O’BRIEN, William Shoney. b. Abbeyleix, Ireland 1825; emigrated to New York, admitted a citizen 1845; worked in the mines in California 1849; with J. C. Flood kept the Auction lunch saloon, San Francisco 1854–66; a ship chandler; with J. C. Flood, J. S. Fair and John Mackey held the silver mine on the Comstock ledge, Nevada, called the big bonanza 1874, from which they gained immense wealth, and became known as the Bonanza Kings, he held one fifth part of the mine. d. San Rafael, California 2 May 1878, left from 15 million to 20 million dollars. Appleton’s American biography iv 551 (1888).
O’BRIEN, William Smith (2 son of sir Edward O’Brien, 4 baronet 1773–1837). b. Dromoland, co. Clare 17 Oct. 1803; educ. at Harrow and Trin. coll. Camb., B.A. 1826; assumed additional name of Smith on death of his maternal grandfather; M.P. Ennis 1828–31; fought a duel with Thomas Steele, O’Connell’s ‘head pacificator’; M.P. Limerick 1835–48; a motion in house of commons declaring him guilty of contempt for refusing to serve on a railway committee of which he had been appointed a member, was carried by 120 votes 28 April 1846, committed to custody of sergeant-at-arms 30 April and discharged 25 May; made his last speech in house of commons 10 April 1848; joined the Repeal Association 20 Oct. 1843 and became the second man in the movement; seceded from O’Connell’s party 27 July 1846; chief founder of the Irish Confederation, which first met 13 Jany. 1847; met Mitchel at the confederate soirée at Limerick 29 April 1848, which meeting is burlesqued by Thackeray in his The Battle of Limerick (W. M. Thackeray’s Ballads and Tales 1869, pp. 179–83); tried in court of queen’s bench, Dublin 15 May 1848, for his speech at meeting of the Irish confederation 15 March urging formation of a national guard, but the jury were discharged without returning a verdict 16 May; made an attack on the police at Boulah Common, near Ballingarry 29 July 1848, which failed, arrested at Thurles railway station 5 Aug., tried at Clonmel by a special commission 28 Sept., found guilty of high treason 7 Oct. and sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered 9 Oct., this sentence was commuted to transportation for life and he was sent to Tasmania 29 July 1849, granted a pardon 26 Feb. 1854; resided at Brussels 1854–6; returned to Ireland July 1856; author of Considerations relative to the renewal of the East India company’s charter 1830; Principles of government or meditations in exile, 2 vols. 1856. d. Penrhyn arms, Bangor 18 June 1864. bur. Rathronan churchyard, co. Limerick 24 June, statue by Thomas Farrell, R.H.A. erected close to O’Connell bridge, Dublin 1870. Cusack’s The liberator: his life and times (1872) 573–5; Duffy’s Four years of Irish history (1883) 316–7, 331–3, 511, 561; W. C. Townsend’s Modern state trials i 469–533 (1850); Sullivan’s New Ireland i 163–8 (1877); Clark and Finnelly’s House of Lords cases ii 465–96 (1851); T. C. Anstey’s Case as to the legality of the arrest of W. S. O’Brien 1846; J. G. Hodge’s Report of trial of W. S. O’Brien for high treason 1849; I.L.N. iv 424 (1844) portrait, viii 300 (1846) portrait, xiii 92, 220 (1848) portrait.
O’BRYAN, William (2 son of Mr. Bryant). b. Gunwen, Luxulyan, Cornwall 6 Feb. 1778; converted 5 Nov. 1795; changed his name to O’Bryan; preached in East Cornwall and West Devon; resided for some years at Liskeard; expelled from the Wesleyan Methodist society Nov. 1810; formed a small sect constituted under name of Arminian Bible Christians, otherwise Bryanites, at Lake in Cornwall 1815; the greater part of his adherents seceded in 1829, and founded a separate society under the name of Bible Christians; emigrated to U.S. of America 1831, preached a great deal, but was not able to found a church; author of The rules of society, or a guide to conduct for those who desire to be Arminian Bible Christians, 2 ed. 1812; A collection of hymns for the use of the people called Arminian Bible Christians, Stoke Damerel 1825; Travels in the United States of America 1836. d. Brooklyn, New York 8 Jany. 1868. Thorne’s William O’Bryan (1888); Boase and Courtney’s Bibl. Cornub. (1874) 406.
