John O’Neill (1894-1983)
Mary Monica McCue (1900-1931)

Jump down to the list of their children

John O’Neill, known as Jack, was the sixth oldest, and oldest surviving son, of 12 children of Patrick Joseph O’Neill & Ann Mary Hough. (His online birth record 27893 has his surname spelt O’Neil, a not uncommon spelling within the family. He was born at Port Macquarie in 1894.)

Mary Monica McCue, known as Mollie, was born in Coffs Harbour on 24 Feb 1900 in Port Macquarie (record 16218), her parents being James Joseph McCue and Clara Ann Rowsell. John and Mollie were married on 10 May 1922 in Coffs Harbour, as reported in The Catholic Press on Thu 18 May 1922:

On Wednesday morning of last week, at the Catholic Church, Coffs Harbour, the Rev. Father Van Riel celebrated the marriage of Miss Mollie McCue, youngest daughter of Mrs. McCue, of Coffs Harbour, to John O’Neill, eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. P. J. O’Neill, of Kempsey. The bride was conducted to the altar by Mr. Jack McCue. Miss Maud O’Neill was bridesmaid, and Mr. F. McGuren best man. The bride wore a dress of Duchess satin and silver tissue, with the usual wreath and veil, and carried a bouquet of white carnations, chrysanthemums, and asparagus fern. The bridesmaid was attired in a dress of grey jersey silk and radium lace, with shoes and stockings to match, and a black satin hat and feather, and carried a bouquet of pink carnations. Mrs. McCue wore a navy costume and black hat, and carried a posy of red carnations. Mrs. O’Neill wore a costume of black cashmere de soie. The bridegroom’s gift to the bride was a xylonite brush and mirror, and the bride’s gift to the bridegroom was a silver-mounted shaving set. The bride groom’s gift to the bridesmaid was a silver mounted photo frame and a bouquet of pink carnations. A sumptuous wedding breakfast and reception was held at Mr. H. S. Byrnes’ refreshment rooms, when the Rev. Father Van Riel presided, and the usual toasts were honoured. After the breakfast the happy couple left for Sydney and the Mountains, where the honeymoon was spent. The bride’s travelling dress was navy costume, with a navy hat and shoes to match.

In the 1930 electoral rolls the couple are listed in Everline St Campsie, John being described as a barman. In 1931 their address was the Station Hotel, Beamish St Campsie. At the time, the license for the hotel was owned by his R. G. Downing, who most probably was his brother in law; Reg Downing though was an “agricultural experimentalist” and unlikely to have been managing the hotel. In fact the license passed to John on 30 Aug 1933 (Dun’s gazette for New South Wales, 18 Sep 1933).

Mollie passed away on 26 Feb 1934 (record 1175), aged just 34. The Macleay Chronicle published an obituary of Mary on Wed 28 Feb 1934:

OBITUARY.
Mrs. John O’Neill

The sad news was received from Sydney, Monday evening, that Mrs. J. O’Neill, wife of Mr. Jack O’Neill, of the Campsie Hotel, had passed away in hospital after a long and painful illness. Two young sons survive to mourn with their father. The late Mrs. O’Neill was a native of the Hastings River. Miss Maud O’Neill went from Kempsey on Saturday to visit her sister-in-law, but did not know then that her condition was so serious.

Various ancestry.com researchers have attached a 1930 death to Jack. However, Jack was definitely alive and living in Sydney in 1947, as he is specifically mentioned as attending his father’s funeral that year. We believe that John passed away on 5 Oct 1983 (record 8673) at Nyngan, NSW. We discuss this below.

Jack O’Neill, seated bottom left in photo. According to a relative, at that time Jack was the manager of the Tatler Hotel in George St, Sydney. Alongside Jack is a friend, Margaret Connor.

Jack & Mollie’s family:

01. Patrick Joseph (b. 18 May 1923, d. 18 Dec 2007)

02. John Darcy Joseph (b. 19 Dec 1924, d. 05 Oct 1989)

Generation 2

01. Patrick Joseph O’Neill enlisted on 15 Jun 1943, giving his trade/profession as a theological student; he later trained as a flight mechanic. He was discharged on 22 Feb 1946, giving his address as the Westminster Hotel, 2 Broadway, Sydney; his service record can be viewed here.

Patrick married Sarah Schuster (b. 27 Jun 1941) and the couple moved to England where they had three children:

01. Sam Edward (b. 08 Oct 1971)

02. Jake Felix (b. 22 Dec 1972)

03. Ben Darcy (b. 10 Apr 1974)

02. John Darcy Joseph O’Neill married Ailsie Cunliffe Lyon in Sydney in 1948 (record 7742). Ailsie was born on 04 Feb 1920 at Ellenborough, NSW. She enlisted into the RAAF at Woolloomooloo (service number 98317); her record is not yet available on line.

According to the 1977 electoral rolls, John Darcy and Ailsie Cunliffe O’Neill were storekeepers, living at 36 Cathundral St, Nyngan. In the same roll but living at 96 Cobar St, Nyngan, were John and Margaret Marion O’Neill. We cannot be absolutely certain that John is John Darcy’s father; however, his death record has the correct name for his father, and his mother Annie Mary (Hough)’s second name. Given that she passed away in 1932 when the two O’Neill lads were 8 and 10 years old, it’s probable that they didn’t know her name exactly when registering Jack’s death.

The Margaret Marion O’Neill mentioned in the electoral rolls can not have been a daughter, as she was 84 or 85 years old when she died in Nyngan on 15 Oct 1986. We have searched for a marriage and could find only this, in 1934:

However, nowhere else is there a second name mentioned for Jack.

If anyone had further information about any of these families please contact mick@oneillfamily.id.au,