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Going from my great great great grandmothers marriage certificate(1867), her father is listed as Corporal John O'Neil 66th Foot, deceased. That's all I know about him so far other than that my ggg grandmother, Margaret O'Neil, was born in Ireland in 1833 and her mother was Margaret Shaw?(looks like).
Any suggestions? I've had no joy finding any birth records for Margaret O'Neil, or marriage records for John and Margaret Shaw, but you're a lot better at this on here than I am. Thank you.

From the marriage certificate of 1867. On 12th March 1867in Calton, Margaret Kennedy age 28, a shirtmaker of Calton, Glasgow, marries a John Appleford of the 59th Foot regiment. Her father is given as John O'Neil, corporal 66th Foot, Deceased, and her mother as Margaret O'Neil nee Shaw.
From other research I know that Margaret was born somewhere between 1933 and 1839 in Ireland, somewhere. She was originally married to another soldier called John Kennedy and had two children(one born in Stirling) that I know of with him. She went on to have another family with John Appleford, living in Woolwich by the 1881 census. This marriage certificate is the first I know of John O'Neil, that he was a soldier in the 66th Foot and that he was dead by 1867.

I've not been able to locate military records for a John O'Neil in the 66th foot, nor any details of Margaret's birth in Ireland using findmypast.ie.
From what I gather O'Neil is a Northern Irish name but he could just as likely been from England and stationed in Ireland at the time of Margaret's birth. I think the mother is living with Margaret as a boarder in the 1881 census Woolwich and in Glasgow for the 1861 census. On one of those she(the mother) gives her birthplace as Yorkshire. Margaret always seems to put Ireland for her birthplace, although her age varies :-)

One other thing, the marriage took place according to the something of the Reformed Presbyterian church. I'm not sure of the religion of the Kennedy's. My ancestor, her son John married in a catholic church in 1884 and I have a record of his sister being baptised catholic in Newcastle in her late 20s(in fact that is the only record I have for the sister).

I'll delete the other info as its not correct

This looks like Margaret?


1851 Scotland Census
about Margaret Kennedy
Name: Margaret Kennedy
Age: 14
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1837
Relationship: Servant
Gender: Female
Where born: Ireland
Parish Number: 622
Civil parish: Calton
County: Lanarkshire
Address: George Street Wilson's Factory
Occupation: House Servant
ED: 41
Page: 9 (click to see others on page)
Household schedule number: 35
Line: 6
Roll: CSSCT1851_146
Household Members: Name Age
Alexr Mcarthur 38
Helen Mcarthur 29
Alexr Mcarthur 6
Mary Mcarthur 4
John Mcarthur 2
Margaret Mcarthur 3 MO
Margaret Kennedy 14

Margaret and son John Kennedy in 1861. Who was Margaret Smith's father?

1861 Scotland Census
about John Kennedy
Name: John Kennedy
Age: 12
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1849
Relationship: Son
Mother's Name: Margret Kennedy
Gender: Male
Where born: Stirling
Registration Number: 644/4
Registration district: Calton
Civil parish: Glasgow St John
County: Lanarkshire
Address: 352
ED: 47
Household schedule number: 8
Line: 11
Roll: CSSCT1861_102
Household Members: Name Age
Mrs Margret Kennedy 28
John Kennedy 12
Margret Smith 1 6 MO
Mrs Oniel 48

Is Mrs oneil above the same person as Margaret (transcribed as Real) who is lodging with Margaret & John Appleford in 1881?. The age matches so I suspect she´s Margaret´s mother.

John was still alive in 1851.
Wellington court or 4 Cathcart St Greenock.
John O´Neil 38
Margaret 38
Sarah 15
Mary Ann 13
Margaret 6
Alice 4
Catherine 3months.

Big gap between children. Was Margaret his 2nd wife???

Ginny, interesting. If that is her then she has already married by the age of 14 and had a son in 1850 not living with her. Possible but I'm not sure how likely.

Potty, yes that's them and I have no idea about this Margret Smith. I have a copy of the census and it does look like she's a daughter? I've wondered if she's the lady who turns up in Newcastle being baptised in 1887, Elizabeth Theresa Kennedy. I've checked the church docs and her parents are definitely the same Margaret and John Kennedy. Elizabeth doesn't appear on any census I can find as living with Margaret, John and son John? Margaret is listed as a widow in 1861 census.(which ties in withe remarrying in 1867 to John appleford nicely)

Wisechild. Yes, I too think she is the mother, although both the 1861 census and the 1881 describe her as a border. It's on the scottish census 1861 where she gives her birthplace as Yorkshire.
As for the O'Neils on the census in 1851 I'm not so sure as my Margaret had already given birth to John Kennedy junior by 1850.

edit: unless my Margaret wasn't actually called Margaret? (why would they call another child, the six year old, Margaret if the elder one was still alive)

Thanks to you all, giving me more to think about

Wisechild. can you tell what it says about John O'Neils occupation on that census? I think I still have enough credits to look at the original but have no idea how to locate it on the scotland site. How did you pin it down?

Sorry Peter. Don´t have acess other than what´s available on Ancestry.
1841
John 25
Margaret 25
John 7
Sarah 5
Mary 3
James 3 months.

Can´t view the images on Ancestry.
Looks like they married very young as Margaret would only have been around 19 when John was born.
I would suggest looking for a marriage around 1832/3.
Good luck.
Incidentally. my 4xg grandfather was a sergeant in the 40th foot. He was later a Chelsea pensioner. I understand that army pensioners from Ireland were cared for at Kilmainham. rather than Chelsea. Probably no help, but think John died between 1851/61,

Cheers. I've just tried Scotlands people but it didn't come up with any hits for John O'Neil in Greenock, there were four that could be him bu I don't have enough credits to check them all at the mo. It's be really interesting if this does turn out to by my John O'Neil as there are siblings to follow up.
As for marriage around 1832/33 that would tie in with my Margaret's birth which she usually seems to give as around 1833 apart from on her marriage cert in 1867.

Morning Peter.
Might be worth checking out this entry I found on Family Search

John Neel b abt 1811 Ulster
Margaret Brown
Married 1836 Down & Connor Ulster.

Marion

Peter, here is the full 1851 census that wisechild posted:

1851 Scotland Census
about John Oneil
Name: John Oneil
Age: 38
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1813
Relationship: Head
Spouse's Name: Margaret Oneil
Gender: Male
Where born: Ireland
Parish Number: 564
Civil parish: Greenock Middle
Town: Greenock
County: Renfrewshire
Address: Wellington Court Or 4 Cathcart Square
Occupation: Sawyer I
ED: 40
Page: 10 (click to see others on page)
Household schedule number: 43
Line: 12
Roll: CSSCT1851_118
Household Members: Name Age
John Oneil 38
Margaret Oneil 38
Sarah Oneil 15
Maryann Oneil 13
Margaret Oneil 6
Alice Oneil 4
Catherine Oneil 3 MO

Thanks Potty.
It´s really irritating not being able to view the image, although I understand that Scotland´s People charges to view.
Marion

Thank you all. I hope I can identify this John O'Neil as mine. Still have concerns about there being a 6 year old Margaret on there. Any thoughts on that?My Margaret would be about 18 by 1851 and already a mother herself. Perhaps the six year old was known as Margaret but not called Margaret. Seems likely the first daughter would have taken the mothers name.
Next I shall have to go to the local historical society and take advantage of the fee searching to try and locate his military records. He's not coming up in the 66th Foot but he may well have changed regiments as my Great grandfather John Kennedy did, starting off in the 59th Foot and switching to the 5th Foot whilst in India.