OUR O'NEAL FAMILY

Some information in this post can now be updated with new information. The new data concerns William Warren O'Neal and his second wife, Margaret Iler and their children. The new information will be in bold Italic type. Scroll down to see what has been discovered since this 2013 post.   (Virginia B. Fields - August 8, 2018)


        Before journeying forward with this Butter family, we should stop and take a look at Susan Eliza O'Neal's family.  Her father was William Warren O'Neal, born about 1810 probably in South Carolina.  Her mother was Margaret (last name unknown) who was born about 1814 probably in South Carolina.  The statistics on William Warren and Margaret are from census records in 1840 and 1850.  They had the following children:
       
          Nancy Virginia born about 1832 in Alabama
          Susan Eliza born 7 February 1834 in Alabama
          Sarah Jane born 5 February 1836 in Alabama
          Warren born about 1839 in Louisiana
          James born about 1842 in Louisiana
          Henry born about 1844 in Louisiana
          Mary Harriet born about 1847 in Louisiana

     Margaret (maiden name unknown) O'Neal died after the 1850 census and before 17 August 1853. (She is listed as deceased in the Spring Hill Baptist Church records on 31 December 1852.) This is known because William Warren O'Neal married Margaret Iler, widow of George Scott, in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana on that date.  William Warren and Margaret Iler then had a son, Thomas O'Neal, born about 1856.  William Warren O'Neal died in Avoyelles Parish Louisiana in 1868.(He actually probably died either in Rapides or St. Landry Parish.)

     William Warren O'Neal and Margaret Iler had several children as follows: Thomas b. 1856; Randall b abt 1858; Ann E. O'Neal b. 16 July 1858; Emma G. b. October 1859; Melville b 1863; Ira b 1868. In the 1870 census in St. Landry Parish, Melville and Ira are in the household of their mother Margaret O'Neal. There is now a DNA connection linking some of these children to the children of William Warren O'Neal's first family.

     On the 11 April 1859, William Warren O'Neal sold land in St. Landry Parish.
     On 8 November 1860, William Warren O'Neal signed as a witness to the marriage of Julia Ryals and Oliver Humble in St. Landry Parish.
     On 18 April 1860, William Warren O'Neal sold land in St. Landry Parish which includes a release of Dower by Margaret E. Iler O'Neal. Papers signed at the home of William O'Neal at Bayou Jack, St. Landry Parish.

     So far, research has not revealed who William Warren O'Neal's parents are.  What is known is that sometime after 1810, he left South Carolina and began a journey across the south eventually ending in Forest Hill, Rapides Parish, Louisiana.  Between February 1836 when Sarah Jane was born and sometime in 1839 when Warren was born, the family left Alabama and went to Louisiana.  They appear in the 1840 census of Rapides Parish.  Their precise residence in Alabama is unknown.  As of February 2013, I have personally checked all but four Alabama counties for land transactions involving William W. O'Neal.  There are a few counties where the records have been lost to fire or flood; however, no land record has so far been found.

     In the Rapides Parish Louisiana 1850 census, the family is listed as follows:

O'Neal, William              40           Farmer            South Carolina
             Margaret           36                                  South Carolina
             Sarah                13                                  Alabama
            Warren              11                                  Louisiana
            James                 8                                   Louisiana
           Harry                   6                                   Louisiana
           Mary                   1                                   Louisiana

     As reported in the Henry Butter blog post, the O'Neals are living next door to Henry Butter and their daughter, Susan O'Neal Butter.

     So far, William Warren O'Neal has not been found in the 1860 census.  He and the second Margaret should be living in Rapides, St. Landry or Avoyelles Parish.  They are more likely living in St. Landry or Rapides Parish as they sold land in St. Landry Parish just prior to the enumeration date for the 1860 census.) I have not read the St. Landry or Avoyelles Parish census line by line but they have not appeared in the index for any of the variant spellings of O'Neal.  There are some online trees that have William O'Neal  in DeKalb County, Georgia in 1860.  There is a William O'Neal in that county and state but the wife and children do not match up with our O'Neal family at all.  It would have been a bit unusual for a family to come all the way across the south to Louisiana, then travel all the way back to Georgia and then return to Louisiana in such a short period of time.

     Following are some other known facts about this particular O'Neal family.
William Warren O'Neal was received by letter Springhill Baptist Church 9 November 1844.
Margaret O'Neal received by letter Springhill Baptist Church 9 November 1844.
Warren O'Neal and James O'Neal baptized 7 October 1857 Springhill Baptist Church.
Nancy O'Neal received by letter 9 November 1844 Springhill Baptist Church.

Warren O'Neal joined the Confederate Army in Rapides Parish 8 March 1862.  His service records are listed as William Warren and sometimes Warren William O'Neal.  He was discharged 10 June 1865.








       These vouchers are among the ones in the
       service  file for William Warren O'Neal.
       He and his brother, Henry, were in
       Company H, 8th Louisiana Infantry.

This voucher for Henry O'Neal shows that he is presumed dead as he has been missing and was very ill .

     Henry O'Neal joined the Confederate Army with his brother Warren on 8 March 1862. He left the service on 12 January 1863 and is presumed to have died enroute home as he was listed as very ill when he was discharged and he never reached his family in Rapides Parish.

Next post: marriages of the O'Neal children

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HENRY AND SUSAN O'NEAL BUTTER FAMILY

     As previously discussed, Henry Butter and Susan O'Neal married in Rapides Parish, Louisiana on 30 December 1847.  In fact, according to some older family members they married a few feet from where they ended up living and later dying.  In case no one has done the math, Henry was 31 years old and Susan was just shy of her 14th birthday.  Their first child was born and died on 8 September 1848.  This baby was not named and it is not known if it was a boy or girl.  The list below begins with their named children all of whom were born and died in Forest Hill, Rapides Parish, Louisiana.

• William Butter, born 8 June 1850; died 8 Feb 1923. Married to Emily Graham 29 October 1868.
• John Butter, born 4 April 1852; died 15 April 1852.
• Elizza Ann Butter, born 25 April 1853; died 12 June 1878. Married to a Stanfield.
• Sarah Frances Butter, born 25 June 1855; died 17 August 1925. Married Joseph Chevalier on 18 December 1876.
• Ellen Virginia Butter, born 21 March 1857; died 18 July 1923.  Never married.
• John Henry Butter, born 13 October 1858; died 1 August 1937.  Married Ester Jane Randolph on 29 January 1885.
• Susan Harriet Butter, born 29 December 1860; died 18 April 1924.  Married John Jackson Smith on 29 December 1886.
• Warren James Butter, born 5 February 1865; died 20 September 1879.
• Francis Eugene Butter, born 10 July 1869; died 5 May 1899.
• Charlie O'Neal Butter, born 5 August 1873; died 27 August 1898.

     There will be more information in a later blog on William Butter and Emily Graham; also on John Henry Butter and Ester Randolph.  Meanwhile, for anyone researching the Graham line, there is an excellent blog dealing with our particular Grahams: Graham Southern Roots and Shoots .  Rather than repeating my Graham information, I will defer to the Graham blog for most information.

The Butter House was built by Henry and Susan O'Neal Butter in Forest Hill, Rapides Parish, Louisiana.  It is thought that the house was started in the late 1850's but was not finished until the 1860's.  Until late 2012, this house was continuously occupied by Butter descendants.

Susan O'Neal Butter Obituary as it appeared in the  Baptist Chronicle .
  No date  on the paper.

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Next post: Interview information about Henry and Susan