t care, for those, who are just wasting their time and are not serious about finding their origins. Don’t waste my time or yours it’s that simple! For starters there is no money, inheritance, nor any titles, there seem to be a few out there that believe this stupidity for whatever greed they may hold. I have never made a dime or a U.S. Dollar on this research, but have spent over $1,000.00 USD in research not to say the time and effort. Nor will I make or expect any money, but to find the true origins of the O’Neill’s of Puerto Rico. So, I don’t understand why anyone won’t spend $150.00 USD to take a y-dna test?  That doesn’t involve blood, but a swab that takes a sample of your saliva.

http://youtu.be/AN07Adpu7Bs

                                                              I suspect the majority of the O’Neill’s of Puerto Rico will all be of the SNP L48, until further test are done, I will be taking a new Deep SNP test, and likely the SNP will change to one, of the new subclades of the U106 and L48 SNP, since new SNP’s are being discovered has I write this. Looking at the mutations of the O’Neill’s of Puerto Rico Haplotype the descendants of Don Juan O’Neill, and my theory of the DYS YCA II b = 21 very likely the results will be positive for the L44 SNP .

                                                            The descendants of Don Juan O’Neill are the majority among the population of the O’Neill’s of Puerto Rico, although there are other O’Neill’s throughout the island of Puerto Rico in the municipalities of Aguadilla, Ponce, Mayaguez, and Fajardo. Also it must be stated that all the O’Neill’s of Puerto Rico are not related there was I estimate around 4 different O’Neill’s emigrations on the island. Barring any non-paternal events I estimate that the O’Neill’s of Puerto Rico will be up to 90% of the SNP L48. I estimate the population of the descendants of Don Juan O’Neill is around 80 to 100 O’Neill males, and around a total of 40 plus of other O’Neill’s on the island that their origins are not known. The majority of the O’Neill’s are based on the municipality of Guaynabo these mainly being the descendants of Don Juan O’Neill. Then there are other O’Neill’s through various areas of Puerto Rico, and it’s not known, if they are related due to the lack of interest from the majority of them.

What has been accomplished?

1.      The y-dna haplotype of the descendants of Don Juan O’Neill is shown to be unique and his descendants among the last of his kind.

2.      The O’Neill’s of Puerto Rico have no common ancestor with any of the O’Neill’s in Ireland, Australia, and the United States at the moment.

3.      I have compiled a genealogy of many of the O’Neill’s of Puerto Rico families.

4.      I have created a WEB Page for the O’Neill’s of Puerto Rico, to show the world our origins and share information.

5.      I have created a blog for the O’Neill’s of Puerto Rico.

6.      I started the Caribbean Y-DNA project to help others in the Caribbean find their origins and possibly find other O’Neill’s in the Caribbean, because before I started the project the y-dna of those in the Caribbean has been neglected.

7.      Thanks to the help of an O’Neill female, and she knows who she is, I finally created a Haplotype and found the genetic link between one the branches of the descendants of Don Juan O’Neill.

8.      Thanks to an O’Neill for his interest of his origins I found out that not all of the O’Neill’s in Puerto Rico have the same male common ancestor.

9.      Thanks to another O’Neill a direct descendant of Don Juan O’Neill via Don Hipolito O’Neill we have documents of the O’Neill’s of Puerto Rico and clues to their blood ties and business dealings.

10.  Thanks to another O’Neill who gave me genealogical info on seconds cousins.

What is needed to be done by many of the O’Neill’s of Puerto Rico, and What I will do?

1.      The male descendants of Don Hipolito O’Neill must obtain a y-dna test to establish a genetic with a paper trail the connection with Don Juan O’Neill.

2.      Begin a database with all the paper trails of those O’Neill’s of Puerto Rico. Something I have somewhat have done by showing the relations of many of the O’Neill’s of Puerto Rico with their genealogy.

3.      Once more O’Neill’s of Puerto Rico get y-dna tested I will create an O’Neill’s of Puerto Rico Y-DNA Project.

4.      Have more O’Neill’s throughout the island to obtain a y-dna test, because this will show either a difference between, or a common ancestor for many of the O’Neill’s on the island.

