Tombstone Tuesday ~ ACHESON ~ Ireland

IN LOVING MEMORY of

ALEXANDER W. ACHESON

LATE LIEUTENANT 65TH REGT

ALSO DEPUTY COMMISSIONARY

ARMY SERVICE CORPS

WHO DIED 20 JULY 1914

* AGED 82 YEARS

AND HIS GRANDSON

ALEXANDER CHARLES

25TH NOV 1929

AND HIS WIFE CATHERINE

DIED 26TH MAR 1938

** AND HIS SON ALLEN PORTEOUS

 LATE QUARTERMASTER SARGENT

ROYAL HORSE ARTILLERY

DIED 26TH SEPT 1967

AND HIS DAUGHTER-IN-LAW

CHARLOTTE ELIZABETH

DIED 29TH NOV 1986

"THY WILL BE DONE."

* The father of this family, Alexander W ACHESON, who was aged 82 in 1914 at the time of his death, would have been born in 1832.

** Quartermaster-Sergt. A. ACHESON

Photo by A. NACHN, BRADFORD.

The ACHESON clan: There is some question as to whether this  ACHESON family is in our line of ACHESON relatives. However, it is an interesting headstone with five family members and three generations. Burial dates are 1914, 1929, 1938, 1967 and 1986.

SOURCES:

 1. There is a reference to **Allan Porteous ACHESON in "THE ACHESON FAMILY 1850-1950, published in 1951.by a committee of ten family members.

"Communications with **Allan Porteous Acheson, of Derrygonnelly, near Enniskillen, has brought to us a fund of information, since he, too, is deeply interested in the history of the Acheson Family,  . . ." Page 4.

2. Photographs and the booklet - "The Acheson Family 1850-1950" - courtesy of an ACHESON cousin.

NOTE: Due to the difference in colour of the top and bottom stone, I wonder if the original top part from 1914 was added to in order to make a larger stone and provide room for the inscriptions of the descendants.

Actually, I had a closer look by magnifying the photograph. It looks like all one headstone that may have been sanded down a little to provide a cleaner surface for the inscriptions of the descendants.

Surname Saturday ~ The ACHESON Clan

The ACHESON Reunion ~ August 23, 1921

* 131 in attendance

FIRST ACHESON RE-UNION, held on August 23, 1921, at the home of Mr. and Mrs. J. J. Duncan, on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the marriage of two couples: Mr. and Mrs. J. J. Duncan (Margaret Acheson) and Mrs. and Mrs. John Acheson (Margaret Ludlow). The next re-union was held five years later, when these couples marked their Golden Wedding Anniversary. SOURCE: THE ACHESON FAMILY 1850-1950; published by a family committee of ten; June 21, 1951; page 32.

When she (Margaret Ann (Acheson) and her husband (John James DUNCAN) were forty-five years married she invited John and Margaret Acheosn and all the relatives to meet at her home to celebrate this worthy occasion. This was the beginning of our Acheson re-unions. SOURCE: THE ACHESON FAMILY 1850-1950; published by a family committee of ten; June 21, 1951; page 24.

These two couples were married 23 August 1876 in Orangeville, Ontario. The marriage ceremony was performed by Reverend M. Johnson.

SOURCE: THE ACHESON FAMILY 1850-1950; published by a family committee of ten; June 21, 1951; pages 20 and 24.

* NOTE: My mother's grandfather, Christopher JOHNSTON, is the man in the upper far right corner, standing beside the woman in the white dress. She is Agnes WRIGHT, his third wife. His first two wives died prematurely, the first, Margaret SCOTT, in 1872 at age 30 years; the second, Mary Jane ACHESON, in 1901 at age 45 years.

SOURCE: The booklet, THE ACHESON FAMILY 1850-1950, was generously provided to me by an ACHESON cousin. In February 2003, when I was researching our family tree for my Mother's 90th birthday, 8th March 2003. She also provided a CD with a collection of her own father's photographs, the ACHESON family.

Treasure Chest Thursday ~ ACHESON Log House circa 1865

~ ACHESON Homestead ~ Proton Station, Proton Township, Grey Country, Ontario ~ circa 1865 ~
There is a woman and a child standing on the porch.

One of the family Treasures is our Grandpa George Albert Johnson's suitcase. Early 1960, nearing the end of his life, George gave a suitcase with various documents, funeral cards, photographs and other memorabilia to the eldest of his two surviving sons at this time. This son, William JOHNSON, passed his suitcase on to one of his five sons at the time of his own death in 1995.

In January 2003, I began contacting relatives to help celebrate my Mother's 90th birthday, March 2003. The cousin I mentioned above, sent me a package with funeral cards and photographs from Grandpa George's suitcase.

This log house was one of those photographs. Although there was nothing written on the back, I'm certain that it belongs to George's ACHESON family in Proton Township, Grey County, Ontario. There are other photographs and postcards from the ACHESON family to George in Saskatchewan.

