The Atckison family are related to the Kennedy family through the marriage of James Kennedy (1868) and Mary Atckison (1869). Mary is the daughter of Charles Atckison and mother of Hazel Kennedy who wrote a letter that circulates on the Internet. Unfortunately, the letter has some elements of truth and fiction.
Before I qualify her letter, I thought it would be important to provide the details on the Kennedy family’s origin before they arrived in Minnesota. James parents were Patrick Kennedy and Mary Dunn. Here’s their genealogy information:
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Patrick Kennedy
Born: Abt 1821, St. John, Newfoundland, Canada
Married: 22 Oct 1852, Guysborough, Nova Scotia, Canada
Died: 9 Sep 1899, Burns, Anoka, Minnesota
Parents:
Father: Donald Kennedy
Born: 1791, Newfoundland, Canada
Married: Abt 1822, Guysborough, Nova Scotia, Canada
Died: 11 Sep 1874, Guysborough, Nova Scotia, Canada
Mother: Bridgette
Born: Abt 1787, County Kilkenny, Ireland
Died: Bef 1874, Guysborough, Nova Scotia, Canada -
Mary Bridget Dunn
Born: Abt 1829, Guysborough, Nova Scotia, Canada
Died: 3 Jan 1899, Burns, Anoka, Minnesota
Parents:
Father: Hugh Dunn
Born: 1799, Merigomish, Pictou, Nova Scotia, Canada
Donald and James Kennedy appear to be brothers, and their father appears to be Issac Kennedy, mustered out from the Duke of Cumberland’s Regiment in Palisadoes, Jamaica the 24th of August 1783; and he subsequently was transported to Nova Scotia, Canada during the same year. He served in the 2nd Battalion in Captain Gideon White’s Company. The majority of the Duke of Cumberland’s Regiment was mustered from South Carolina loyalists and captured rebels held in Charleston prisons. Hugh’s father was William Dunn, and he mustered out from the Royal North Carolina Regiment in Nova Scotia in November 1783. The Royal North Carolina Regiment was mustered in 1779 from North Carolina refugees in Augusta, Georgia. It took major roles in the capture of Charleston, South Carolina; and was with Cornwalis at Yorktown when the British surrendered.
Patrick Kennedy and Mary Dunn were married and began raising their family in Salmon River, Guysborough, Nova Scotia, Canada. They resided in Guysborough, Nova Scotia, Canada until after the Canada Census, 1871; and they arrived in Anoka, Anoka, Minnesota after the Minnesota State Census in 1875. Donald and Bridgette are listed in the Canada Census, 1871, co-habitating with Patrick’s family; it appears that he’s their father. Here’s the extract from the 1871 Canada Census:
It’s unclear exactly when the Kennedy’s moved from Canada to Minnesota, but there are many from Nova Scotia that moved to Anoka County Minnesota and the vicinity. Patrick’s obituary indicates 1873 but it seems more likely that it was after his father’s death in 1874 and before 1875 as qualified below.
The Anoka Herald, 22 Sep 1899
Another Old Settler Gone
Patrick Kennedy of Burns died at his home last week Thursday, September 14, at the age of 76. His wife died about eight months ago, and from that time to the day of his death a gradual failing in his health was perceptible, but he was confined to his bed only a few hours before his death. Deceased was born in St. John’s, New Foundland, afterword re-moving to Nova Scotia, and coming to Anoka County in 1873, where he resided till his death. His children are four sons and three daughters, the former being John, James, Hugh and Richard, and the daughters, Jane, Judith, Eliza. Mr. Kennedy was a man of absolute integrity and uprightness and was esteemed and respected by a large circle of acquaintences. His funeral was held at St. Stephen’s church Saturday, and was attended by a very large number of his friends.
The obituary shorts the number of sons, and drops Donald and Patrick. The age from the obituary differs by two years; I’ve opted for the date provided in virtually all record sources because Patrick’s are listed very consistently. It also lists their arrival in Minnesota as before the Minnesota 1875 State Census (in 1873). Originally, I missed them in the Minnesota Territorial Census, but I found them and confirmed their arrival in Minnesota before 1875.