5.      Find the origins of Don Constantino O’Neill, Don Juan O’Neill, and Dona Rosa.

O’Neill’s of Puerto Rico: Sugar Plantations By M.O’Neill

                          We do know from records that early rum distillation on the island of Puerto Rico can be tracked back to the 16th century some records date back to the 1680’s. The O’Neill’s of Puerto Rico ; these being the O’Neill’s of the Fews, and the descendants of Don Juan O’Neill were involved in the sugar plantation business in Puerto Rico and the O’Neill’s of the Fews mainly in St. Croix. Sugar plantations seem to be one of the main reasons why the O’Neill’s Counts of Tyrone and O’Neill of the Fews were in the Caribbean outside their military service.

                           There were Irish deported in the 1770's by then Governor of Puerto Rico, Don Miguel de Muesas’s, and these Irishmen were involved in the smuggling of contraband. During this time historical records show that French colonial plantation owners, and Irish plantation owners in St. Croix, desired to open operations in Puerto Rico. In 1787 Don Arturo O'Neill y O’Kelly, asked to be transferred to be the Governor of Puerto Rico, and a promotion to brigadier. Why he desired to be in Puerto Rico? He did have family living there at the time. From what we know from the O'Neill's, after the 1600's is that they preferred to live on islands Mallorca, St. Croix, Martinique and other various islands. There seems to be a connection with Puerto Rico, and the O'Neill's of the Fews and other O'Neill's.  A very important man in the opening of sugar plantations in Puerto Rico was Colonel Don Tomas O’Daly, who served in the Ultonia Regiment in 1744, and also was educated in Barcelona. By 1761 O'Daly had a thriving sugar plantation in Puerto Rico, and Don Tomas O'Daly had a brother named Jaime O’Daly, who resided in Cadiz circa 1763. 

                           In 1765,  Colonel Thomas O'Daly and Field Marshall Don Alejandro "Bloody " O'Reilly , were sent to Puerto Rico on the orders of King Carlos III of Spain, to investigate contraband , piracy ,and he also he conducted a census of the population that was a total of 44, 8883 thousand people on the island. We do know that both Captain General. Felix O'Neill who died in 1862 and Don Arturo O’Neill O’Keeffe born on St. Croix in 1783 were Knights of the Order of King Carlos III. Records show that Jaime O'Daly applied for a license to export goods from Puerto Rico in 1775, and with the protection of his brother Colonel Don Tomas O’Daly, he became a well-known sugar and tobacco merchant. In 1781 the Spanish capture of Pensacola, Florida occurred where the Hibernia Regiment, also called by the name of  “O’Neill’s Regiment “  took part in the expulsion of the British under the leadership of Bernando de Galvez y Madrid. Members of the assault were Captain Pedro O'Daly, Lieutenant Timoteo O'Daly, and Lieutenant Colonel Don Arturo O'Neill O’Kelly, later known as the 1st Marquez Del Norte. From historical records we know that Don Arturo O'Neill y O’Kelly got the licenses for his two brothers Don Tulio and Enrique O'Neill y O'Kelly to start sugar plantations in Puerto Rico, both form the island of St. Croix. An interesting fact is that those among the Counts of Tyrone, from Martinique, also served under Don Bernando de Galvez y Madrid, under French approval.

                        In 1797, then Governor Ramon de Castro, ordered the expulsion of the Irish from Puerto Rico, this led to many protest and the Irish remained. Not until August 10th of 1815, were any foreigners allowed on the island of Puerto Rico. By 1776 the population in Puerto Rico was estimated to be over 70, 000 thousand people. In 1790's many of the Irish and foreigners were expulsed, and many were given a few days to leave the island, if no they were incarcerated. But not the O'Neill's they remained in Puerto Rico, while merchants and planters with surnames like Quilan, O'Daly, Conway, Nagle, Kirwan , Armstrong, Skerret, Fitzpatrick,  and Doran were expulsed, yet none of the O’Neill’s! If you look at the Irish families on the island of Martinique that were involved in the sugar plantation business we find the surnames Skerret’s, Kirwan’s, Roche’s , and Lynch’s. Records and history shows that the O’Neill’s Counts of Tyrone were given lands on the island of Martinique by the Compagnie des Iles d’Amérique in the mid 1600’s.Where they lived for over 100 years! Yet we do not know if Don Juan O’Neill was originally from the island of Martinique.

                        All this leads me to believe that Don Juan O’Neill the progenitor of the O’Neill’s of Puerto Rico was involved in the Sugar Plantation business, since his grandsons are shown to have been owners of slaves during the late 1700’s. Then you have in 1786 Don Terencio O'Neill of the Fews, and in September 10, 1790Don Tulio O'Neill of the Fews, is known as a planter on the island of St. Croix.

