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Remembered Today:

Same address, same father but not brothers?


Pat Twomey

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John James O’Neill (39598) of the 66th Training Reserve Battalion born on 20/05/1890 enrolled 21/07/1917. His next of kin is given as Michael O’Neill of 19, Redmond Place, Liverpool. Less than 4 months after enlisting JJ O’Neill was discharged deemed ‘no longer fit for service’.

The above seems to be a different person than the James O’Neill from 19, Redmond Place, Liverpool born on 21/05/1892 (Wexford) – father Michael who enlisted in the Royal Dublin Fusiliers (9278) and sent overseas on 29/08/1914. He also served with the Royal Irish Regiment (18401 and 12200) and the Royal Fusiliers (GS/129127) and was KIA 10/08/1919 in Russia.

Strange, same address, seemingly same father, 2yrs in age difference, but not brothers. Who is the first James?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Pat

Neill, James MIC 2.jpg

1911 Census Liverpool 19 Redmond Place Liverpool.jpg

JJONeill pension 1.jpg

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The docs for JJ give a Dob of 30/5/1890

There is a James O'Neill living at that address 1918 through 1925. Michael Joseph is showing as NM (serving) in 1918 and is resident at Redmond Place in succeeding years. Electora; Registers. This may suggest that this James is John James. 

MJ has surviving service records - 5384 East Lancs - address on enlistment is 19 Redmond Pl. Later 242534. 1898 Dob and Michael as father.

Edited by Mark1959
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This appears to be the same family in the 1901 census in Wexford

james2.jpg.62d8c99a2743bdd6305e7009b7c90f5a.jpg

and this is the birth of James

james.jpg.e37352d39b0b0f9152218f020986a164.jpg

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52 minutes ago, Mark1959 said:

Can you provide the evidence that the man who died in Russia lived at Redmond Place please

Soldier's effects below lists his sister Bridget. The 1911 Census above lists Bridget and James as the family from Wexford that emigrated to Liverpool and are then living in 19, Redmond Place.

 

image.png.02167eeaf1c9008db5611205e5fbfe98.png

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1 hour ago, Mark1959 said:

The docs for JJ give a Dob of 30/5/1890

There is a James O'Neill living at that address 1918 through 1925. Michael Joseph is showing as NM (serving) in 1918 and is resident at Redmond Place in succeeding years. Electora; Registers. This may suggest that this James is John James. 

MJ has surviving service records - 5384 East Lancs - address on enlistment is 19 Redmond Pl. Later 242534. 1898 Dob and Michael as father.

Thanks for that information Mark - I didn't know that MJ served with the East Lancs. Another avenue to pursue!

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"This implies JJ and James are brothers. However..."

N

30 minutes ago, corisande said:

This appears to be the same family in the 1901 census in Wexford

james2.jpg.62d8c99a2743bdd6305e7009b7c90f5a.jpg

and this is the birth of James

james.jpg.e37352d39b0b0f9152218f020986a164.jpg

Yes, Corisande that is the family - may have moved to Liverpool around 1905 as "From 2 July 1905, Overhead Railway trains began running through to Seaforth & Litherland" and employment prospects and a better standard of living may have been available.

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I am afraid you have quite a bit of work to try to determine who he/they are

1. For example there is a J J  Enniscorthy in 1901 census, but I have no idea if he is related

james3.jpg.f92ee889d75d90cca7cb5afcc03c9c2f.jpg

 

2. James Parents say they married around 1890 (from years married in 1911 census), but I cannot find a marriage. This may be the key, as you could perhaps then see what the relationships were

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1 hour ago, Pat Twomey said:

Soldier's effects below lists his sister Bridget. The 1911 Census above lists Bridget and James as the family from Wexford that emigrated to Liverpool and are then living in 19, Redmond Place.

 

image.png.02167eeaf1c9008db5611205e5fbfe98.png

Something I have not thought of is that maybe this James O'Neill with a sister Bridget is not the James from Liverpool!

If so then I do have a lot of work to do.

