John Belton O'Neall

     John Belton O'Neall was born on 10 April 1793 in Bobo's Mills, Newberry County, South Carolina. John graduated in December 1812 at South Carolina College (now University of South Carolina) in Columbia, South Carolina, at age 19. He taught for about six months at Newberry Academy in 1813. He studied law under John Caldwell and Anderson Crenshaw and in May 1814 he was admitted to practice law in South Carolina. He continued his education at South Carolina College and acquired a M.A. degree in December of 1816. In 1816, John Belton O'Neall was elected as one of four men to represent Newberry District in the SC House of Representatives and served from 1816-1828. In 1824 he was elected Speaker of the House and served in that position until 1828. On 20 Dec 1828 he was elected as associate judge. He rode the Southern, Western, and Middle circuits, and in the fall of 1830 commenced the Northern circuit. In 1830 he was elected to the South Carolina Court of Appeals. In May of 1850, he was elevated to the President of the SC Court of Appeals. He was nextr elected President of the South Carolina Court of Appeals. In December of 1859, following reforms to South Carolina's judicial branch, he was elected to serve as Chief Justice and President of the South Carolina Court of Appeals, the highest court of the state.

During the War of 1812, John Belton O'Neall enlisted in in the SC Militia as an artilleryman from 1813 to 1814 under Col. Starling Tucker in Newberry County. Later in 1814 he was elected Captain of the Artillery Company based in the Newberry District. On August 7. 1817, he was promoted to Colonel of the 8th and 39th Regiments of Militia.

John married Helen C. POPE, daughter of Sampson POPE and Sarah Strother, on 25 June 1818.

John Belton O'Neall was author of The Annals of Newberry - Historical, Biographical, and Anecdotical in May 1858. He excelled as a lecturer and as author of many articles and books, including The Bench and Bar of South Carolina. He served as a trustee of South Carolina College for 40 years, and was the first President of the Greenville & Columbia (G&C) Railroad Company in May of 1847, a position he held until May of 1853.

John Belton O'Neall died on 27 December 1863 in Newberry County, South Carolina, at age 70. He was buried in Rosemont Cemetery, Newberry.