Q. Are Jane, Mary, Joseph, Ezra, Colbert, and Betsey O'Neal siblings?

What we've learned:

Excerpt from the Bennet Letter

“My father’s name was John. He was born in St. Marys County Maryland the 9th day of Oct 1749. His father’s name was John and I think from Ireland. My father came from Maryland to Culpepper County Virginia where he lived and died. He had three brothers Barton, Peter & Joseph. Barton and Peter moved from Maryland to Bedford County Pensylvania. Joseph moved to what was call green brier county in new Virginia. My father had six sisters I have seen two of them but can’t tell any thing about them and from history you may see this same name they were once some of the leading men of Ireland. This is as far as I can give. My Mother’s name was Rachil Wood. Her foreparents was from Wales, England. So you may see we are mixed up of Irish and Welch. My Mother was born in St Marys County Maryland the 14th day of February 1752 and married to my Father 16th day of February 1781. My Mother died when I was a boy my father died before I was grown, my father married the second time. Had three sons & three daughters they all moved to the Ohio state.”

From John Vogt, et al, Culpeper County, Virginia Marriages, 1780-1853 Iberian Publishing Company, Athens GA

John O’Neale married Judith Suttle (Settle) on 8 Apr 1794 in Culpeper County, Virginia.

Proposed list of the sons & daughters of Joseph O'Neale and Judith Settle(Suttle) born in Virginia and living in Ohio

Name	Date of Birth	Location of Birth	Living in Ohio
Jane O’Neal	Abt. 1795	Culpeper County, Virginia	Bourneville, Ross County
Mary O’Neal	Bet 1794-1804	Unknown	Belpre, Washington County
Joseph O’Neal	14 Sep 1800	Virginia	Belpre, Washington County
Ezra O’Neal	6 Aug 1802	Culpeper County, Virginia	Newport, Washington County
Colbert O’Neal	15 Jan 1805	Culpeper County, Virginia	Belpre, Washington County
Betsey O’Neal	4 Oct 1808	Virginia	Belpre, Washington County

From the 1810 Federal Census for Culpeper County, Virginia, Roll M252_68, page 63, for Judah O'Neal

Age	Male	Female
Under 10	2¹	1³
10-16	1²	2⁴
16-26	0	0
26-45	0	0⁵
45 and over	0	0

Notes:

Possibly Ezra (b. 1802) and Colbert (b. 1805)
Possibly Joseph (b. abt. 1800)
Possibly Betsy (b. 1808)
Possibly Jane (b. 1795) and Mary (b. bet 1794-1804)
Judah was born Mar 1776 and would have been approx. 35 in 1810. Even though she was named as the head of household, the enumerator didn’t make a mark for her.

Excerpt from The History of Washington County, Ohio, 1788-1881, page 503

“Joseph O’Neal, Sr., emigrated from old Virginia in 1812, and settled a short distance north of the present village of Belpre. He was born in 1770, and died in Belpre in 1807. His two sons Joseph and Colbert, continued to live on the home place. The latter, who is still living, was born in Virginia in 1805.

Note from The Settle-Suttle Family book by William Emmett Reese

Known as Joseph in a History of Washington County, Ohio, by Williams Bros. Possibly his name was John Joseph and he was known as Joseph, although his marriage license in Culpeper County, Virginia, was issued in the name, John O’Neale.

Margin notes from the book The History of Belpre by C.E. Dickinson, owned by Kristin Bush, a descendent of Betsey O'Neal Stone. The margin notations were made by Eunice Horton, the granddaughter of Betsey O'Neal

The index of the book lists both Joseph and Colbert. The notation says “Mother’s uncles.” Eunice Horton’s mother was Susan Esther Stone. Susan Esther Stone’s mother was Betsey O’Neal. Therefore, Betsey, Joseph, and Colbert were siblings according to the notation.

Excerpts from The Settle-Suttle Family by William Emmett Reese:

Judy Settle, daughter of Isaac and Jane Settle, was born in Culpeper County, Virginia, March 1770; she died in Washington County, Ohio, 13 September 1869, and was buried in Belpre Cemetery.

She was married, first, by the Reverend John Swindler in Culpeper County, Virginia, 8 Apr 1794 to John O’Neale.

Her second marriage was in Washington County, Ohio, circa 1812, to James Russell.