O’BRYEN, James Joseph (son of Terence O’Bryen of Glancolumbhill, co. Clare). b. 1823; ensign 16 Bengal N.I. 22 Nov. 1843, served in Sutlej campaign 1845–6 and was present in battles of Mudki, Ferozeshah and Sobraon, medal and two clasps; adjutant of the 16 N.I. till his regiment was disbanded in the mutiny 1857; barrack master at Moradabad and at Almorah; second in command of the 16 or Lucknow regt.; joined the staff corps on its formation, major 22 Nov. 1863, second in command of 22 Punjab N.I. 1864, lieut. col. 22 Nov. 1869, served in Lushai expedition 1872, medal and clasp, colonel 1874, present in Jowaki campaign 1877, marched with his regt. into Afghanistan Dec. 1879. d. Safed Sang 22 Jany. 1880. S. H. Shadbolt’s Afghan campaign (1882) 150–1 portrait, plate xii.
O’CALLAGHAN, Edmund Bailey. b. Mallow near Cork 28 Feb. 1797; studied medicine in Paris 1820–2; emigrated to Canada 1823; practised at Quebec 1827–30; assisted in forming the association called The Friends of Ireland, in Quebec; removed to Montreal 1830; edited The Vindicator, the organ of the Canadian patriots 1834, the office of his paper was wrecked by members of the tory Doric club 6 Nov. 1835; member for Yamaska in the assembly of Upper Canada 1835; fought on the side of the revolutionists at battle of St. Denis 23 Nov. 1837, when the rising failed he fled to U.S. of America, a reward was offered for his apprehension as a traitor 29 Nov. 1837; practised as a doctor at Albany; edited The Northern Light, an industrial journal; hon. M.D. univ. of St. Louis 1846, and LL.D. St. John’s college, Fordham, Massachusetts; edited State records, or documentary history of the state of New York, 11 vols. 1849–51; author of The late session of the provincial parliament of Lower Canada, by An old countryman 1836; History of New Netherlands, or New York under the Dutch, 2 vols. 1846–8; Jesuit relations of discoveries in Canada and the northern and western states 1636–72, 1847; A list of editions of the Holy Scriptures printed in America 1861. d. 651 Lexington avenue, New York 29 May 1880. bur. Calvary cemetery 2 June. Magazine of American history July 1880 pp. 77–80.
O’CALLAGHAN, John Cornelius (son of John O’Callaghan, attorney). b. Dublin 1805; educ. at Jesuit coll. at Clongowes Wood; called to Irish bar 1829, but did not practice; wrote for The Comet, Dublin weekly paper 1830–3, then for The Irish monthly magazine, his contributions to these two periodicals were published under title of The Green Book, or gleanings from the writing desk of a literary agitator 1841, 2 ed. 1845; was on the staff of The Nation newspaper 1842, using the signature of Gracchus, wrote The Exterminator’s song in the first number; edited Charles O’Kelly’s Macariæ Excidium, or the destruction of Cyprus 1846, being the secret history of the revolution in Ireland from 1688–91; author of The Irish in the English army and navy 1843; History of the Irish brigade in the service of France, Dublin 1854, vol. 1, another ed. Glasgow 1870. d. Fitzgibbon street, Dublin 24 April 1883. C. G. Duffy’s Young Ireland i, 18, 103 (1884); Irish Monthly xvii 503 (1889), xviii 411–21 (1890); Freeman’s Journal 25 April 1883 and 5 Feb. 1892.
O’CALLAGHAN, William Frederick Ormonde (2 son of 2 viscount Lismore, b. 1815). b. London 14 Nov. 1852; educ. Eton 1868 etc.; M.P. co. Tipperary Feb. 1874 to death. d. 20 April 1877. Times 23 April 1877 p. 6.
OCEANA, stage name of Oceana Renz (dau. of Ethardo the spiral ascensionist). b. at sea and christened Oceana 1858; a slack wire walker, first came out in Italy 1865; first appeared in England at the Canterbury music hall; played at the Cirque d’eté, Paris 1878; acted Leo in Les pirates de la Savane at the Théâtre des nations, Paris; was for some seasons at the Hippodrome, Paris; visited all the capitals of Europe; appeared with W. Holland’s circus at Covent Garden theatre, London Dec. 1884; m. Ernest Renz of the Circus Renz, Berlin, who is dead; last appeared in England at the Trocadero music hall 1883. d. of paralysis at Nice 17 April 1895. Illust. sporting and dramatic news xxii 412, 461 (1885) portrait.
O’CONNELL, Charles (son of Daniel O’Connell of Porthagee, co. Kerry). b. 1805; M.P. co. Kerry 1833–4; resident magistrate in Bantry 1847 to death. d. Ballynabloun, co. Kerry 20 Jany. 1877. Times 23 Jany. 1877 p. 6.
O’CONNELL, Sir James, (1 Baronet) 4 son of Morgan O’Connell of Carhen, co. Kerry 1739–1809). b. Carhen house, co. Kerry 10 Jany. 1786; educ. Cork; created baronet 29 Oct. 1869. d. Lakeview, near Killarney 28 July 1872. I.L.N. lxi 143 (1872).