William Neel

William Neal was born in Ireland around 1776 to unknown parents.  He had a brother named Henry that served in the Revolutionary War, so it is believed that he came to American shortly after birth and lived in Maryland.  That is where he met and married Mary Ann Sheridan.  They married on Nov 2, 1797.  They moved to Belmont County, Ohio in 1806.  They had a total of 13 children.

1.  Sarah Neel

2.  Rachel Neel

3.  John Neel

4.  James Neel

5.  Mary Ann Neel

6.  Jane Neel

7.  Elizabeth Neel

8.  William Neel

9.  Thomas Neel

10.  Lee Neel

11.  Archibald Neel

12.  Asberry Neel

13.  Alexander Neel

William Neal died on April 4, 1842 at around 65 years of age in Birmingham, Guernsey County, Ohio.  He is buried in Birmingham Cemetery, which is now located in the middle of a cow pasture and has since been mostly forgotten.  

Timeline:

• abt 1776 - born at place unknown.  Some sources say Ireland.

• Nov 2, 1797 - married Mary Ann Sheridan in Harford, MD

• 1800 census - shows the couple living in District 3 of Harford, MD with two young girls and one slave

• 1806 - moved to Belmont County, Ohio

• Apr 4, 1842 - died in Guernsey County, Ohio

Notes:

"William Neal was born in Ireland and came to Maryland, where he married and settled. He afterward emigrated to Ohio and settled in Belmont county, then in Harrison, and finally in Guernsey county, where he died in his sixty-sixth year. His companion, Mary A. Sheridan, who was the aunt of Gen. Phillip H. Sheridan and the cousin of Gen. Robert E.Lee, died March 1, 1874, in her ninety-fourth year. Their family consisted of thirteen children:Sarah S., Rachel, John, James, Mary A., William, Jane (wife of Isaac Beal), Elizabeth, Thomas,Lee, Archibald, Asbery S. and Alexander G. Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Beal settled in Guernsey county after marriage there, their children, sixteen in number, were born: Mary A., Nancy A., Perry,Sarah, Archibald, Rachel J., William, Elizabeth, Margaret L., Martha S. Thomas, Elias, Bersheba,Isaac S, George and Lee."  

Source: Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Muskingum County, Ohio: Chicago, 1892: The Goodspeed Publishing Co.Page 388.

All St. James Parish Register, Maryland, 1787-1815 results forWilliam Neel 

William Neel's Will

In the name of God amen. I William Neel of Guernsey County in the state of Ohio being sick and weak in body, but of sound and disposing mind, memory and understanding considering the certainty of death and the uncertainty of the time thereof, and being desirous to settle my worldly affairs and thereby be the better prepared to leave this world when it shall please God to call me hence. Do therefore make and publish this my last will and testament in manner and form following that is to say. First and principally I commit my soul into the hands of Almighty God and my body to the Earth to be decently interred at the discretion of my Executrix and Executor; hereinafter named and after my debts and funeral charges are paid and Wife's third taken out I devise and bequeath as follows. Secondly at my death I give and bequeath to my beloved wife Maryanne the one-third of the place on which I lived containing one hundred and forty acres called the home place. All of my household goods of every kind. A horse, saddle and bridle, one cow, the mansion house to live during her natural lifetime. The horse and cow be kept by the farm. And at her death to bequeath the household property horse, cow, saddle and bridle as she may think best.

Pecuniary Legacies

I bequeath to my son John Neel one hundred and forty seven dollars to be paid at the death of my wife Maryanne. To my son William Neel one hundred and thirty dollars to be paid at the death of my wife Maryanne. To my son Thomas Neel two hundred dollars to be paid at the death of my wife Maryanne. To my son Lee Neel two hundred dollars and one cow to be paid at the death of my wife Maryanne. To my daughter Sarah Gray fifty dollars to be paid at the death of my wife Maryanne. To my daughter Rachel Wilson fifty dollars to be paid at the death of my wife Maryanne. To my daughter Maryanne McCanlis fifty dollars to be paid at the death of my wife Maryanne. To my daughter Jane Beall fifty dollars to be paid at the death of my wife Maryanne. To my daughter Elizabeth Whitaker fifty dollars to be paid at the death of my wife Maryanne.

Devise of land in fee simple: I give and bequeath unto my three sons Archibald, Asberry, and Alexander G. Neel my plantation whereon I now live known by the name of the home place. Containing by patent one hundred and forty acres more or less to be equally divided between them Archibald, Asberry, & Alexander G. Neel and their lawful heirs and assigns in fee simple. The two-thirds of said farm they are to have at my death and at death of my wife Maryanne they are to have her third. And then the place is to be sold and the legatees paid off and what money is left after the Legates is paid off is to be equally divided between the aforesaid Archibald, Asberry and Alexander G. Neel. Also I give and bequeath all my horses, cows, sheep, hogs, farming interest and grain hay ---___to the aforesaid Archibald, Asberry and Alexander G. Neel to have equal. And at the death of my wife Maryanne these chattels are to be appraised and equally divided between the aforesaid Archibald, Asberry, and Alexander G. Neel but they are not to be sold at public sale, but they are to take them at appraisement and lastly I do hereby constitute and appoint my dear wife Maryanne Neel and James Neel to be sole executors of this my last will and testament revoking and annulling all former will by me heretofore made ratifying and confirming this and no other to be my last will and testament.