They are not living in Anoka county in 1875 but rather in Dayton, Hennipen county. The following is taken from the physical Minnesota Territorial Census, and demonstrates that both Patrick’s and Mary’s parents were born in Canada. Patrick’s were born in Newfoundland, and Mary’s were born in Nova Scotia; and this would put to rest where Donald was born except the 1871 Canada Census says Patrick’s parents were born in Ireland.
It appears that the Kennedy family moved to Anoka county after the 1880 Federal Census. A summary of the 1880 US Federal Census finds them still residing in Dayton, Hennipen, Minnesota.
There are at least two arrivals in Boston for Patrick Kennedy. One with his daughter Judy in 1873 and one by himself in 1884. It seems clear that they had adequate funds to travel, but it’s unclear how they actually immigrated as a family. It appears that they traveled across Nova Scotia and probably through Toronto, as did most immigrants from eastern Canada to Minnesota. No records support this conjecture, and likewise no immigration records in Boston support the immigration of the entire family.
The frequency of Kennedy families in the area makes it hard to know who belongs in this family unless you have specific knowledge. My knowledge came from my grandmother, Margaret Mary Atckison, who was the niece of James Kennedy. Here are the children of Patrick and Mary Kennedy and the siblings of James Charles Kennedy:
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Jane Kennedy
Born: Abt 1856, Guysborough, Nova Scotia, Canada
Married: 22 Feb 1897, Anoka, Anoka, Minnesota
Whom: Michael Casey
Died: 27 Oct 1935 -
Hugh Kennedy
Born: 12 Aug 1857, Guysborough, Nova Scotia, Canada
Married: Unknown
Died: 8 Apr 1914, Anoka, Anoka, Minnesota -
John Kennedy
Born: Abt 1859, Guysborough, Nova Scotia, Canada
Married: Unknown
Died: 30 Nov 1905, Anoka, Anoka, Minnesota -
Donald Kennedy
Born: 7 Jan 1861, Guysborough, Nova Scotia, Canada
Married: Unknown
Died: 24 May 1891, Milaca, Mille Lacs, Minnesota -
Judith Mary Kennedy
Born: Abt 1864, Guysborough, Nova Scotia, Canada
Married: Unknown
Died: 25 Jan 1939, Milaca, Mille Lacs, Minnesota -
James Kennedy
Born: 30 Oct 1866, Guysborough, Nova Scotia, Canada
Married: 26 Jun 1894, Anoka, Anoka, Minnesota
Whom: Mary Catherine Atckison
Died: 2 Feb 1930, Anoka, Anoka, Minnesota
Burial: 5 Feb 1930, Anoka, Anoka, Minnesota -
Patrick Kennedy
Born: 4 Jan 1867, Guysborough, Nova Scotia, Canada
Married: Unknown
Died: 16 Oct 1892, Burns, Anoka, Minnesota -
Richard Kennedy
Born: 5 Jun 1869, Guysborough, Nova Scotia, Canada
Married: Unknown
Died: 21 Nov 1949, Anoka, Anoka, Minnesota -
Eliza Kennedy
Born: 1 Dec 1871, Guysborough, Nova Scotia, Canada
Married: Unknown
Died: 5 Dec 1909, Minneapolis, Hennepin, Minnesota
Here’s a screen shot from the Minnesota 1885 State Census before any of the children were married. Click on the image to see the full size view.
Having provided the correct information on the Kennedy family of Anoka, Minnesota, here’s the letter left by James’s daughter Hazel Kennedy with italicized parenthetical remarks qualifying grandparents and great-grandparents:
This is the way I have the history. There were two Atckison boys, Michael and Charles. Both born in London, England. it seems to me they lost their father and their mother married again. The stepfather was not Catholic and he would send Charles on to school if he would give up his religion. But he refused.
