ACHESON

of

Graddum,

Rockfield

and

Tippecanoe

A working draft

November 24, 2012

This is a draft based on the information available at time of writing. Additional information may become

available and the interpretation of any information may subsequently change parts of this narrative.

Origins

Achesons, of various and sundry spellings, have been documented around central Scotland since

Mediaeval times. Some genealogies trace back to a Johannes Atchesonne noted about 1450 in

Druntennend in Angus. Various merchants around Edinburgh in particular carried this name, including

those who built Acheson House which still exists as a fine example of a strong merchant home and

offices in the old core of the city. Mixing politics, commerce and opportunity, Captain Patrick Acheson

moved to Ireland after obtaining grants of land in Armagh and Cavan. He died in Armagh in 1617. His

son Archibald solidified the family’s hold over the property at Markethill, County Armagh, as part of the

Plantation of Ulster. Over the next three hundred years, the family’s reach and well-connected

marriages moved it through titles and lands, firstly in the local radius, then connections to English

aristocracy, until, like many of their ‘peers’ , an early twentieth century marriage into an American

fortune. The Earls of Gosford have now only the most tenuous links to Ireland, the current Earl living in

Australia; the heir apparent an economist with the Transportation Security Administration in

Washington D.C.

This family has been well documented back to their Edinburgh roots and no branch seems to provide a

home for the Achesons of Cavan to roost upon. So I make some very solid assumptions: our Acheson

roots are Scottish; we arrived in Ulster with the Plantation, either as cousins or fellow travelers to the

Achesons of Markethill. Certainly, there is documentary evidence of Achesons in the same part of Cavan

as today, as early as 1761.

The 1761 Poll Book for the County of Cavan held in the PRONI in Belfast shows a listing of freeholders

eligible to vote. Thomas and Francis Acheson are both listed at Shannow townland, and are both also

challenged in the list for lack of freehold. Voters then would have needed to be members of the

Established Church and with freehold property above a certain amount.

Achesons were, and are, quite numerous across Armagh and into Fermanagh and Leitrim. Some

suggestions of a link between the Cavan and Leitrim families have been made but not yet proven.

For now, the likeliest connection would be with those eighteenth century Achesons in central Cavan.

Graddum

The earliest record showing the current family group is a fragment of the 1821 Census of Ireland. Cavan

is fortunate in having much of the Census survive for the civil parishes of the middle of the county. Most

of the Nineteenth century censuses were destroyed either by government action to pulp for paper

during the First World War or by fire in the Civil War destruction of the Public Records Office in the Four

Courts in Dublin.

The census record can be confirmed in light of later records. It shows the occupants of a single story

house in the townland of Graddum. Robert Acheson, aged 73, is living with son-in-law William Stafford

and daughter Elizabeth with their children, Emily, 3, and Sophia, aged one. Also listed are Robert’s other

children Thomas and Mary Anne, both 16.

Further records shed light on the relationships. Sophia Staffords’s baptism on October 1 1820 at

Kildrumferton had been witnessed by Thomas and Mary Anne Acheson.

Mary Anne Acheson married Henry Brown at Kildrumferton on January 10 1828.

Sometime before 1825 Thomas Acheson married Elizabeth Johnson. Their first child Robert was baptized

on October 30 1825. His birthplace was recorded as Graddum – a fact also recorded in the later family

Bible belonging to Thomas Stafford Acheson. One of the sponsors at the baptism of Robert was his aunt

Elizabeth Stafford.

Thomas and Elizabeth’s next two children, John and William, were also born in Graddum, in 1827 and

1831 respectively.

Figure 1 Tithe Applotment Book 1828 - Graddum. Thomas Acheson holds 19acres; his neighbours are - presumably- brother-in-law William Stafford and -likely - father- or brother-in-law John Johnson

Rockfield

Before the birth of the next son Thomas in 1833 the family had relocated a short distance to Rockfield.

(The Tithe Applotment Book entry for Rockfield from 1828 shows a James Acheson with 16 acres held

from the Bishop of Kilmore, George de la Poer Beresford. How James relates to Thomas is not yet clear.)

Figure 2 Graddum (top) and Rockfield (bottom) in the 1837-1842 Ordnance Survey. Both townlands lie in Crosserlough civil parish.

Francis Acheson was born in 1835 and daughter Eliza in 1837, both at Rockfield.

