Hi all, just thought I'd pop my two-pennies worth into this fascinating thread. I am married to the irascible Benjamin O'Neill's great-grandson. My m-in-law was Benjamin's grand-daughter and her father, Alfred Ernest, was one of Benjamin's sons.
I have a ton of information which I am currently entering into Ancestry - the tree is public so if anyone wants to have a look, they are most welcome. It is not complete by any stretch of the imagination - I only started bringing it together as a winter project for my husband and I have to say, Benjamin has kept me thoroughly entertained.
I have a copy of Benjamin's death certificate, which unfortunately does not state the number of children he produced - living or dead. And Elizabeth's death certificate suggests she had 13 children when by my reckoning, she had 14.
The death certificate also states that Benjamin's mother's maiden name was Leeston, not Leeson as detailed in some doc's I have. And his marriage certificate with Elizabeth suggests the maiden name is Lesetoon!! Easy to see how information can be degraded over time.
As I say, a lot more investigating to do.
Please let me know if you'd like access to the tree and I can send appropriate invitations.
And Lu, what an interesting thread. I'm off to match the info you've found out from here against my own. I'm sure you have filled in some blanks for us
Catherine in Wellington (NZ)
