Hi Gang! Learning about my O'Neall line was always, at least since early childhood a part of my life. Although at the time no one in my branch had anything organized, I do remember, as a child, my grandfather (P J O'Neall) bringing out the old papers and telling us about them. These were rare occasions due to the fact grandpa lived some three to four hours from me, and it was during WWII and one used gasoline and tires sparingly. As I got older I was intrigued by the stories and the mystery of the family history. My grandfathers old papers and ledgers were passed on to my father upon my grandfathers death and access was much easier. Dad was very interested in the memorabilia and had he lived longer I am sure he would have started this whole thing himself. Before he died in 1976, he gave me all the papers and memorabilia. Perhaps because he was dying I could see the fleeting aspect of life and I began to ask him questions which I had never had answered about the family. Mostly the had not been answered because I had never asked. My Mother died just 10 weeks following my father and after her death I really dug into all the 'stuff'. Boxes of old ledgers, letters, deeds, personal papers, tax receipts, telegrams, etc., I carefully dug through. There in all that 'stuff' was a nearly whole family history of my branch of the O'Neall's. Ledger entries listing ancestors from my great grandfather back to Hugh O'Neall, born in Ireland. Needless to say I was thrilled. Sure lots of holes in final scheme, but non-the-less a healthy start. I even found a handwritten promissory note on a little slip of brown paper dated 1809. What a find! Then I found the cipher books and the math books of William O'Neall dated 1815 through 1820, this was my great-great-grandfather. They were living in South Carolina, the books even have doodles in them by someone that shows the broad brimmed black hat and other black attire of the Quaker man and the ladies typical dress of the day. Then in the fall of 1996 I got my computer and internet access and found Jill and her list. From the generosity of many on this list and the help of Bert O'Neall, I now have some information all every branch of Hugh's children and their descendants. This list has introduced me, electronically, to cousins 3rd, 4th, and all the way to 7th and all versions of the removed process. What a great day we live in! It is still my hope that someday, before I die, We O'Neall's and all kin will find a time to gather together here in the U.S., What a time we would have, telling lies. It has been fun and someday I will get all my stuff put into one volume, although I am not sure I could carry it. I did give my children a four hundred page genealogy draft of my material, as of one year ago, as a Christmas gift in '97. I really think they have enjoyed it, they keep coming up with questions about some person or event, so I know they are reading it. Well, like all O'Neall's I am rambling on and better "shut the heck up" ! Jim O'Neall [email protected] "Searching the past; Looking to the future"