The O’Neal Family

Family history · Photographs · Personal archives

A family history, kept alive

This collection traces one branch of the O’Neal family from nineteenth-century India to England and later generations. Explore the people behind the names through original family accounts, historical documents, photographs, writing and artwork.

Some early connections remain uncertain. Wherever possible, the site distinguishes documented history from family tradition and recollection.

Four O’Neal family members seated together outdoors in a historic photograph.

The family story

Meet the people and follow their lives across countries and generations.

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Family tree

Understand how the generations connect, and find a relative to explore.

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A page of handwritten family correspondence preserved in the O’Neal archive.

Family archive

Read the original words and explore letters, photographs and records behind the history.

Browse the archive →

A landscape watercolour from Lionel “Pat” O’Neal’s artwork collection.

Writings & artwork

Discover Bob’s written pieces and the creative work of Lionel ‘Pat’ O’Neal.

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Explore the artwork →

A large group of family members posed for a historic photograph.

From nineteenth-century India to a family in England

The surviving records trace James William O’Neal and his descendants in India. His son James Robert — known as Bob — later settled in England, where another chapter of the family’s history began.

This is the starting point for an interwoven collection of family lives, relationships, discoveries and unanswered questions.

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Stories worth exploring

A historic portrait from the O’Neal family photograph collection.

Bob O’Neal and his family

Lives recorded through family photographs, correspondence and writings.

Explore the biographies →

Peter O’Neal pictured in military uniform.

Peter’s wartime story

Military service, captivity in the Far East, and the surviving records of those years.

Read Peter’s story →

A landscape painting from Lionel “Pat” O’Neal’s artwork collection.

The art of Lionel ‘Pat’ O’Neal

Landscapes, portraits and sketches preserved within the family collection.

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Family history is never entirely finished.

Have a photograph, memory, correction or family connection to share?

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Visit Alan’s creative collection →