The ‘Anglo-Celt’ newspaper of June 29 1849 reports the following:

“CONSISTORIAL COURT, CAVAN

The Rev. Dr. CARSON, Surrogate, held a court on Monday last in the Court-house, Cavan. The business

was of little importance.

Thomas Condron cited Thomas Acheson of Rockfield, farmer, to attend and shew cause why he had

“slandered, defamed and injured the good name, fame, and reputation of Thomas Condron, on divers

occasions, and particularly on the 26th of March last, by stating to Joseph Gordon and others, that he the

said Thomas Condron had forged and counterfeited a false order or undertaking in the name of Mr.

James Hearne, for the sum of 30s., by which order the said Thomas Acheson had been defrauded of said

sum.”

Mr. Swanzy appeared for promovant, and Mr. Moutray Erskine for impugnant.

In this case it appears a certain order had been forged in the name of Mr. Hearne and presented to Mr.

Acheson for payment; the latter honoured it, and shortly afterwards covered the fraud. The promovant

alleges that Mr. Acheson then reported the handwriting in the order to resemble his (Mr. Condron’s) by

which he was deprived of his situation, that of parish schoolmaster. In consequence of which the

present citation was issued.

The learned proctors had a long discussion on the preliminary points, and the law bearing on them; at

the conclusion of which, the Court decided it had no power to take cognizance of the matter- that the

promovant might, if he thought proper, institute an action for damage at common law.”

(Consistory courts were church courts that, until the 1850s, had jurisdiction in probate matters and,

among other cases, defamation.)

(Records show Thomas Condron, Church of Ireland, schoolmaster of Carrickacroy schoolhouse in 1824.

60 pupils attending – 30 girls, 30 boys. Condron, having lost his house and employment in one, took his

family to Liverpool. In the 1851 Census he is a bookkeeper in a factory there. Three of his daughters had

already moved to Australia in 1844. In 1852, he and his other family joined them in Melbourne, where

he ran a bar called the 'Cavan Hotel'

His daughter Isabella, in Melbourne in 1862, married Joshua Roberts Mooney. Joshua's mother was

Dorothea Gethings - my mother's great great grand aunt!)

Figure 3 Page from family Bible of Thomas Stafford Acheson (courtesy of Cavan Acheson)

The ‘Anglo-Celt’ reports, in the March 8 1855 edition, that Thomas Acheson of Crosserlough donated 7s.

6d. to the Patriotic Fund – the Crimean War being ongoing the fund was to support widows and orphans

of British service members.

Elizabeth Acheson née Johnson died on April 26 1855 at the age of 56 years.

In less than a year, Thomas Acheson remarried to Margaret Naye at Laragh on April 3 1856. Her father is

recorded as Robert Naye. Thomas’ father is also recorded as Robert.

Griffith’s Valuation for Cavan published in 1857 shows Thomas with three holdings –30 acres at

Rockfield and 28 acres at Crosserlough townland; both leased from J.D. Beresford and 72 acres at

Kilmore held from Lord Farnham.

Margaret and Thomas had five children together:

George - born 1857

Alexander – born 1858

Mary Anne – born 1860

Margaret Jane – born 1862

And lastly my great-grandfather Henry – born 1865

Thomas Acheson died on June 15 1877.

His will – transcribed below shows the extent of his holdings – a ‘strong farmer’ – and his decisions for

his youngest children:

“I Thomas Acheson of Rockfield in the County of Cavan being sound in body and mind do make this my

last Will & Testament revoking all other Wills that I may have made. - I will that my executors ? in all ?

that may belong to me at the time of my death. I leave to my son George Acheson the sum of Two

Hundred & fifty pounds Stg on his attaining the age of Twenty one years. I leave to my son Henry

Acheson the sum of Two Hundred and fifty pounds Stg on his attaining the age of Twenty one years. I

leave to my daughter Mary Anne Acheson the sum of Two Hundred pounds Stg on her attaining the age

of Eighteen years - I leave to my daughter Margaret Jane Acheson the sum of Two Hundred pounds Stg

on her attaining the age of (Twenty) Eighteen years. - I leave the above bequests to my children subject

to the conditions that they have seen, that they come to age dutiful and obedient to their Mother and

pleased my Executors. - I leave to my dearly beloved wife Margaret Acheson the continued occupation

of my present dwelling house in Rockfield during her remaining life also one half of the Stock of Cattle I

may possess at the time of my death also the chattle property I may possess at my death and the use

during her life of my farm at Rockfield. - I leave to my son Alexander Acheson after the death of his

