WILLIAM WARREN O'NEAL FAMILY MAJOR UPDATE JANUARY 2021

As of 10 January 2021 there is major new information  for William Warren O'Neal which changes a parent on the first three children.

It has always been suspected that there was a first marriage before Margaret Unknown. From an interview with a granddaughter of Susan Eliza O'Neal Butter, the statement that "Susan told me that her mother died when she (Susan) was very young. She said she was cared for by the slaves in the kitchen area. They cooked big pots of greens and fed them to me. That is why I still love greens to this day." 

That one statement has remained in the back of the minds of researchers for decades. Well, the granddaughter was correct and all the timing fits perfectly.

William O'Neal married Nancy Roan in Marengo County, Alabama 28 March 1831. Their first child, Nancy Virginia O'Neal, was born 13 April 1832 in Alabama. Second child, Susan Eliza followed 7 February 1834 in Alabama, and third child Sarah Jane was born 5 February 1836 also in Alabama. All three of these daughters usually said they were born in Alabama on the census records. 

Nancy Roan was the daughter of Jesse J. Roan and Sarah Chaffin. The Chaffin's and the O'Neal's were close after coming to Rapides Parish. There were intermarriages among the descendants. The Chaffins, Bettisons, and Atkinsons and Smiths arrived in Rapides Parish at approximately the same time as William W. O'Neal - in time for the 1840 census. There were interactions with all of those families once in Rapides Parish.

So now, the question is answered about the first three daughters - their parents were William W. O'Neal and first wife Nancy Roan. The fourth child, Warren William O'Neal was born about 1839/1840 so who was his mother? It is possible that it was Nancy Roan and she came to Louisiana with the group from Alabama and died after arriving. There is also a possibility that Nancy died in childbirth with third daughter Sarah Jane in 1836. Since there is a three year gap between birth of Sarah Jane and Warren William, it is more likely that the first Margaret (Unknown) is the mother of Warren William and the next three children. It is interesting to note that not one of the first three daughters named a child Margaret; they did, however, have daughters named Nancy and Sarah. 

Coming soon - a complete update on William Warren O'Neals ancestors as well as more on the Roan and Chaffin lines.