O’NEILL OR O’NIELL, John (son of a shoemaker). b. Waterford 8 Jany 1777; a shoemaker at Garrick-on-Suir 1800, afterwards in London from 1812; a strong advocate of temperance; author of The clothier’s looking-glass, a poem 1799; Irish melodies; The sorrows of memory, a poem; Alva, a drama 1821; The Drunkard 1840, a poem, new edition with George Cruikshank’s etchings of the effects of the Bottle 1842; The triumph of temperance, or the destruction of the British upas tree 1852, a poem; Handerahan the Irish fairy-man and legends of Carrick 1854; Hugh O’Neill the prince of Ulster, a poem 1859; Mary of Avonmore, or the foundling of the beach, a novel. d. White horse yard, Drury lane, London 3 Feb. 1858. J. O’Neill’s Blessings of Temperance (1851), memoir pp. i–vi, portrait; W. E. Winks’s Lives of illustrious shoemakers (1883) 316–9; D. J. O’Donoghue’s Poets of Ireland, part iii, p. 195 (1893); S. Couling’s History of the temperance movement (1862) 338–9.
O’NEILL, John. b. about 1837; employed in the war office; retired on a pension of £350 in 1879; accountant general in Cyprus, where he had to reduce eleven different currencies to a common denomination; made a special study of Japanese, and compiled a grammar which was adopted by the Mikado; contributed to philological and literary journals in London and Paris; an authority on the Provençal language and literature; author of A first Japanese book for English students 1874; The night of the Gods, an inquiry into cosmic and cosmogonic mythology 1893. d. Selling, near Faversham 12 Jany. 1895.
O’NEILL, John Robert (only son of Robert O’Neill of Talylyn, co. Brecon, who was brother of lady Becher). b. Ireland 1823; matric. from Magdalen hall, Oxf. 5 Dec. 1844; appeared on the stage at Exeter; a reader and lecturer; author of the plays, Don Roderick; The Loose fish; Mrs. Johnson; Ali Baba, or a night with the 40 thieves, extravaganza performed by the marionettes at the St. James’ theatre, London 27 Dec. 1852; An optical delusion, a farce, St. James’ theatre; under the name of Hugo Vamp, esq. he wrote the dramas Aladdin; The Arcadian brothers; Poll Practice; Roscius in spirits; The manager at home; composer (as Hugo Vamp) of Alonzo the brave 1856; Lord Ronald the bold, duke of Putney 1861; Mazeppa, the cream of Tartars 1869; King Leah, a comic scena 1872; Othello, a comic scena 1872. d. 39 Paulton square, Chelsea 12 June 1860. W. Donaldson’s Recollections of an actor (1865) 309–21; The Era 24 June 1860 p. 11.
ONSLOW, Georges (son of Edward Onslow). b. Clermont-Ferrand, Auvergne 27 July 1784; pupil of Hullmandel, Dussek, and J. B. Cramer in England; studied music in Vienna two years; pupil of Reicha in Paris 1808; composed 3 operas, produced at the Théatre Feydeau, Paris, L’Alcalde de la Vega 10 Aug. 1824, Le Colporteur 22 Nov. 1827, and Le Duc de Guise 8 Sept. 1837; one of the first honorary members of the Philharmonic society, London 1832; nine of his symphonies were played at the Conservatoire concerts in Paris 1831, &c.; member of the French Institute Nov. 1842; published at Paris, Vienna and Leipsic 34 quintets, 36 quartets and 6 trios for piano, violin, and violincello 1824–50; printed in London An air for the pianoforte 1828. d. Clermont-Ferrand 3 Oct. 1853. F. Halevy’s Souvenirs et portraits, Paris (1861) 161–86; Georges Onslow, Esquisse par, Auguste Gathy.
