William O'Daniel came to Virginia in the early 1700s. O'Daniel was primarily in Clare, Donegal, Tipperary and Galway Counties of Ireland. All of those are in central Ireland with Galway being a seaside county.
From Robert Daniell of Panama City, Florida:
"William O'DANIEL (1691?-ante 1757) of Accotink Run, Stafford County, Virginia, makes his only appearance on the surviving records as grantee from the Proprietors of the Northern Neck." (Fairfax Harrison, Tyler's Quarterly Historical and Genealogical Magazine, Volume I, page 164). In a footnote, Harrison states that William was "probably a recent immigrant." More records have been discovered since that statement was first published in 1920. Hopefully, there is much still to be found...
Before 1718, William married Frances, her maiden name unknown. When each of their children were born is not known. They had six children: John (1718-1799), William (1720?-1796), James (1721-1798), Catherine (1723?-Aft 1792), Elizabeth (1725?-Bef 1755?), and Anne (1727?-Aft 1755). Named in this order in Frances' will of 6 February 1755, it may be the order of birth... Will of Frances O'Daniell Gladdin Catherine married Henry GUNNELL. Elizabeth married William SCUTT. Anne married an Unknown JONES.
William received the following land grants from the Proprietors of the Northern Neck of Virginia: Parcel 81 - O'DANIEL, WILLIAM 300 acres 19 April 1717 NN 5:159 North side main run Accotink...Parcel 103 - O'DANIELL, WILLIAM 400 acres 16 March 1724 NN A:132 South side main branch of Accotink above Elk Lick...William O'DANIEL's original home had to be on the 300 acres granted in 1717, likely near the bank of the Accotink for access to transportation... Whether or not he moved his home and family to the second land grant is not known. The two grants were about 10 miles apart as the crow flies, farther if by boat via the Accotink. "O'DANIEL's Branch" was its eastern boundary. Today, the Old Lee Highway (State Highway 237) bisects the 400 acre grant, and the Army Navy Country Club, 3315 Old Lee Hwy, in Fairfax is on this land...In a personal note, Cindy Owens wrote, "Robert, I don't connect w/ your line but wanted you to know that the land you mentioned in Stafford Co.,VA (now Fairfax County) is either very near or on the golf course property where my husband works. Its beautiful land. Just thought you'd want to know."...
William O'DANIEL's Last Will & Testament was recorded in the infamous "missing Will Book K". Efforts to reconstruct information in that Will Book by using subsequent documents shows that William's Will was written circa 1724/5 and that he likely died by 1728, leaving a widow, Frances, and six children under the age of eleven...William's will was dated 24 January 172(?) as quoted in a 1753 deed...After his death, that part of Stafford County in which William received his land grants became Prince William County in 1731, and then Fairfax County in 1742...The ubiquitous "ante 1757" frequently shown by some compilers as the date of William's death appears to be based on James O'DANIEL's sale of "100 acres left to him by the last will and testament of his father, William O'DANIEL" to Rev. Charles GREEN on August 16, 1757...
Beth Mitchell, in "Beginning at a White Oak...", McGregor and Warner, 1977, published a map of land ownership in 1760 Fairfax County...Her map names the creek as "O'DANIEL's Branch", also shown as "O'DANIEL's Run" on another map. Finding that "O'DANIEL's Branch" is called "Daniel's Run" on current maps is not surprising. In 1760, John O'DANIEL, the last to use the O'DANIEL name in Fairfax, owned 200 acres located on Accotink Creek and O'DANIEL's Branch... John wrote his Last Will & Testament on 19 January 1798. He used the O'DANIEL surname to identify himself and all his male heirs, but none of his children kept the Celtic O'...Regrettably, the name of the homestead creek changed as well. Today, both "Daniel's Run Elementary School", at 3705 Old Lee Hwy, situated on the stream, and "Daniel's Run Park" commemorate the family name...
Three male descendants of William O'DANIEL of Stafford County, Virginia migrated to South Carolina in the period 1754-1770:
Son, William, in 1754 to the Indian Creek/Broad River/Saluda River, Granney's Quarter Creek in Craven County, and White Oak Creek, the next creek North of Granney's Quarter Creek on the East side of the Wateree River, died 1796. This line became DANIEL.
Son, James, in 1754 to near Cedar Creek on the Santee (Congaree) River. He buys several hundred acres on another Cedar Creek on the Broad, near Little River. (where he was living as of the 1790 census of Camden District, Fairfield County, South Carolina); in 1774, 500 acres on Indian Creek, Clouds Creek, and the Saluda River in Ninety Six District; in 1784, 400A on on Alligator Creek in now Fairfield County, bordering, among others, William DANIEL's land. The following day William DANIEL exercised a warrant for 210A bordering some of his land and James DANIEL's land. (James later, 1798, bequeathed this tract of land on Alligator Creek to his son-in-law Dr. Robert HANDRICK, husband of his daughter Mary, also 50 acres of land on the Broad River to him and his heirs forever.) James also received bounty lands in what is now Hancock Co., GA after the RW and moved to them after 1790, died 1798. This line became DANIELL.
Grandson, William (son of John O'DANIEL of Fairfax, Virginia), in 1768 acquired 1,000 acres of land in Fairfield District adjoining his Uncle James. William married Lucretia BELL, and later acquired ownership of large interests on the waters of Little Mine Creek in Edgefield District, where he lived the rest of his life, d. 1807. This line became DANIEL.
Compiler contact: roloda@knology.net - Robert welcomes comments, questions, and additional information about this family and all its descendant lines.
