Hi Leo The historians who wrote the biography of Edw O'Neal could have easily gotten the information wrong. I see three "authorities" to the bio on the website. Like people in genealogy......one could have written inaccurate information and others just duplicated the inaccuracy. But basically it "appears" the State of Ala has Edw's birth date wrong and the relationship may be father and son. My recommendation would be to follow the "evidence" which is the court records, ie" Wills,census etc and build your own case. Pulling the census will sometimes give you a month and year. I've gained that info for at least two ancestors in Columbia Co and other times the census only gives me an estimated year. But you seem to be working with a big 4 or 5 year discrepancy with your information so the census (as many as you can pull) should narrow things down considerably. You might even want to present this discrepancy to Debbie Pendleton who oversees the Ala website. If they (State of Alabama) have it wrong, they would hopefully want to set the record straight. Good luck! Stephanie Harrison Leo Leonard wrote: > > Columbia Co., GA Researchers: > > I hope that someone can help me determine what relationship existed between > Edward O'Neal whose will is recorded in Columbia Co., GA Will Book H, p. 389 > and Edward Asbury O'Neal who was governor of Alabama 1882-1886. Were they > father and son, grandfather and grandson or were they related in some other > way? > > Consider the following abstract of the older Edward's will: > > LWT of Edward O'NEAL > Columbia Co., GA Will Book H, p. 389 > Signed 26 Nov 1816; Recorded 8 Jul 1817 > > Wife: Rebecca > > Children by Rebecca: > > July > Polly > Basil > Edward > > Children by Other Wife (Or Wives) > > Jane [m Thomas J. LUKE 4 Jan 1794 in Columbia Co., GA.] > Samuel O'NEAL > Keziah [m Thomas STANFORD 4 Mar 1799 in Columbia Co., GA.] > Fanny (Frances) m Samuel GERMANY > Elizabeth EUBANKS > Nancy WINFREY > Susannah O'NEAL > Peggy O'NEAL > > Grandson: Washington GERMANY (Son of Fanny and Samuel GERMANY) > > Executors: Rebecca O'Neal, Solomon Marshall, Harvey Wheat > > Presumably, the Edward O'Neal whose LWT is recorded in Columbia Co., GA Will > Book H, p. 389 died sometime between 26 Nov 1816 when he signed his will and > 8 Jul 1817 when the will was recorded. > > According to a biographical sketch found at the website of the Alabama > Department of Archives & History > http://www.archives.state.al.us/govs_list/g_oneale.html > > "Edward Asbury O'Neal was born September 20, 1818, in Madison County and > died November 20, 1890 in Florence, Lauderdale, County. He was the son of > Edward and Rebecca Wheat O'Neal, the former a native of Ireland. When Edward > was four years of age, his father died and his mother took over the family > affairs and the education of her sons." > > If this sketch is accurate, then, the father of Edward Asbury O'Neal would > have died between September 20, 1822 and September 20, 1823. The Edward who > was testator in the will died in 1817, a little more than five years before > the date given here for the birth of Edward Asbury O'Neal . Moreover, > according to the sketch it appears that the father of Edward Asbury O'Neal > would have died in AL; not in Columbia Co., GA assuming that he was not > separated from his wife and younger children at the time of his death. > > There is, however, another published biographical sketch which places the > death of the father of Edward Asbury O'Neal at three months after Edward A.' > s birth rather than four years [Memorial Record of Alabama. Vol. II. Brant & > Fuller. pp. 362-364] > > There is, then, some confusion in published sources concerning the date of > death of Edward Asbury O'Neal's father. > > According to the _Memorial_Record_of_Alabama_ already cited, Edward O'Neal > and Rebecca Wheat O'Neal had two sons Edward Asbury O'Neal and Basil Wheat > O'Neal who was a planter in Texas for many years and died there in 1881. > Notice that in the Columbia Co., GA will the testator, Edward, and his wife, > Rebecca, have two sons, Edward and Basil. > > One of the executors of the will was Harvey Wheat who was probably the > brother of Rebecca Wheat by that name. > > It is probably important to keep in mind that Edward O'Neal married Rebecca > Wheat 15 Feb 1806 in Columbia Co., GA. > > If anyone knows what the relationship was between the two Edward O'Neals > discussed above or can figure the relationship out from the evidence > presented here, I hope you will let me know. Also if you have any > documentary evidence which would have a bearing on this puzzle, I hope you > will tell me of it. > > Good hunting, > Leo Leonard > > ==== GACOLUMB Mailing List ==== > Columbia County Mailing List web page: > http://www.rootsweb.com/~gacolumb/index.htm