In a booklet entitled "The Acheson Family 1850-1950," there are various references to the first log homes that the ACHESON families build when there arrived from Ireland in 1850.

"In 1863, they [William ACHESON and his wife Christina FALLIS] moved again, this time to what was to be knows to future generations as "the Acheson homestead" - Lot 205, Range 3, Proton Township, in Grey County - then covered by virgin forest."
SOURCE: "THE ACHESON FAMILY 1850-1950" page 11.

"They [Acheson pioneers] knew nothing of luxury in those early days; everything they had was acquired only by had work. Even the logs from which their homes and stables were made had to be labouriously hewn by hand, the simple household furnishings usually being also homemade."
SOURCE: "THE ACHESON FAMILY 1850-1950" page 12.

". . . a log cottage on the groom's fifty acre farm." [1896]
SOURCE: "THE ACHESON FAMILY 1850-1950" page 23.

Funeral Card Friday ~ Mary Jane ACHESON - Life of a Pioneer Woman

IN MEMORIAM

Mary Jane Acheson

Beloved Wife of Christopher Johnson

died August 10th 1901

DIED

In Proton, on Thursday, Aug 10, 1901

MARY JANE ACHESON

Beloved wife of Christopher Johnson age

45 years.

THE FUNERAL

The funeral will take place from her late residence

to Flesherton Cemetery on Monday,

at 1 o'clock p.m.

Friends and acquaintances will please

 accept this intimation.

---

This very pretty flowered funeral card is for my maternal great grandmother. I find it interesting that they have used her maiden name rather than her married surname.

This was in a suitcase of memorabilia that belonged to my maternal grandfather, George JOHNSON. George was the first child of  Mary Jane and Christopher. This card was nibbled by some little critter. I filled in her name "Mary" by hand.

 A tragedy for George and his wife, Emma CLARK, who where being nursed by Mary Jane when she contracted Typhoid Fever from them, and subsequently died 40 days later. Also, their first born son (seven months old) was ill at the same time too.  (See biography below.)

Mary Jane (ACHESON) JOHNSTON

Born 12th October 1856

Died 10th October 1901

Buried Flesherton Cemertery

Flesherton, Grey County, Ontario

---

THE ACHESON  FAMILY ~ 1850-1950

The Life of a Pioneer Woman ~ Biography:

(Excerpt - pages 11 and 12)

Born on October 12th, 1856, Mary Jane was the first daughter of William and Christina Acheson.

Being the eldest girl in a large family of pioneers, she early learned to accept responsibility, thus sharing with her mother love's tasks of caring for the younger children in the home.

"I was only nine years old when she was married," remarks her sister Rachael ( now in her 86th year) "yet I well remember what a dear, thoughtful sister she was. Always kind and unselfish, she served In her own quiet way, with never any fuss or talk about her good turns."

"Words seem but a poor expression of my regard for her, for she was a model girl and a model woman. I think of her as next to my saintly Mother. Although I was only a child when she was grown to womanhood, I can remember her getting up at five o'clock in the morning to spin rolls of wool from which the material was made, not only for stockings and socks, but for shirts, dresses, and blankets as well - just an example of her devoted and loving service in the home." - Sister Rachel

She was only eighteen years old when, on December 23rd, 1874, she married Christopher Johnston, the marriage ceremony being performed before daylight in order that they might leave for their honeymoon on the early morning train. "Christie" was a widower with five small children, and the care of these little ones was no small task for one so young to accept. Besides, there were born ten more children, one of whom died in infancy. So, what with caring for her large family and the extra work which falls to the lot of a woman in the building of a fine new barn and house, hers was no easy life. Yet she found time for hospitality, and, in those early years, her home and Christie's was always a home for the Minister when he needed one.

"This kind and affectionate sister  -  this devoted wife and mother has gone to her reward. Her decease was caused by Typhoid Fever contracted while nursing her son, George, and his wife, who were ill in Sault Ste. Marie. She went to Sault Ste. Marie on August 29th, came home on September 29th, and went to Heaven, October 10th, 1901, one day before her 45th birthday.

Her funeral, sermon was preached at Inistioge, October 20th, by Rev. Thomas Campbell, from the words:
"She hath done what she could."

"I used to wonder who would be the first to go, now I wonder who will be next." - Sister Christina (Chan). NOTE: Christina was, herself, the next of the brothers and sisters to answer the summons to the Life Beyond.

Mary Jane was survived by her husband by twenty-four years, he passing away on February 3rd, 1925.
A high tribute was paid by her step-son, William Johnston, who spoke of her as "the best woman that ever lived."

---

SOURCES:
Funeral Card - lent to me by a first cousin in the JOHNSON (JOHNSTON) family.
THE ACHESON HISTORY 1850-1890 - a copy was mailed to me by a first cousin in the ACHESON family. Photograph of Mary Jane - mailed to me by the same ACHESON cousin.
All provided in 2003 while I was researching for my Mother's 90th birthday, March 2003.