Mother my present dwelling house in Rockfield also after the death of his Mother the present farm I

occupy in Rockfield and upon his attaining the age of Twenty one years I leave him the farm I possess in

the Townland of Crosserlough. I leave to my wife Margaret Acheson the use of my farm in the Townland

of Crosserlough till my son Alexander attains the age of Twenty one years. And in Case he should die

before that age then I leave the said farm to my wife Margaret Acheson during her life And power to

dispose of as she wills. I will that one half of the Stock of Cattle I may possess at my death be sold and

the price of said Cattle Lodged in Bank for my son Alexander Acheson to receive when he attains the age

of Twenty one years. The interest on said money in the meantime to go to the use of my wife Margaret

Acheson for the support of my family. I will that the interest arising for all monies that I may have

possession of goes to the use of my wife Margaret Acheson for the support of my family till they come

of age - I will that in case of the death of any of my children I have named or should die before attaining

the ages mentioned then in such case that ?? bequest due to them be divided between the surviving

children. - I appoint my wife Margaret Acheson the Living Legatee leaving & bequesting to her full power

and control over all monies or property of any sort I may die possessed of and not mentioned here. I

appoint as executor to this my Last Will and Testament - Will Love of Ratheraven and John Morrow

Brother of James Morrow of the Deer Park and my wife Margaret Acheson

Dated this first day of December 1871-

Thomas Acheson Love

Signed by the Testator in our presence and by us in the presence of the Testator and of each other - J.

Clarke Clk Robert Stephens

Be it known that on the 27 day of July 1877 the last will and testament with two memorandums

herewith recorded of Thomas Acheson last of Rockfield in the County of Cavan farmer deceased who

died on or about 15 day of June 1877 at same place and who at the time of death had had a fixed place

of abode at Rockfield aforesaid within the District of Cavan were proved and registered in the said

district Registry attending to Her Majesty's Court of Probate at Cavan and the administration of all and

singular the personal estate or effects of the said deceased was granted by the aforesaid court to

Margaret Acheson of Rockfield Ballyjamesduff aforesaid widow and Executrix named in the said will, she

having been first sworn well and faithfully to administer the same by paying the just debts of the

deceased and the legacies con-tained in said will and ?? and to exhibit a true and just account thereof

whenever required by law so to the ?? to William Love of Ratheravan or John Morrow of Deer Park the

other exectr named in the Will - Sworn under £200

(Signature)

I leave to my sons John Acheson William Acheson Thomas Acheson and Fras. <Francis> Acheson sons by

my former wife Eliza Acheson Deceased the sum of one shilling each having provided for them already

Dated the sixteenth day of September 1875 - Ths. Acheson

Signed by the Testator in our presence and by us in the presence of the Testator and of each other L

Buchanan G W Buchanan

I leave to my daughter Eliza Roantree the sum of one shilling having already provided for her -

Dated this sixteenth day of September 1875 - Thomas Acheson

Signed by the Testator in our presence and by us in the presence of the Testator and of each other L

Buchanan G W Buchanan”

(It was common for family members who had already received monies or a marriage settlement to be

named in a will and left a token amount.)

The children of Thomas Acheson’s first marriage

Figure 4 St Patrick's Church Kildrumferton. Built in 1812 and consecrated in 1816

Robert was born at Graddum on October 24 1825. He was baptized at Kildrumferton on October 30, the

sponsors were David Johnson, David Wallace and Elizabeth Stafford (née Acheson). Robert is not

mentioned in Thomas’ 1875 codicil and so is presumed to have died before that date.

John was born at Graddum on June 20 1827. Baptized at Kildrumferton four days later in the presence of

David Johnson, Mary Anne Acheson and Thomas Stafford. Sometime about 1850, John emigrated to

Indiana.

William was born at Graddum on July 14 1831. He was baptized at Kildrumferton on July 17. He married

Hannah Strong on July 21 1856 at Kilbride County Cavan. Her father was recorded as Oliver Strong.

Interestingly, Oliver had another daughter, Isabella who, on February 23 1853 had married Joseph Byers.