Mike left England and came to into the United States by the way of Canada. He got a job, saved his money and sent for Charles to come to the U.S. He also came to Minnesota by the way of Canada. (There are no Canadian records to support this, but it’s possible. However, immigration records can be found for Michael arriving in 1848 and Charles in 1851 through New York.) Finally, the civil war broke out and Mike, being older, enlisted at a very early age around 14 or 15. At first he was a drummer boy but as time went on he joined the Calvalry. I saw his saddle with bullet holes in it because he had it home on the farm. But when the house burned down, the saddle was burned also. He came through the war without being wounded. (Actually, Michael (Atchison) was 33 when the war started and enlisted in the 8th Minnesota Infantry and served as a private throughout the war. It should be noted that the 8th Minnesota fought as a mounted infantry regiment, and Company A represents enlistees from Anoka County. They were assigned to the Chippewa Agency in Anoka by December 1862, as a result of the US-Dakota War of 1862. They fought various indian skirmishes through 1864 when they were assigned to the 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 23rd Corps; and they followed Hood to the Tennessee river. Lastly, they were assigned to North Carolina in March 1865 where they did provost guard duty in Raleigh until 12 May 1865 when they were ordered to Charlotte, where they were ordered home to Minnesota and mustered out of service 11 Jul 1865.)
Mike married a girl named Shay and Charles a girl named Kathleen Murphy. She was from Lama, Ohio. (No records support this claim.) I am not sure about the town. Her death was due to a blow on the head. One afternoon, she made a social call at the school to visit the teacher. On the way home, a neighbor, Mrs. Daly, approached her at the fork of the road and hit her over the head with a board. She was never the same after that. No doubt had a blood clot on the brain. She was sent away for treatment but it never helped much. If it had happened today there might be some hope. The reason for hitting her was that Mrs. Daly thought she was telling the teacher something about her. That was all wrong for her name was not mentioned. Kathleen was a very pleasant and jolly person. Was well liked in the community. (This is a fable constructed to protect the grandchildren, like Hazel, from knowing that Catherine [nee Murphy] Atckison suffered from what would be called post pardum depression and she died in a Sanitorium in Los Angeles. Those records are held by the Anoka County Genealogical Society.)
I was informed by some of the old timers that Charles had a beautiful tenor voice; they always had him sing at gatherings and parties. Mike has three children: George (never married), Frank (had one daughter – Anna), and Mary Jane. Charles: John (Children – Bertha, Margaret, Agnes, John, Genevieve and Evelyn), Jim (Children – Inez, Raymond and Ed.), Mike, Henry (had one child – died very young), David (died very young 15 Oct 1885 – a tree fell on him when they were cutting wood.), Margaret (died 1 July 1895) and Mary (7).
After my long search, I did find an old dilapidated book that Charles kept records for the school. He was treasurer for the School District 23 dated back to 1878. He was a very good penman (Interesting, since most records list him as illiterate.). He spelled his name Atckison (the more conventional spelling is Atcheson or Atchison and that would make the name of Scottish origin most like though the James plantation of Ireland after the unification of the crowns in 1603). Looking through, I found where they paid Hannah C. Ward for teaching – Uncle Jims wife. I also found when Grandmother and Grandfather died.
Grandmother (Catherine Atckison) – November 15, 1892
Grandfather (Charles Atckison) – August 5, 1902
David (Murphy) – October 15, 1885
Maggie (Honora Murphy) – July 1, 1895
No records of birth given.
As I understand it, the name Atckison is English. I think the boys kept their own name. The stepfather was connected with the English Parliment. (It’s surreal where this idea comes from because all state and federal census records state their birth as Ireland; and so do their immigration records.) I must say this was a long time coming. No one seems to know any of the background. I hope this helped you out.
Hazel Kennedy
p.s. the house on the Atckison farm is still there but the barn is gone. the land is being sold into lots.
The origin of Michael and Charles Atckison appears to be Ireland based on all state and federal documents. It also appears that Charles was living in Sligo, Ireland when the Griffith’s Primary Valuation was taken in 1851. Further research needs to isolate the parish and determine if there are records for that period. As a rule, written parish records don’t exist in the rural Irish parishes before 1829.
If you have updated information or source information you’d like added please email me through the contact page.