According to family legend, he came from the Midlands of England. At first the Steeles worked at the Middleton Distillery, near Castlemartyr, Killagh. Then they went into farming in Killagh, then moved to Passage West. They were building the Monkstown Church.

In the 1870 Slater's Directory of Ireland, p41:
"Stonemasons, Steel & Sons, Castle Martyr".
His son, Henry, was already in Passage West by this year, so perhaps the Directory entry refers to him and son other sons, or perhaps to one of his other sons and grandsons.