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.