Early
Acheson Settlers
of Tyrone
County
There are several possible early ancestors
for the Achesons of Cookstown, Co. Tyrone, and though they may
perhaps be closely related, of this we are as yet uncertain. The
earliest mention of an Acheson in County Tyrone yet uncovered,
is in the vicinity of Cookstown. Occuring understandably during
the period in which Scottish "planters" were taking
and developing land in Ulster, we find several mentions of a Robert
Atcheson (also Atchison, Atginson, Atkinson) in the early Summonisters
Rolls, Tyrone Assigns of King Charles I.
Robert is cited several times between
the years of 1625 to 1629 as a Gentleman of Kilmoon, and Seneschal
of Donaghmore Manor [Bottom
of Map]. He is also cited in two undated earlier Summonister
Rolls from roughly 1615 to 1622. Judging by the dates of his apparent
Plantation, and his "Gentleman" status it appears that
he was granted some parcel(s) of land in Kilmoon (probably Killymoon
today) [Map (1)] probably around
the commencement of the Plantations in 1609 under King James I.
Also cited among the early Tyrone Assigns, was a Henry Achinson
(1622) who probably is the same who was also granted lands over
the county border in Armagh (2000 acres), and whose brother Archibald
became the ancestor of the Earl's of Gosford at Markethill after
Sir Henry passed him his landholdings.
This Gentleman Robert Atcheson may well
have been related to the Acheson brothers Henry and Archibald
who coincidentally or not took lands very near to Robert, and
were later knighted in the mid 1620's (probably indicating that
like Robert, they were also Gentlemen prior to Knighting). This
being the case, Robert too may have originally been from the region
of Edinburgh where the brother's came from, since there was a
heavy population of Achesons in Edinburgh during the 1600's, many
of whom seem to have been of substantial means. The early Achesons
of Edinburgh appear to originally have dwelled just east north-east
of Edinburgh (15 to 20 miles) at what was then called Gosford
House. A sheltered bay on the south shore of the Firth of Forth
(near the Gosford estate) took its name from this family in the
mid-1600's, being called "Aitchison's Heivine".
Robert's rank as Seneschal indicates that
he was Steward of, and saw to the household affairs of Donaghmore
Manor. The manor was probably owned by someone of better means,
who may not have taken a great interest in these Tyrone lands
at this early time, or perhaps the Donaghmore property was even
owned by a relative of Robert's.
Robert Atcheson, Gt. would have been a
contemporary of James Stewart who took possesion of a small parcel
of land in Ballymenagh [Map (4)]
in 1620. As contemporary gentlemen and neighbors in this sparsely
populated region they would almost certainly have known of one
another, if not having known each other personally. James Stewart
of course later became the grandfather of William Stewart who
features so prominently in Cookstown's history as the primary
early developer of "Cooke's town" [Map
(3)] during the 1730's and 1740's.
Other possible progentors of the Cookstown
line of Achesons might be derived from Achesons who settled in
County Armagh, which includes- Sir Henry and Sir Archibald of
County Armagh from 1612+; William Acheson who settled on the Hamilton
Estate (1629-30) in Killycarn, Loughgilly Parish, County Armagh;
Nathaniel Acheson recorded in the Muster Roll of 1630 in Oritor?
Barony, Armagh Co. as Lord Mountmorris' man-at-arms; or Robert
Acheson who settled on the Gosford Estate (1630), in Fews Barony,
Markethill, Co. Armagh
By 1659 we find that a Patrick Acheson is of Omagh, Drumra Parish,
Co. Tyrone, and appears to have commenced a line of Acheson descent
in the vicinity of that town.
During the period of William Stewart's
restructuring of Cookstown (plans being drawn up in 1734, and
completed in the 1740's) we find that a David Atchison was a farmer
of Loy (Hill) [Map (2)], Derryloran
Parish, Co. Tyrone (1735-6). Thus David was a contemporary of
William Stewart's and an early citizen of the redesigned community
of Cookstown. Assuming that David was born ca. 1700, he might
be presumed to be the Grandson or perhaps Great-Grandson of Robert
Atcheson Gt. of Kilmoon. Note that the modern day "Killymoon
desmesne" lies southeast of the small townland of Loy.
More to come...