McLaughlin Family

Unfortunately, federal and local records are sparse before 1880 in Minnesota. The best reference has been the Minnesota Territorial and State Census. Both are qualified as research material on the Atckison family. It is interesting to see the variation of spelling for this family over time. They are Atchison, Atckison, Atkins, Atkinson, Atkison, or Atkyson. They appear in the first Minnesota Territorial Census, taken in Burns Township of Anoka County during 1857.

The Anoka County Minnesota 1888 Plat Map prepared by the Anoka County Genealogical Society in June 2000 finds the spelling as Atckison on pages 12 and 14, which cover Burns Township.

Charles (abbreviated as Chas) Atckison owns 40 acres in Section 26 and 80 acres in Section 35. Charles father-in-law, David Murphy, owns an adjacent 40 acres in Section 35.

The spelling of the name undergoes many changes in the civil records. It appears that he immigrated with a birth date of 1831, which recurs from time-to-time. The only immigration record that comes close on Ancestry.com is 17 Jun 1851 on the Independence from Liverpool, which is the one consistent with my grandmother’s story. That they set sail from Liverpool. A Charles Atkinson is listed in Sligo, Ireland on the 1851 Griffith’s Primary Valuation; unfortunately, it’s impossible to confirm they’re the same person.

The following are some of the documentary evidence that support Charles Atckison’s life in Minnesota.

Minnesota Territorial and State Census of 1875

The screen shot was taken from Ancestry.com view of the census record. It is interesting to note that the birth place of his mother both represents and misrepresents the location. The computer rendered text dutifully repeats the census takers error. The error occurs because the original census worker carried down their dittos incorrectly in one column.

The actual entry to the census is captured in this combined image from two pages (you can click on the image to make it full size):

The misspelling is interesting because Charles’ probate records indicate he was illiterate. I was just provided with the probate information on his illiteracy this year (2009) by a cousin researching the same line. The fact is a substantial departure from the apocryphal story that he was the superintendent of the school and Eton educated. However, it gives more substance to the rationale that may have underpinned my grandmother’s choice to destroy the result of a professional genealogist in the 1960s.

Minnesota Territorial and State Census of 1885

The screen shot was taken from Ancestry.com view of the census record. It is interesting to note that the spelling changes to Atkinson. Assuming that the census was taken at the same time of year, a couple dates change. John A. Atckison’s birth date was provided by his daughter, Margaret Mary Atckison (my grandmother), to me in 1969. She insisted that I write it all down because her vision was injured and she could not do so.

A tremendous find is included in the actually census list. The ages and origins of David and Honora (often referred to by descendants as Hannah) Murphy. They are Catherine Murphy’s parents, which is a fact only known through the oral history my grandmother left.

The screen shot important for another reason but one less obvious. Catherine is added at the bottom of the list, as if they forgot about their mother. She’s actually not in Minnesota at this time but in a sanatorium in Los Angeles, California. We would probably call her condition severe postpartum depression based on today’s knowledge. She died in the sanatorium in 1892 and was buried in Anoka, Minnesota.

Minnesota Territorial and State Census of 1895

The screen shot was taken from Ancestry.com’s view of the census record. It is even less meaningful than the written record because this state census gives us the time they lived in local residence. At least, this record spells the name the same way it appears on my grandmother’s confirmation and how she said the name should be written.

The actual census record shows that his son Henry, daughter-in-law Kate, and their son George are living with him. Within a short year John will marry and Charles will move in with his son-in-law James Kennedy and daughter Mary.

This shows that Charles began his residence in Burns Township, Minnesota in 1856. It also shows that his oldest son was born in their in the same township.

1900 Federal Census

The federal census record shows Charles as a widower living with his son-in-law James Kennedy and his daughter Mary. We get a new surname spelling here, which differs from all other records. His name is recorded as Charles Atkyson.

Charles dies on 5 Aug 1902 in Anoka, Minnesota. There are no further public records, other than his citizenship application. They can be found under the name Charles Atchison, Anoka County, Minnesota, Reel 2, Code 8, Volume A, Page 241, Document Type: Second Papers, Years: 1871-1897, and Numbers: 1-385.