Thomas Ackroyd

Life Story of Thomas Ackroyd

Thomas was the 10th and youngest child of Joseph Ackroyd and Ann Grayson. He was christened on the 10th of Dec, 1815 at Edlington, Yorkshire, England. He married Susannah Holmes in 1838, the daughter of John Holmes and Caroline Bawdwen. They had one son born to them in the Parish of Conisbrough on the 7th of August 1846. His name was Walter. A second son was born on March 31, 1849 at Rotherham. His name was Charles John Ackroyd.

Thomas earned his living in Yorkshire as a miner. In 1850 Thomas left his family in England and immigrated to the United States, to the state of Illinois. In 1851, his wife, Susannah followed with her two sons. On arriving in America, they stopped for a short time in La Salle County, then moved to Hennepin, Putman County, Illinois. In December of 1852 a daughter was born to them which they named Caroline.

While in Illinois, Thomas worked at a variety of jobs. It was while working on a canal boat in the summer of 1854, near Chicago, that Thomas came in contact with cholera. He came home from work ill and within a couple of days passed away. His death date was Aug 10, 1854. His wife, Susannah, came down with the same illness and died 3 days later on the 13th of August, 1854. Both were buried in lot #305, Hennepin graveyard.

The three children were sent to live with kindly neighbors. Walter was sent to live with a farmer named Smiley Shepherd. Charles went to live with the local blacksmith, a man by the name of John Margeson and Caroline was given to a couple by the name of Celista and Daniel Matthews.

Copyright © Beverley Kent Ackroyd 2003