 

 

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Well the Marriage cert shows they married 19 Jul 1891

And you have "two" births

John James born 20 May 1890

James born 21 May 1892

and you have the 1 Birth Cert so far found for James born 21 May 1892

james.jpg.e37352d39b0b0f9152218f020986a1

So if there were to have been a John James born in 1890, it would have been out of wedlock. If he is another person, then one assumes that Michael was the father (given that the boy used the name O'Neill

Annie Eliza may or may not have been the mother

I cannot get a John O'Neill born Wexford in 1890, not is there a John Doyle born Wexford then . There are about 40 "John" registered in Wexford in 1890, but if the mother is not Annie Eliz Doyle, we have no idea who it was,

It is probable that if Annie Eliza was not the mother , then John James would have been brought up by the real mother - but too many Johns in Wexford in 1901 census to find him

 

I suppose my feeling is that there were 2 men, and tht sort of scenario is one that could have led to the events that happened

 

I did think you were making quite a large jump on your assumpion on Bridget being the Liverpool girl. The Pension card gives a Carlow adress for her, and you could try that in 1911 Irish census

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Gets complicated as Pensin card seems to have date of death  in Russia incorrect

County House or County Home Carlow may have been the workhouse

neill-death-1918.jpg.7d96961bb5af359907f2bbda8fc674cd.jpg

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Thanks for that Corisande

 Looks like I may have been wrong all along! It says Neill instead of O'Neill but this could be a typo.

Although it gives Bridget's birth as 1895 - which would seem to fit with the Liverpool Bridget.

The county home replaced the 'workhouse' in Ireland in 1922

 

image.png.81e764eee2b272330fe03aba65cb7c93.png

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35 minutes ago, Mark1959 said:

Bridget of 19 Redmond Place became Bridget Daly on 28/12/16, Courtesy Ancestry

 So unlikely to be the same Bridget Neill in Carlow Workhouse in 1919 pension card

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Thanks for that Mark. As you say Corisande very unlikely now that these men are linked. Back to the drawing board I'm afraid.

Would the Royal Dublin Fusiliers number 9278 give us a clue to when he might have enlisted?

 

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Royal Dublin Fusiliers number 9278 give us a clue to when he might have enlisted

I am no expert , but the site where I normally look up numbers indicates about March 1905

 

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J Neill 9278 1st RDF was admitted to 19 Gen Hosp, Alexandria on 9/3/16 with bronchitis. The record indicates he had 11 yrs 9mths service at the time. 9 months in field force. He was sent to the Mustapha Convalescent Hosp 10 days later. Age is given as 28. 

https://search.findmypast.co.uk/record?id=S2%2FGBM%2FMH106%2FMH106-1233%2F0022&parentid=GBM%2FMH106%2FP2%2F342259

Also admitted to 18 Gen Hosp, Camiers on 11/10/1917. I will spare you the details but circumcission was the treatment. Still with 1 RDF.

 

 

Edited by Mark1959
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  • 2 weeks later...

Thomas Downes - 9277 RDF and James O’Neill - 9278 RDF (note the consecutive numbers) both enlisted in Dublin in June 1905. Thomas Downes was living in Haddington Road Dublin according to the 1901 census; also, in the 1901 census less than 3km from Downes’ house I found a James O’Neill (13) who had a sister Bridget (7) living in Merchant’s Quay Dublin.

According to the 19th General Hospital Egypt Admission & Discharge book James O’Neill (9278) was 28 years of age in March 1916 this would make him 13 in 1901 which fits with the above census returns. On his pension card his next of kin is given as ‘sister Bridget’ born 1895 which roughly fits with the above census.

As I am so immersed in this search, I find it difficult to weigh up the odds on the James O’Neil from Merchant’s Quay being the same James of the RDF and possibly a friend of Thomas Downes. Would appreciate any input.

Thanks,

Pat

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It's interesting that Bridget claim a dependant's pension for #9278 James. This wasn't made until Sep 1923, which suggests that she wasn't in need of anything until around that time (so may be when she entered the county house). It also indicates that she had claimed some level of pre-war financial dependence on him.

#39598 James is also interesting in that he was pensioned out but with a low level of disability that was settled by a gratuity pay off.

Craig

 

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