After the marriage they had emigrated to Tippecanoe County, Indiana – demonstrating yet another

connection between Cavan and that part of Indiana.i William and Hannah had a son, Thomas Stafford

Acheson. (For reasons or a relationship not yet apparent, the 1871 will of Thomas Stafford names

Thomas Stafford Acheson, son of William, and leaves £100 to him. The same will names Thomas, son of

Robert Acheson of Shannow and leaves him £200 – again what that relationship was remains to be

seen.)

Thomas Acheson was the fourth son of Thomas and Elizabeth. He was born on February 12 1833 – the

first of their children to be born at Rockfield. He was baptized at Kildrumferton on March 3 1833.

Thomas never married and late in life was living with brother William and family. He died in 1916.

Francis was born in Rockfield on April 2 1835. Baptism followed on April 12 at Kildrumferton. In 1854,

he followed his older brother John to Tippecanoe County. ii

Eliza was the first and only daughter of this marriage. She was born on April 17 1837 at Rockfield. Her

baptism was at Kildrumferton on April 27. On October 2 1858 at Kildrumferton, she married Hugh

Rountree of Campstown outside Cootehill. (Interestingly, Hugh later had a nephew, Walter Rountree,

who was an exact contempory of my great grandfather Henry Acheson – they were born in the same

year, both attended Farra School in County Westmeath and both took Divinity in Trinity in the same

years. They must surely have been known to one another.)

Tippecanoe County, Indiana

Tippecanoe, with its county seat, Lafayette, lies in the west central part of Indiana. The county was

created in 1826. It had been the site of the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811 which broke the power of the

area’s Native Americans. Then Governor Harrison, who lead the American forces, leveraged this victory

in his successful run for U.S. President in 1840. When the Acheson brothers arrived mid-century, the

population of settlers was less than 20,000. Contemporary adverts in the Cavan newspapers speak of

passenger ships from Dublin or Liverpool for New Orleans as being the gateway to a river voyage to

States such as Indiana. Boston or New York are also alternative routes via the railways.

John Acheson arrived in Indiana in time to be recorded in the Federal Census conducted September 18,

1850. He is recorded as John Atchison, a day labourer working on the farm of Isaac Medsker in John

Quincy Adams Township in Warren County, lying to the West of Tippecanoe. Warren County had been

founded only in 1848 and in 1851 Isaac Medsker laid out or platted the town of Pine Village there – still

the only town in the county.

According to the biography published locally in 1888, brother Francis Acheson left Cavan in May 1854,

arriving in New York in July and coming directly to Lafayette, Indiana. He worked as a farm hand for $13

per month.

By the 1860 Federal Census, the brothers had adjoining farmlands in Jackson Township, Tippecanoe

County in the area of Shawnee Mound. Both are now married. John married Eleanor Francis, Ohio-born

daughter of a Cavan-born couple, Edward Francis and Eleanor née Wilson. Francis had married Talitha

Almira Wade. Indiana-born, but orphaned at an early age, Talitha had been raised by David Meharry,

himself from a Cavan family.

During the American Civil War of 1861-65, John was recorded on the draft rolls. He is still farming in

Jackson Township and apparently was never enlisted. (Another John Acheson had enlisted in Lafayette,

joining the 40th Indiana Infantry in December 1861, and becoming a casualty at Franklin, Tennessee in

February 1864.)

An 1865 tax list shows the brothers still farming adjacent lands in Jackson Township.

Both brothers, being then naturalized citizens, applied for US Passports, Francis in 1865 and John in

1867. It is not known if they traveled back to Ireland at that time, but, in 1903, Francis is recorded

arriving at New York on a voyage from Derry after a visit to Cavan. This was perhaps his first return to

Ireland in almost 50 years!

Francis was elected a county commissioner in the 1880s and was involved in civic life. John is recorded as having lost his house to fire in 1878, “book case and private papers were the only articles of value saved from the flames” iii John's first two children seemed to use a certain naming convention. Thomas Johnson Acheson (b 1853) used John's fathers first name and his mother's last name. Then Elizabeth Wilson Acheson (b 1855) used John's mother's name and his wife's mother's last name. Unfortunately, both children appear to have died in infancy. In fact, of the eight children of John I have located, only three lived into adulthood. The next generation was mainly childless. I have only been able to trace one set of current descendants. John's only surviving daughter, Alice Carey Acheson married Jacob Waples in 1891. Their descendants live in Michigan today. There is another connection between the families of John and Francis as Jacob Waples' sister Luella was the first wife of Francis' son Robert Erwin Acheson. They married in 1894 as recorded in Francis' Bible.