Issue by first marriage (All born in Culpeper County, Virginia):
Jane, b. 1795.
Joseph, b. 14 September 1800.
Colbert, b. 1805

Excerpt from The Dana Family in America by Elizebeth Ellery Dana:

STEPHEN 5 DANA (William,4 William,3 Benjamin,2 Richard 1), 
           born Worcester; baptized there, at First Church, Nov. 7, 
           1779; died June 6, 1834; married Apr. 14, 1807, BETSEY 
           MARIETTA FOSTER (sister of his brother William's wife), 
           born Providence, R. I., June 7, 1788, died Apr. 9, 1870, 
           daughter of Hon. Peregrine and Polly (Parkman) Foster. 
           He was a farmer and large landowner. Res. Belpr‚ and 
           Newport, Ohio. 

           Children, born in Newport: 

           i. SERAPH DWIGHT,6 b. July 29, 1808; d. Sept. 13, 1869; m. 
              Nov. 1, 1832, Colbert O'Neal of Belpr‚, b. Culpepper, Va., 
              Jan. 15, 1805, son of John and Judith (Suttle) O'Neal.

According to the book Marriage Records of Ross County, Ohio, 1798-1849:

Judah O’Neal married James Russell on 9 Aug 1814.

According to the 1850 Federal Census for Belpre, Washington County, Ohio, Roll M432_738, pages 548 & 549, for Colbert O’Neal

SCHEDULE I. – Free inhabitants in District No.157 Belpre Township in the County of Washington State Ohio enumerated by me, on the 19th day of July 1850. Benj. F. Stone Asst. Marshall
Dwelling	Family	Name	Age	Sex	Color	Occuation	Value of Real Estate	Born
65	67	Colbert O’Neal	45	M	W	Farmer	1,500	Virginia
–	–	Sarah O’Neal	41	F	W	–	–	Ohio
–	–	Foster O’Neal	16	M	W	Farmer	–	Ohio
–	–	Amanda O’Neal	14	F	W	–	–	Ohio
–	–	Edwin R. O’Neal	10	M	W	–	–	Ohio
–	–	Juda Russel	74	F	W	–	–	Virginia

So let’s recap what we have:

The Bennet O’Neale letter saying his father moved to Culpeper County, Virginia, got married a second time, and fathered six children, three boys and three girls, that ended up moving to Ohio.
A marriage record from Culpeper County, Virginia, showing John O’Neale married Judith Suttle.
A list of six children, three boys and three girls, born in Virginia (Mary unknown) and living in Ohio
Census data showing a widowed Judah O’Neal living in Culpeper County, Virginia, with six children, three boys and three girls, who’s ages match those of Jane, Mary, Joseph, Ezra, Colbert, and Betsey
An excerpt from the book History of Washinton County showing Joseph and Colbert are brothers and the sons of Joseph O’Neale
An excert from the book The Settle-Suttle Family suggesting John O’Neale was John Joseph O’Neale
Margin notes in the The History of Belpre book stating that Joseph, Colbert, and Betsey were siblings.
Excerpts from the book The Settle-Suttle Family indicating Jane, Joseph, and Colbert are siblings
An excerpt from the book The Dana Family in America claiming the parents of Colbert to be John O’Neal and Judah Suttle, and, therefore must be the parents of Jane, Joseph, and Betsey.
A marriage record from Ross County, Ohio, showing Juda Setlle O’Neal married to James Russell.
A census record showing Juda Russell living with Colbert O’Neal.

My thoughts:

A preponderance of the evidence seems to indicate that Jane, Joseph, Colbert, and Betsey were siblings.
We have nothing so far connecting Mary and Ezra (see obits for Ezra & Colbert O’Neal in Siblings Part 2) to the other four siblings. Although I know Ezra knew and socialized with them.
We’re not absolutely certain that Jane and Mary aren’t the same person. What little evidence we have seems to suggest they were indeed different individuals.
It’s important to identify the six children, three boys and three girls, that are the issue of John O’Neale and Judith Settle (Suttle) because that will identify the John O’Neale we are looking for. We have a pretty strong connection to Judith Settle. We know she was married to John O’Neale, but in my mind we haven’t really proved which of several John O’Neale’s living during that time frame we’re talking about. Once the six children are indentified and connected to Judith, then the Bennet O’Neale letter identifies him as the John O’Neale born 1749 in St. Mary’s County, Maryland.