Weir Acheson

Weir ACHESON; born 1850 in New York before his parents moved back to Ireland and then to Canada and died in the 1920's in California. Weir married Maria Hannah.

Family reference: 112

	Born	23 July 18501	Lower Langfield, County Tyrone, Ireland
	Baptised	17 Jan 18511	Lower Langfield, County Tyrone, Ireland
	Died	6 August 1923	Redlands, California
	Buried	9 August 1923	Redlands Cemetery, Redlands, California
	Married	7 June 18831	Maria Hannah at Ellice twp., Ontario

- Family album of photos and documents.

Parents:

• Father: Joseph Acheson; b. 1815; d. 1901
• Mother: Isabella McKennit; b. 1821; d. 1887

Children:

• Robert Acheson; b. 1884; died.
• Joseph Acheson; b. about 1885
• Elizabeth Lizzie Acheson; b. about 1887
• Emerson Acheson; b. about 1890
• Sarah Sadie Acheson (twins?)
• Mrs. E. A. Fisher (twins?)
• Mrs. W. J. Young
• C. S. Cyril Acheson

The Parents of Weir

Samuel's parents, Joseph and Isabella Acheson, were transatlantic travellers embarking from Ireland to New York in the 1840's, then returning to Ireland to raise the family. They eventually departed the old country by 1863 for a new life in the rurals of Canada West. Weir's father finally settled down to be a farmer in Perth, Ontario.

Weir’s Early Years

Weir was born in Lower Langfield, County Tyrone in Ireland [to be verified...], shortly after the family returned to the Olde Country, having left the raw bustle of New York behind them.

Then sometime after 1857, his parents made one last emigration to the fertile area of Perth county in Ontario. The family does not appear in the 1861 Canada census but does in the 1871 records. By 1871 all of the children are still with mom and dad Acheson in the village of Donegal, Elma township, Ontario. Weir then moves away from the family before 1881.

Weir and Maria

Maria was born in Canada in 1860, likely on December 2. She is listed in the Elma township with her family for the 1861, 1871 and 1881 census as Margaret Hanna.

Weir married Maria Hannah on June 7, 1883 at Ellice twp., Ontario, where they started their family. At the wedding, he was 33 years old and she was 23.

Apparently Weir was a teacher, and taught in Milverton, Rostock, Strasbourg and Avonton, Ontario, then farmed; moved to California1. They appear in the Milverton village census for 1891 with three children; young Joseph -named after his grandfather, Lizzie and little Emerson. Weir worked as a hardware merchant, according to the census. If he owned a store, this has to be investigated yet.

Two lodgers are also in the house; a 19-year old tinsmith named Charles Drumm, and possibly a sister of Maria named Mary Hanna, single, 22 years old and a tailoress.

We lose sight of the family after this. Apparently they headed south into California sometime in the early 1900's.

The Final Years for Weir

Weir died of leakage of the heart on August 6, 1823 at Redlands, California. He was buried in that community at the Redlands Ccemetery; at block M, lot 1304. His wife Maria was in charge of the arrangements at Dow & Fitzsimmons Mortuary.

A few months later in September, his youngest sister Bell McKennit dies and is also buried at the Redlands cemetery in the same plot.

Maria died eight years after, on December 6, 1931 of hyperthyroidiana. She was buried two days later in the Redlands cemetery; at block M, lot 1387. The mortuary house of Dow & Fitzsimmons handled the funeral again, with M. G. Fischer in charge of the arrangements.

Footnotes

Redlands Cemetery Burials

See notes in the photo album for details

• Wier (sic) Acheson; died 6 Aug 1923; buried Block M Lot 1304
• Arabella E. (Acheson) McKennit; died 7 Sept 1923; buried Block M Lot 1304
• Mrs. W. J. Yount (Charlotte Acheson Yount); died 6 Aug 1973; buried Block 5 Lot 6 Space 1
• Maria Acheson; died 6 Dec 1931; buried Block M Lot 1387
• C. S. Acheson (Cyril Acheson); died 22 Jan 1930; buried Block M Lot 1387
• Lorne Janet Acheson; died 23 Aug 1957; buried Block Original, Lot 1177-1/2, Space 3
• Donald J. Acheson; died 10 Feb 1978; buried with his wife (Lorne Janet?)

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Notes on the children: 1

• Robert Acheson; b. 1884 likley Rostock, Ontario; died early
• Joseph Acheson; b. about 1885 likley Rostock, Ontario
• Elizabeth Lizzie Acheson; b. about 1887 (Milverton, Ont.?)
• Emerson Acheson; b. about 1890 (Milverton, Ont.?)
• Sarah Sadie Acheson; perhaps a twin born in Strasbourg, Ontario; in 1923 was living at 304 Eureka Street, Redlands, CA
• Mrs. E. A. Fisher; perhaps a twin born in Strasbourg, Ontario
• Mrs. W. J. Young
• C. S. Cyril Acheson; born in Canada abt. 16 Nov 1892; died 22 Jan 1930

Canada Census of 1871 2

Name	Status	Gender	Ethnic Origin	Age	Occupation	Religion
ACHESON Joseph	married	male	Irish	55	Farmer	C. Presbyterian
Isabella	married	female	Irish	50		C. Presbyterian
Alexander	single	male	Irish	22		C. Presbyterian
Weir	single	male	Irish	20		C. Presbyterian
Samuel	single	male	Irish	14		C. Presbyterian
Anabelle	single	female	Irish	13		C. Presbyterian

- Canada 1871 Census for Elma, County Perth North, Ontario, District 030, Subdistrict e; microfilm #C-9941.

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Canada Census of 1891 2

Name	Gender	Age	Status	Relation	Born	Fathers Birth	Mothers Birth	Religion	Occupation
ACHESON Weir	male	39	married	head	Ire	Ire	Ire	Pres	hardware merch.
Maria	female	30	married	wife	Ont	Ire	Ont	Anglican
Joseph	male	7	single	son	Ont	Ire	Ont	Anglican
Lizzie	female	4	single	daughter	Ont	Ire	Ont	Anglican
Emerson	male	1	single	son	Ont	Ire	Ont	Anglican
DRUMM Charles	male	19	single	lodger	Ont	Ger	Ger	Lutheran	tinsmith
HANNA Mary	female	22	single	lodger	Ont	Ire	Ont	Anglican	tailoress

- Canada 1891 Census for Milverton (village), County Perth North, Ontario, District 107, Subdistrict e, microfilm T-6362, LDS Family History Library film #1465787.

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Sources

1. "Who's That Sitting in our Family Tree?", by Gert [Webber] Lawrie; private publication 1988; history and stories of Canadian families of Webber, Acheson, Miller and Henry
2. The Ontario GenWeb Project; for the 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891 and 1901 Ontario census records; with access to original images

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Family Outline

Descendancy Chart for WeirAcheson1850

0 WeirAcheson1850

-- JimBenedict - 30 Mar 2006
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