Figure 5 Page from Francis Acheson's Bible (courtesy of Denny Acheson)

Francis’ Bible is noted as being "Francis Acheson's book purchased for $2.80 on May 3, 1861"

There is a slight puzzle as John Acheson is associated with the margin note as being one of the brothers

in Ireland - even though John was four years in Indiana, married and starting a family before Francis

arrived there in 1854.

i JOSEPH BYERS, a prosperous and enterprising agriculturist of Jackson Township, where he resides on

section 13, was born in County Cavan, Ireland, January 1, 1829, a son of DAVID BYERS, deceased, who

was a native of the same county. He was reared to manhood in his native country, remaining there until

1853, when he immigrated to America, and in 1854 came to Jackson Township, Tippecanoe County,

Indiana, where he worked as a farm hand for one year. He then farmed on rented land for five years

when he purchased a tract, and has since been engaged in farming and raising graded stock. He was

married February 21, 1853, to MISS ISABELLA STRONG, who is also a native of County Cavan, Ireland, a

daughter of OLIVER STRONG, who is now deceased. They are the parents of two children -- WILLIAM D.

and JENNIE. The former married LIZZIE WARD, and lives in Jackson Township. They have two children,

named EDNA W. and CLIFFORD W. JENNIE is the wife of HARRISON B. WALLACE, of Jackson Township,

and has one child, ELSIE B.

MR. BYERS began the battle of life on his own account entirely without capital, but by strict economy

and persevering industry, combined with good business management, he has met with excellent

success, having by his own efforts acquired a fine property, his real estate covering 483 acres. In politics

he is a strong adherent of the principles of the Republican party. Although he takes an active interest in

the politics of his county he is not an office seeker, declining all official honors. He is one of the public-

spirited men of the county, and has done his share toward the improvement and development of its

resources, and is ever ready to extend a helping hand to all worthy enterprises, and do acts of

benevolence to further the interests and happiness of mankind. He and his family are members of the

Methodist Episcopal church, and are among the highly respected citizens of Jackson Township.

Biographical Record and Portrait Album of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, Lewis Publishing Company,

Chicago, Illinois, 1888. pp. 604-605

ii FRANCIS ACHESON, farmer and stock raiser, Wayne Township, is one of the prominent agriculturists of Tippecanoe County. He is a native of Ireland, born in County Cavan, in April, 1835, a son of THOMAS and ELIZABETH (JOHNSON) ACHESON. He was reared a farmer in his native county, and when nineteen years old, in

May, 1854, left home and embarked on a sailing vessel for the United States, landing in New York in July, after a six week voyage. He came direct to LaFayette, where he obtained employment as a farm hand at $13 a month, and was thus employed two years. He then rented land until 1860, when he bought eighty acres of improved land in Jackson Township, near Shawnee Mound, for which he paid $25 an acre. In 1868 he bought the farm where he now lives, to which he moved in 1869, which contains 465 acres of valuable land. He is now one of the well-to-do farmers of the county, and has acquired his property by hard work and good management, assisted by his wife, who has always been a true helpmeet to him. When he landed in LaFayette he had one gold dollar, and his present possessions are now the result of his years of labor in this county. He was married March 7, 1860, to TALITHA A. WADE, a native of Fountain County, Indiana, who was left an orphan when a child, and was reared by DAVID MEHARRY. Mr. and Mrs. ACHESON have nine children JAMES WILLIAM, GEORGE THOMAS, JOHN FRANCIS, ROBERT ERWIN, JESSE MORTON, LIZZIE JANE, ALEXANDER DELOSS, CHARLES EMERY, and WALTER GARFIELD. In 1880 Mr. ACHESON was elected county commissioner, and served three years, and it was during his term that the courthouse was built. He is a member of Shawnee Lodge, No. 129, A.F. & A.M. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In politics he is a supporter of the principles of the Republican Party. Biographical Record and Portrait Album of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, pp. 370-371 iii Lafayette Weekly Courier April 9, 1878 RESIDENCE BURNED Tuesday night last at 10 o'clock the fine residence of JOHN ACHESON of Battle Ground was totally destroyed by fire. The family had retired and narrowly escaped with their lives, being awakened by smoke just In time to save themselves. MR. ACHESON's book case and private papers were the only articles of value saved from the flames. The fire is supposed to be the work of an incendiary. We understand there was an insurance of $1,800 in Phoenix of Hartford, Conn., on the property.