Don Jose O'Neill Feliciano, grandson of Don Juan O’Neill had a brother named Hipolito O'Neill Feliciano born in 1787; records show him to have been a slave owner this was due to the business of sugar plantation in Guaynabo, during the late 1700's and early 1800's. 

Due to I being the only one with limited resources and time doing researching the O’Neill’s of Puerto Rico with little help he has become hard to find information. All answers will be found in sugar plantation records in the Caribbean, since I have a theory that Don Juan O’Neill arrived in Puerto Rico with the knowledge of Sugar Plantation business from one of the Caribbean islands and his parents, or his father had lived in the Spanish Netherlands then made their way into Puerto Rico.

Hipolito O'Neill Feliciano

One of the sons of Patricio O'Neill Garcia and Anna Feliciano, was named Hipolito O'Neill Feliciano, born in 1787, he is described to have been a slave owner in Puerto Rico, who was married twice, one marriage with Dona Juana Ramirez de Arellano. Hipolito O’Neill Feliciano married Dona Juana Ramirez de Arellano

Parents of

Nicomedes O'Neill Ramirez b. 1843 and married Juana Rosario Ramirez b. 1853

Parents of

1. Lucas O'Neill Rosario b.1843
2. Fransica O'Neill Rosario b. 1880-1888
3. Ysabel O'Neill Rosario b. 1883
4. Manuel O'Neill Rosario b. 1892

 Lucas O'Neill Rosario was the father of:

1. Jose O'Neill Santa
2. Lydia O'Neill Santa
3. Rafael Nicomedes O'Neill Santa
4. Jennifer O'Neill Santa
5. Enrique O'Neill Santa

Don Patricio O'Neill Garcia married Anna Feliciano in March 5th, 1778 Guaynabo, Puerto Rico.

Parents of: 

1. Don Hipolito O'Neill Feliciano
2. Don Jose O'Neill Feliciano
3. Dona Maria Gumersinda O'Neill Feliciano.

Don Jose O'Neill Feliciano, first marriage with Dona Ines Umpierre on March 4^th, 1802.

 Parents of:

Don Leon O'Neill Umpierre

Don Pedro O'Neill Umpierre

Don Juan de Mata O'Neill & Anna Casanas.

Don Juan de Mata O'Neill, marries Anna Casanas

 Parents of:

Felipe O’Neill Casana b. 1844, marries Eugenia Lugo b.? And they become the parents of Don Bruno O’Neill Lugo b. 1860 – 1880, Leon O’Neill Lugo b. 1873, Tito O’Neill Lugo b. 1887, Catalino O’Neill Lugo b. 1885, and Manuel O’Neill Lugo b. 1888.

A.         Bruno O’Neill Lugo b. 1860-1880? , marries Victoriana Melendez Garcia b. 1882 (from Asturias, N. Spain) and become the parents of Fransica O’Neill Melendez b. 1909, Paullina O’Neill Melendez b. 1905,Ynocencio O’Neill Melendez b. 1906,Antonio O’Neill Melendez b. 1906,Ramona O'Neill Melendez b.1898- 1905?, and Leo "Gelo" O’Neill Melendez b.?

B.         Leon O’Neill Lugo b. 1873, marries Demetria Melendez Garcia b. 1874 they became the parents of Braulio O’Neill Melendez b. 1900, Celestina O’Neill Melendez b. 1897, Justo O’Neill Melendez b. 1902, Serefina O’Neill Melendez b. 1905, Lina O’Neill Melendez b. 1908, Mercedes O’Neill Melendez b. 1909, Jana O'Neill Melendez b. 1905, and Adrian O’Neill Melendez b. 1903.

C.         Tito O’Neill Lugo b. 1887 married Filomena Melendez Garcia b.? And they became the parents of Valerina O’Neill Melendez b. 1909 and Fransica O’Neill Melendez b. 1906

D.         Catalino O’Neill Lugo b. 1885 married Cecilia Lebron Hernandez b.1883 and they became the parents of Isabel O’Neill Lebron b.1905, Anastasio O’Neill Lebron b. 1908, and Juan de Mata O’Neill Lebron b. 1898

E.         Manuel O’Neill Lugo b. 1880 Widower children no knowledge

Don Jose O'Neill Feliciano & Dona Gregoria Cuello.

Don Jose O'Neill Feliciano second marriage is with Dona Gregoria Cuello.