ONSLOW, Guildford James Hillier Mainwaring-Ellerker (2 son of succeeding). b. Bulstrode st. London 29 March 1814; educ. Eton; lieut. Scots fusilier guards; M.P. Guildford 1858–74; assumed by R.L. additional names of Mainwaring-Ellerker 19 Aug. 1861; a friend of sir Roger Tichborne from 1847; a firm believer in the Tichborne claimant 1867, to whom he gave continuous support, assisted him with money and was a holder of Tichborne bonds, a believer in Tichborne to his death; the claimant in June 1895 admitted that he was Arthur Orton and not sir Roger Tichborne; author of Tichborne, Reasons why he should have the benefit of the doubt 1874; Two hundred facts proving the claimant to be Roger Tichborne, in De Morgan’s Popular series, No. 2, 1876. d. The Grove, Ropley, Alresford 20 Aug. 1882. bur. Old Alresford churchyard 24 Aug.
ONSLOW, Thomas Cranley (2 son of 2 earl of Onslow 1754–1827). b. 7 Oct. 1778; educ. Harrow; ensign 3 foot guards 29 April 1795, captain 26 Sept. 1805, sold out 1812; colonel 2 Surrey militia to 1852; M.P. Guildford 1806–18. d. Upton house, Alresford 7 July 1861.
ONSLOW, William. Cornet 11 dragoons 12 Dec. 1798, lieut. 26 Feb. 1801; captain 4 dragoons 29 Jany. 1805, major 23 Nov. 1820; major 88 foot 15 Feb. 1827, placed on h.p. 2 July 1829; major 55 foot 7 Feb. 1840, sold out same day; K.H. 1832.
Note.—He is in Burke’s and Dod’s Peerages 1887, but probably died some years before this date.
ONWHYN, Joseph. b. 1787; bookseller 3 Catherine st. Strand, London; published Onwhyn’s Guide to the Highlands of Scotland 1839; Onwhyn’s Welsh tourist 1840, 2 ed. 1853; Onwhyn’s Pocket guide to the Lakes 1841; and The Owl, a Wednesday journal of politics and society. First issue numbered 1001 27 April 1864, last issue 1095 22 July 1868, a satirical journal treating chiefly on political subjects. d. New Hillingdon, Cowley, Uxbridge, Middlesex 27 Nov. 1870.
ONWHYN, Thomas (youngest son of the preceding). b. London 1811; designer and engraver; in Additional illustrations to the Pickwick Papers by Samuel Weller, issued in 8 monthly parts, Lond. E. Grattan 1837, he executed 21 of the 32 plates, some of which bear his initials; and in Illustrations to Nicholas Nickleby by Peter Palette, esq., issued in 9 parts, Lond. E. Grattan 1839, he executed all the 40 plates, this work was reprinted in 1848, another set of illustrations to the same work by Onwhyn appeared in 1893; he illustrated The memoirs of David Dreamy 1839; Charles Selby’s Maxims and specimens of William Muggins 1841; M. J. E. Sue’s The mysteries of Paris 1844; Etiquette illustrated by an X M.P. 1849; he illustrated the following works by Henry Cockton, Valentine Vox, the Ventriloquist 1840; George St. George Julian, the Prince 1842; Sylvester Sound, the Somnambulist 1844; The Love Match 1845; The Steward 1850; The Sisters 1851; Lady Felicia 1851; Percy Effingham 1853; under the name of Peter Palette he wrote Mr. and Mrs. Brown’s Visit to the Exhibition 1851; Peter Palette’s Tales and Pictures, 1856, second series 1856; with J. Onwhyn he produced Costumes of the times of George iii, designed for her majesty’s state ball 1845; his 12 pictures entitled Cupid and crinoline, dated 20 Oct. 1858, were reprinted in The Picture Magazine June 1893, pp. 326–7. d. 9 May’s buildings, Strand, St. Martin in the Fields, London 21 Jany. 1886, his son Thomas Onwhyn present at his death. Jas. Cook’s Bibliography of C. Dickens (1879) 12, 17, 83, 85.