O’Neil, John Teskey (John)
Captain
17th Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles
Died of disease on Tuesday 10 October 1916 (aged 54)
Buried:
Belfast (Dundonald) Cemetery, Co. Down (Grave F3. 762)
Commemorated:
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
BIOGRAPHY
In the CWGC Debt of Honour website it is recorded that Captain John Teskey O’Neil was the husband of Mary Anne O’Neil of Balladee, The Pier, Cultra, Co Down.
John Teskey O’Neil was born on 17 April 1862 at Rathbane in County Limerick, and he was a son of Arthur and Catherine Anne O’Neil (nee Teskey).
Arthur O’Neil and Catherine Anne Teskey were married on 7 December 1858 in Rathkeale Parish Church of Ireland Church, Co Limerick. Arthur O’Neil, a farmer, was a son of Arthur O’Neil, a farmer. Catherine Anne Teskey (aged 20) was a daughter of Gareth Teskey, a farmer. They had at least nine children:
Mary Anne (born 22 September 1859 in Co Limerick)
John Teskey (born 17 April 1862 in Co Limerick)
Henry Charles (baptised 26 March 1864 in Co Limerick)
Gareth William (born 6 October 1865 in Co Limerick)
Arthur Charles (George, born 25 April 1868 in Co Limerick)
Francis Richard (born 1 March 1870 in Co Limerick)
Arabella Susan (Isabella, born 6 February 1872 in Co Limerick)
Samuel Hugh (born 27 October 1873 in Co Limerick)
Joseph Edmund (born 25 November 1875 in Co Limerick)
Their mother, Catherine Anne O’Neil (nee Teskey), died of apoplexy on 28 October 1876 (aged 38), and their father remarried. Arthur O’Neil and Dora Pyper were married on 24 February 1881 in Adare Parish Church of Ireland Church, Co Limerick. Dora Pyper was a daughter of James Pyper, a farmer. They had at least 3 children:
James (born around 1882 in Co Limerick)
Jane (born around 1884 in Co Limerick)
Alexander (born 3 October 1886 at Rathbane, Co Limerick)
Their mother, Dora O’Neil (nee Pyper) died of broncho-pneumonia on 11 January 1911 (aged 67) at Rathbane, Co Limerick. Her son Alexander was with her when she died. their father, Arthur O’Neil, died of broncho-pneumonia on 31 May 1911 (aged 64) at Rathbane, Co Limerick. His son Alexander was with him when he died.
After working as a draper, John Teskey O’Neil was a career soldier who served in India. John Teskey O’Neil (a soldier aged 28) and Mary Jane Manley (a school mistress aged 24) were married on 6 January 1890 in All Saints Anglican Church, Trimulgherry, Madras, India. Mary Jane Manley was a daughter of William Manley.
John and Mary O’Neil (nee Manley) had two daughters:
Ada Mary (born 20 February 1891 at Secunderabad, India)
Evelyn Teskey (born 2 January 1893 at Secunderabad, India)
Mary Jane O’Neil worked as an Army School mistress with the Royal Inniskillings in India and died of cholera on 8 October 1895.
Mary Anne O’Neil (nee Legear, sometimes Le Gear), John’s second wife, whom he married on 9 December 1896 in Borrisokane Methodist Church, Co Tipperary, was also born in County Limerick (born 25 February 1877 to Henry and Rebecca Le Gear). John Teskey O’Neil, a widowed soldier from Kinsale was a son of Arthur O’Neil, a farmer. Mary Anne Le Gear was a minor and a shop assistant and she was a daughter of Henry Le Gear, a farmer.
John Teskey O’Neil and Mary Anne Teskey (nee Le Gear) had at least eight children:
Arthur Henry (born 27 June 1898 in Gortmore, Omagh, County Tyrone; served during the Great War)
Rubey Victoria Maud (born 7 December 1899 in Gortmore, Omagh, County Tyrone; died of convulsions 15 December 1899)
Hilda Victoria Alice (born 23 August 1901 at The Brooke, Enniskillen, County Fermanagh)
George Francis John Eric (born 28 May 1903 in Gortmore, Omagh, County Tyrone)
Irene Susan May (born 22 November 1904 in Mullaghmore, Omagh, County Tyrone)
Ruby Kathleen (Rubie Kate, born 6 August 1907 at 12 Cappy Street, Belfast)
James Edward (born 15 April 1909 at 12 Cappy Street, Belfast; died 21 January 1914 in Purdysburn Hospital, aged 4)
Jack Alexander Cecil (born25 November 1915 at 129 My Lady’s Road, Holywood)
John Teskey O’Neil joined the Army in 1881 and served for thirteen years in India. He served with the Cheshire Regiment and the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (No. 2828). During that time, he fought in the Third Burmese War and returned home in 1896. He was awarded the Indian Frontier Medal and Clasp (Upper Burma 1887-1889).
The O’Neil family lived in the townland of Gortmore, Omagh, Co Tyrone and at The Brooke, Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh.
The O’Neil family moved to Belfast where they lived at 12 Cappy Street and 129 My Lady’s Road. In civilian life John Teskey O’Neil worked as an electrician.
In 1914 John Teskey O’Neil re-joined the colours and was gazetted Lieutenant in the 8th Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles. Then he was appointed Brigade Signalling Officer to 107th Belfast Brigade and promoted Captain into the 17th Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles in 1915. In total he served in the ranks from 1 March 1881 to 30 April 1906, and as an officer from 7 September 1914 to 10 October 1916.
John Teskey O’Neil was a Captain in the 17th (Reserve) Battalion Royal Irish Rifles and was stationed at Ballykinlar when he died of laryngitis and cancer on 10 October 1916 in the Royal Victoria Hospital Belfast. He was buried in Belfast (Dundonald) Cemetery.
John’s wife Mary Anne lived at Balladee, The Pier, Cultra and she died on 1 November 1951 (aged 74).
There is protracted correspondence on Army files concerning his widow’s application for enhanced pension to cover medical, education, and other expenses. There is also a claim from his two daughters by his first wife for share of all gratuities payable.