Parents of:

1. Dona Ysabel Marian O'Neill Cuello
2. Don Jeremias O'Neill Cuello
3. Dona Marta Victoria O'Neill Cuello
4. Don Jose Roman O'Neill Cuello
5. Don Luciano Donato O'Neill Cuello

The descendants of Felipe O’Neill Casana

The genealogy of descendants of Felipe O’Neill Casana from his second marriage to Fransica Garcia Cecilio:

Felipe O’Neill Casana b. 1844, marries for the second time Fransica Garcia Cecilio b. 1867, they become the parents of Eurasio O’Neill Garcia b. 1903, Presentacion O’Neill Garcia b. 1904, Aselma O’Neill Garcia b. 1905, Guillermo O’Neill Garcia b. 1906, and Cipriano O’Neill Garcia b. 1908.

A. Cipriano O’Neill Garcia marries Juana Santiago and they become the parents of Eliezer O'Neill Santiago, Israel O'Neill Santiago, Noemi O'Neill Santiago, and Gerson O'Neill Santiago.

B. Eliezer O’Neill Santiago is the father of Adalberto O’Neill.

C. Adalberto O’Neill the father of Yrinelly O'Neill, Yadhiel A. O’Neill, and Cristian A. O'Neill.

The descendants of Antonio O’Neill Melendez

The descendants of Antonio O’Neill Melendez, son of Don Bruno O’Neill, and the Great –Great- Great- Great Grandson of Don Juan O’Neill:

Antonio O’Neill Melendez b. 6.12.1906 married Maxima Lebron Cegara, the daughter of Malvino Lebron & Maria Cegara; they both became the parents of Rafael O’Neill LeBron, Juan O’Neill LeBron, José Antonio O’Neill Lebron, Rey O’Neill Lebron, Miguel O’Neill Lebron, Luis O’Neill Lebron, Miseal O’Neill Lebron, Carmen O’Neill Lebron, Gloria O’Neill Lebron, Ramon O’Neill Lebron, and Jose “Pepe” O’Neill Lebron.

1.       Ramon “Moncho’ O’Neill Lebron married Milagros Massa they became the parents of Eduardo O’Neill Massa(Santiago) and Ramon O’Neill Massa(Santiago). 
2.    Jose O’Neill Lebron married Maria Massa they became the parents of Jamilet O’Neill Massa, Jose O’Neill Massa, Ramon O’Neill Massa, William O’Neill Massa, and Michael O’Neill Massa.
3.  Reymundo O’Neill Lebron married Julia Lopez and they became the parents of Aida O’Neill Lopez, Eduardo O’Neill Lopez, Reynaldo O’Neill Lopez, and Iris O’Neill Lopez 
4.   Luis "Pepe" O'Neill Lebronfather of Erick O’Neill Delgado, Damariz O'Neill Delgado, and Luis O'Neill Delgado.
5.  Juan O’Neill Lebron married Beneda Massa children unknown.
6.    Miguel O’Neill Lebron father of one son Miguel O’Neill.

The descendants of Adrian O’Neill Melendez .

By M.A. O'Neill 

Adrian O’Neill Melendez b. 1903, son of Leon O’Neill Lugo, Grandson Felipe O’Neill, Great Grandson of Juan De Mata O’Neill, Great- Great Grandson of Jose O’Neill, and Great -Great -Great Grandson of Don Patricio O’Neill, married Heriberta Garcia Gonzales and they became the parents of Agustin O'Neill Garcia,Adrian " Ayin" O'Neill Garcia ,Francisco "Paquito" O'Neill Garcia ,Efrain " Frango" O'Neill Garcia ,Rosa "Rosin"  Maria O'Neill Garcia , Mariam O'Neill Garcia, Miguel O’Neill Garcia, and Hector O’Neill Garcia.

A.      Miguel O'Neill Garcia, son of Adrian O’Neill Melendez, married Ramonita Aponte they became the parents ofMiguel O'Neill Aponte, Norma O'Neill Aponte, Olga O'Neill Aponte, Migdalia O'Neill Aponte, Iraida O'Neill Aponte, and Yolanda O'Neill Aponte.

B.      Hector O'Neill Garcia, son of Adrian O’Neill Melendez,his first marriage was to Margarita Rosa they became the parentsof Hector O'Neill Rosa, Michael O'Neill Rosa, Edward O'Neill Rosa, and Kenneth O'Neill Rosa. In Hector O’Neill’s second marriage to Carmen Ana Vazquez they became the parents of Hector Yuvelt O'Neill Vazquez, Ryan O'Neill Vazquez, Yamal O'Neill Vazquez, and Ronald O'Neill Vazquez.