Relationship: Maternal Great Grandfather
Born: August 1851, Ireland (Source: 1900 U.S. Federal Census)
Died: 14 November 1905 (see probate note below; some records suggest 20 November 1905)
Early Family Background
Acheson O’Brien was born in Ireland in August 1851, likely in or near County Fermanagh based on family connections and surviving church records. His parents were:
- Robert O’Brien
- Margaret Dundas
Robert O’Brien and Margaret Dundas were married on 2 November 1841 at Inishmacsaint Church of Ireland, County Fermanagh.
(Source: Fermanagh Parish Registers – Marriages)
The Dundas surname is of Scottish origin and derives from lands near Edinburgh in West Lothian, Scotland. The name comes from the Gaelic elements:
- dun — hill or fortress
- deas — south or southern
The Dundas family became historically prominent in Scotland, eventually holding titles including Viscount Melville and Marquess of Zetland. While no direct aristocratic connection has been established for Margaret Dundas, the surname itself reflects a Scottish ancestral background common in Ulster Protestant communities.
Possible Earlier Family Connections
A historical directory entry lists an Acheson O’Brien living in:
- Leitrim, Killeshandra, Ireland (1855)
(Source: Thom’s Irish Almanac and Official Directory with Post Office Dublin City and County Directory)
Because this entry predates the birth of the younger Acheson O’Brien, it may refer to an earlier relative — possibly his grandfather or another close family member. The use of “Acheson” as a given name suggests it may have been a recurring family name passed through generations.
Another potentially related record appears in the British Merchant Seamen archives:
- Robert O’Brien
- Born: 19 May 1832
- Place: Enniskillen, County Fermanagh
- Listed in: Britain, Merchant Seamen, 1835–1857
It is not yet confirmed whether this is Acheson’s father or another relative, but the location and surname make the connection plausible.
Education and Family Tradition
Family tradition holds that Acheson O’Brien was studying law in Ireland before immigrating to America. According to oral history, he fell in love with a Catholic woman and was subsequently disowned or expelled from the family by his father due to religious differences — a serious matter in 19th-century Ulster society, where Protestant-Catholic tensions remained strong.
The couple reportedly emigrated to the United States together.
While no school records have yet been found, possible institutions where Acheson may have studied law include:
- Queen’s University Belfast
- Ulster University (or an earlier predecessor institution, as the modern university did not yet exist in its current form)
This story remains unverified but is consistent with the social and religious realities of Ireland during that era.
Immigration to America
According to the 1900 U.S. Federal Census, Acheson immigrated to the United States in 1881.
Evidence suggests he initially settled in Illinois, because his son was reportedly born there in 1882. Family history states that Acheson’s first wife died during childbirth shortly after their son’s birth. After her death, Acheson appears to have relocated to Connecticut.
Naturalization
Acheson became a naturalized U.S. citizen in:
- New Haven, Connecticut
- 27 July 1888
- Age: 37
- Birthplace: Ireland
This naturalization record helps confirm both his immigration timeline and residence in Connecticut by the late 1880s.
First Marriage
First Wife: Unknown (“Wiss??” or similar spelling uncertain)
Very little is currently known about Acheson’s first wife. Family records suggest she died in childbirth in 1882.
Child from First Marriage
- Robert Wiss O’Brien
The middle name “Wiss” may preserve the mother’s maiden name, although the exact spelling remains uncertain.
Second Marriage
Acheson later married:
Julia Anna Bloss Gier (also spelled Geer)
- Born: 1863, Germany
- Died: 8 September 1927
Marriage
- 11 March 1891
- Manhattan, New York
(Source: New York, New York Extracted Marriage Index, 1866–1937)
Julia had previously been married and brought a daughter into the marriage:
Stepdaughter
- Trena Gier (Geer)
It is possible Julia named her daughter after a younger sister named Trena, who appears in the 1880 U.S. Census at age 12.
Child from Second Marriage
- Augusta Bessie O’Brien
Life in Connecticut
By 1900, Acheson was living in New Haven, Connecticut, where he worked as a:
- Motorman
(Source: 1900 U.S. Federal Census)
A motorman typically operated electric streetcars or trolleys, an important and skilled urban transportation job during the rapid industrial growth of American cities at the turn of the century.
Death and Probate
Records from the:
Calendars of Wills and Administrations, 1858–1922
(National Archives of Ireland)
state that Acheson O’Brien:
- Lived on Grand Avenue, New Haven, Connecticut
- Worked as a motorman
- Died in November 1905
- Left an estate valued at approximately 10 pounds
Administration of the estate was granted in Dublin to:
- Robert O’Brien
The probate calendar lists the death date as 20 November 1905, while other family records give 14 November 1905. This discrepancy may reflect the difference between the actual date of death and the date probate proceedings were recorded.
The O’Brien Surname
The surname O’Brien derives from the Irish:
- Ó Briain — meaning “descendant of Brian”
The name is associated with the famed High King of Ireland:
Brian Boru
who died in 1014 after the Battle of Clontarf. The surname traditionally conveys meanings associated with nobility, eminence, or high status and remains one of the most common surnames in Ireland today.
(Source: IrishRoots and traditional surname histories)