Person:Patrick O'Neill (4)

1895 - Patrick was a coal miner of Murton Colliery at the time of his marriage. He was the brother of Harry O'Neill who married Jane Downing.

1901 - Living at 10 Wreath Quay Road, Monkwearmouth, Durham. Coalminer, hewer below ground.

1913 - Patrick O'Neill was found drowned in the River Wear near Hardcastle's Slip, which is on the South side of the river near its mouth, where Corporation Quay now is, adjacent to Pottery Bank. He was residing at 15 Mount Pleasant, Seaham colliery, Durham. The newspaper report of the time said: "Coroner Burnicle held an inquest at the Seamen's Mission last night on the body of Patrick O'Neil (39), a Seaham Colliery miner, who was found drowned on Sunday morning. Richard Askin, a miner, of 15 Mount Pleasant, Seaham Colliery, said that deceased had lodged with him for the last two months. He was a widower. During the two months he had lodged with witness the latter had not known him to miss a shift or be the worse for drink. He was just a moderate drinker. Deceased left the house on Saturday afternoon about two o'clock, and in answer to witness's enquiry said he was going to Sunderland and would walk to Ryhope and then take the car. Witness, replying to the coroner, said that deceased did not seem to have any trouble, and was an unlikely man to commit suicide. P.C. Elstob of the River Wear Police, said that on Sunday morning about four o'clock he saw the body of deceased floating head downwards in the river. He recovered it and took it to the mortuary. In the pockets he found a metal watch which had stopped at 25 minutes to five, a new copy of a religous book called "Complete Devotion", a rosary with a Crucifix, and two Communion medallions attached, 8 1/2d in copper money, and a birth certificate referring to his youngest daughter. There were no marks of violence on the body and nothing about it seemed to have been disturbed. The Coroner said they could only surmise what had happened, but in all probability deceased had fallen into the river accidentally. The jury returned a verdict of "Found Drowned", and added that there was no evidence to show how deceased had got into the water."