Several spellings of Acheson O’Brien’s first name appear in family records and historical documents, including:
- Acheson
- Achinson
- Atchinson
Such spelling variations were very common in the 19th and early 20th centuries, especially among immigrants. Census takers, clerks, and officials often recorded names phonetically, and individuals themselves sometimes used multiple spellings interchangeably.
Family Tradition and Oral History
According to family tradition, Atchinson O’Brien came from a prominent Protestant family in Northern Ireland and was studying to become a lawyer before immigrating to America.
The story says that he fell in love with a Catholic servant girl, whom he later married. This relationship reportedly caused a major rupture within the family. Atchinson’s father was said to have been an Orangeman — a member or supporter of the Orange Order, a Protestant fraternal organization strongly associated with Ulster unionism and anti-Catholic sentiment during the 19th century.
Family members recalled that his father “hated Catholics like poison” and disowned Atchinson because of the marriage. According to the story, he was forced to leave both the family home and his expected professional future.
Whether entirely factual or partly embellished through generations of retelling, the story reflects the intense religious and social divisions that existed in Northern Ireland during that era, particularly between Protestant and Catholic communities.
Immigration to America
After leaving Ireland, Atchinson and his wife emigrated to the United States around 1881.
They appear to have settled first in Illinois, where their son was born in 1882. Tragedy reportedly followed soon afterward when his wife died during childbirth after delivering an unusually large baby boy — family tradition says the child weighed 17 pounds at birth.
That child was:
- Robert O’Brien
The dramatic nature of the story may reflect family exaggeration over time, but infant size and fatal childbirth complications were far more dangerous in the 19th century than they are today.
Following the death of his first wife, Atchinson eventually relocated to Connecticut.
Life and Work in Connecticut
In Connecticut, Atchinson found employment as a:
- Motorman
A motorman operated electric trolley or streetcar systems, an important occupation during the rapid industrial growth of American cities in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Family accounts describe him as operating trolley cars in the New Haven area.
Second Marriage
After the death of his first wife, Atchinson married:
Julia Anna Bloss Geer
- Born: July 1863, Germany
- Immigrated to America in 1872
Together they built a blended family that included Julia’s daughter from an earlier relationship as well as children born to the marriage.
Children and Stepchildren
- Trena Gier (Geer) — stepdaughter
- Augusta “Bessie” O’Brien — daughter
- Julia Mae O’Brien — daughter
Death
According to family tradition, Atchinson died of a heart attack sometime after accidentally striking and killing a pedestrian with his trolley car.
No official accident or death records confirming the event have yet been located, but the story survived strongly within the family. Given the stressful and dangerous nature of early trolley transportation, such accidents were unfortunately not uncommon during that period.
Acheson O’Brien died in November 1905 in Connecticut.
1900 United States Federal Census
The 1900 U.S. Federal Census provides an important snapshot of the household shortly before Atchinson’s death.
Household of Atchinson O’Brien
Location: New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven
Acheson (“Atchinson”) O’Brien
- Head of household
- Age: 48
- Born: August 1851 in Ireland
- Both parents born in Ireland
- Immigrated to America in 1881
- Occupation: Motorman
Julia O’Brien
- Wife
- Age: 37
- Born: July 1863 in Germany
- Both parents born in Germany
- Immigrated to America in 1872
Trena Gier
- Stepdaughter
- Age: 8
- Born in Connecticut
- Father born in Connecticut
- Mother born in Germany
Robert O’Brien
- Son
- Age: 17
- Born in Illinois
- Both parents born in Ireland
- Occupation: Druggist
Robert’s occupation as a druggist at such a young age suggests he may have already been apprenticing or working in pharmacy-related employment, which later led to his career as a drug store manager.
Augusta “Bessie” O’Brien
- Daughter
- Age: 6
Historical Context
The life of Acheson O’Brien reflects several major themes common among immigrant families of the late 19th century:
- Religious conflict in Ulster Ireland
- Immigration and reinvention in America
- Dangerous industrial occupations
- Blended immigrant families
- Upward mobility through skilled labor and small business professions
Although many details remain unverified, the surviving records and oral traditions together paint the picture of a man who left Ireland under difficult personal circumstances and rebuilt his life in America through determination and hard work.