In testimony whereof I William Neel have to this my will consisting of three pages of this sheet set my hand and seal this fifteenth day of May in the year of Our Lord one thousand eight-hundred and thirty-nine.

William Neel Seal

Signed sealed published and declared by William Neel the above named testator as ____

for his last will and testament in the presence of us who at this request and in his presence have subscribed our names as witnesses thereto.

J.P. Connards

William Vanhorn

The State of Ohio Guernsey County SS

Court of Common Pleas at April term, 1842.

The within will of William Neel being brought into court J.P. Connard one of the subscribing

witnesses thereto being called came into court and being duly affirmed in open court

deposeth and saith that he saw the testator subscribe said will that witness subscribed said will as a witness in presence of the testator that the said testator when he subscribed said will was of sound mind and memory of full age and not under any restraint.

At the same time and place came William Vanhorn the other subscribing witness to said will and being duly sworn in open court deposeth and saith that he saw the testator subscribe said will, that witness subscribed said will as a witness in presence of the said testator that the said testator when he subscribed said will was of sound mind memory of full age and not under any restraint.

I hereby certify that the above testimony was taken in open court on the eighteenth day of April 1842 and that said will was approved by the court and ordered to be recorded with the testimony taken to prove the same.

Attest Moses Sarchet, Clerk of said Court

Historical Notes about William Neill

Per another research named Jane N. Bretschneider, 1470 Saddle Woode Dr. Ft. Myers, FL 33919,: "William Neel was born April 9, 1776 or 1777 in Antrim County, Ireland (per census records). He came to the U.S. (Maryland) in the 1780's with two brothers. One brother, Henry, served as a Captain in the Maryland Revolutionary Line. The other brother's name is unknown. Henry's widow, Eleanor, was to be paid during her lifetime the half-pay of a Captain in 1836 (Index of Revolutionary War Pensions, MD). This would indicate that William was brought to Maryland soon after his birth, but so far an exact date of arrival in the U.S. has not been found. It is noted that he was an overseer of a plantation in Maryland. He told of being forced to whip a slave girl and vowed never to do that again. The plantation must have been near Bel Air, Harford County, MD, as he met, courted and married Mary Ann Sheridan there. William might have been brought to the U.S. by his father & his father's brothers; the father might have been the overseer too(?)."

Jane also notes: He was married to Mary Ann Sheridan (Sheridine) in St. James and St. John & St. George Episcopal churches (One in Baltimore; the other in Harford County, MD), recorded the same day. It is thought he was the one who changed the spelling from "Neill" to "Neel". He and his young family moved to Ohio in 1806 (1st to Belmont Co., near St. Clairsville, then to Harrison County, then to to Guernsey County, Monroe Township)."

In a book called "History of Muskingum County" , there is an article on Isaac Beal. "He was married in Guernsey County, Ohio, October 14, 1830 to Miss Jane Neal, who was born June 12, 1812, and who was the daughter of William and Mary A. (Sheridan) Neal. William Neal was born in Ireland, and came to Maryland, where he married and settled. He afterward emigrated to Ohio and settled in Belmont County, then in Harrison and finally in Guernsey County, where he died in his sixty-sixth year. His companion, Mary A. Sheridan, who was the Aunt of General Phillip H. Sheridan and the cousin of General Robert E. Lee, died March 1, 1874, in her ninety-fourth year. Their family consisted of thirteen children: Sarah S., Rachel, John, James, Mary A. William, Jane (wife of Isaac Beal), Elizabeth, Thomas, Lee, Archibald, Asberry S. and Alexander G."

Note: There is a John Neill that appears in the 1783 Harford County, MD Tax List:

John Neill. Chance, 30 acres. HA Deer Creek Upper Hundred, p. 102. MSA S 1161-6-6    1/4/5/49

John Neill. Hawkins Valley, 43 acres. HA Deer Creek Upper Hundred, p. 102. MSA S 1161-6-6    1/4/5/49

John Neill. Speirs Adventure, 87 acres. HA Deer Creek Upper Hundred, p. 102. MSA S 1161-6-6    1/4/5/49

I do now live in a home that was built by the slaves of Ignatius Wheeler, whose wife was Henrietta Marie Neal, and whose brother was Priest Neal.  It would be interesting to see if there is a connection (however, I am doubtful as the Neals were strong Catholics and William Neel was not).

I have been to the Cemetery where the Neel family is buried (near Birmingham, Guernsey Co. OH). It is in a cow pasture, but maintained with a fence around it. I will try to locate the photos that I took of the gravestones.  In the cemetery, all the gravestones have the Neel spelling.

Marriage: