James O'Neil
Cite this Page
"James O'Neil," White House Workers History Project, White House Historical Association, 2026, https://whha.whirlihost.com/Detail/workers/213.
- Positions
- Doorkeeper
- Porter
- Years in President's House
- 1829 – 1837
- Legal Status
- Free Person
- Gender
- Male
- Race/Ethnicity
- White
- Presidency
- Andrew Jackson
- Biography
- James “Jemmy” O’Neil was born in Ireland and immigrated to the United States. (1) He worked as a doorkeeper/porter for President Andrew Jackson. (1) As doorkeeper, Jemmy lived in small quarters, or Porter’s Lodge next to the North Door of the White House. (2) Stories of visits to Jackson’s White House sometimes begin with an introduction from Jemmy and he was called a “great favorite of Jackson’s.” (3) For example, one contemporary newspaper tells of Jemmy attempting to translate between President Jackson and the French minister, but then enlisting the unidentified French chef to do the job. (4) Additionally, a political cartoon published in 1834 named “Jimmy O’Neil” as the doorkeeper and depicted him presenting French actress Madame Celeste to President Jackson and his cabinet. (5)
Amos Kendall, Jackson’s postmaster general, recalled in 1842: “Jemmy was kind hearted, but blunt in his manner; so much so on some occasions as to appear rude, if not insulting.”(6) He claimed that Jemmy was often too drunk to do his job, but Jackson was too forgiving to ever fire him. (7) Multiple books about Irish employees in the White House tell the story of Jackson attempting to fire Jemmy because of drunken, inappropriate behavior in front of guests. As the story goes, when Jackson told Jemmy that he had gotten bad reports, Jemmy told Jackson that he heard even more negative things about the president, but never believed any of it. This made Jackson laugh and he ultimately decided not to fire Jemmy. (8) Martin Renehan replaced O’Neil as doorkeeper at the end of Jackson’s presidency.(9) According to an obituary of O’Neil, he went to Tennessee with Jackson who “gave him a piece of property, as a substantial token of his regard.” Following Jackson’s death O’Neil returned to D.C. and became a messenger for the U.S. Post Office, though he was removed from the position a few months prior to his death in Washington, D.C. in 1849. (10) - (1) “Gen. Jackson’s Jemmy O’Neil Dead,” Detroit Free Press, November 6, 1849, https://www.newspapers.com/image/1048118331/?match=1&terms=%22Jemmy%20O%27Neil%22.
(2) “A Few Things in and About Washington,” The Daily Constitutionalist and Republic, October 27, 1849, Newspapers.com,https://www.newspapers.com/image/604756174/?terms=%22Jemmy%20O%27Neill%22%20Jackson&match=1
(3) William Seale, The President’s House: A History, Vol. 1 (Washington, D.C: White House Historical Association, 2008): 195
(4) Ibid, 193; “Cobbett’s Life of Jackson,” Virginia Free Press, November 26, 1835, Chronicling America, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84026784/1835-11-26/ed-1/seq-2
(5) “A Scene in the Palace,” South Branch Intelligencer [Romney, VA], July 19, 1834, Chronicling America, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84026826/1834-07-19/ed-1/seq-2; However, a subsequent article in the Richmond Inquirer disputes that story. “Misrepresentations Corrected,” The Richmond Inquirer, July 22, 1834, Chronicling America, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84024735/1834-07-22/ed-1/seq-3/.
(6) A. A. Hoffay and Henry R. Robinson. “The Celeste-Al Cabinet,” 1836, Published by H.R. Robinson, Lithograph, https://www.loc.gov/item/2008661278/.
(7) Amos Kendall, “Anecdotes of General Jackson,” The United States Democratic Review, 11 (1842): 274
(8) Amos Kendall, “Anecdotes of General Jackson,” 274
(9) Nicholas Flood Davin, The Irishman in Canada, (United Kingdom: S. Low, Marston & Company, 1877): 61, https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Irishman_in_Canada/ua0NAAAAQAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0; Thomas D'Arcy McGee, A History of the Irish Settlers in North America: From the Earliest Period to the Census of 1850, (Genealogical Publishing Company, 1855): 119, https://www.google.com/books/edition/A_History_of_the_Irish_Settlers_in_North/nW0FAAAAQAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0;
(10) “Jemmy O’Neill” The Lewisburg Chronicle, November 7, 1849, https://www.newspapers.com/image/76263968/?terms=%22Jemmy%20O%27Neill%22%20Jackson&match=1; “Gen. Jackson’s Jemmy O’Neil Dead,” Detroit Free Press, November 6, 1849, https://www.newspapers.com/image/1048118331/?match=1&terms=%22Jemmy%20O%27Neil%22. - Birthplace
- Ireland
- Related Workers
- Martin RenehanTransportation, Ushers, Stewards, and Doorkeepers, circa 1837 – 1848
- Unidentified Andrew Jackson Cook 1Kitchen, Dining Room, Pantry, and Storeroom, circa 1834
- James MaherGardens, Grounds, and Flower Shop, circa 1834 – 1859
- Related Association Content
- https://www.whitehousehistory.org/andrew-jacksons-servants