Richard Eason and Catherine Cameron

The Eason name comes from the Old English "Esne", meaning servant, laborer, man, thrall. Despite its lowly origin, Esne was a common personal name among the Anglo-Saxon ruling classes. However our Easons were working class and Irish Catholic. The men worked as plasterers and stonemasons. Our first known Eason was born in Ireland.

Birth

Richard was born in Ireland in 1813-1816 in Ardghy in Ireland, the son of Robert Eason (born 1779 in Ireland, died 1842 in Isle-of-Man) and Catherine Eason (born c 1790 Ireland, died 1841 Isle-of-Man).

Richard's wife Catherine Cameron was born in 1821 at Kirk Braddon on the Isle-o-Man.

Siblings

Richard's siblings were:

  1. Robertus Eason, born 1808 Ardycres, Ireland, died 1895 at Isle-of-Man, aged around 87. He married Susan Collins, born 1840 at Douglas, Isle of Man. She died 1868, aged around 28. They had 2 children:
    1. Robertus, born 1862 Isle-of-man, died 1863 Isle-of-man
    2. Mary Ann (1862-1895). Mary Ann married Robert Kaneen, born 1859 Isle-of-Man. They had 6 children:
      1. Robert Kaneen, 1883-1884 Isle-of-man
      2. Emily May Kaneen, born 1885 Isle-of-Man and died 1906
      3. Phillip Kaneen, born 1888 Isle-of-Man
      4. Mary Jane Kaneen, born 1890 Isle-of-Man
      5. Sarah Jane Kaneen, born 1893 Isle-of-Man
      6. Robert Kaneen, born 1895, Isle-of-Man
  2. Thomas Eason, born c 1829 in Ireland, death unknown. He married Mary McCartney, born 1829 and died 1894 at Ashton-under-Lyne Lancashire. They had 5 children
  3. Robert Eason, born 1833 in Ireland, died 1884 Kirk Braddon Isle-of-Man

Marriage

Richard and Catherine were married prior to 1845.

During the 1851 census the couple were living in Gaomer Street with three children Richard, Catherine and Thomas. Richard senior was a plasterer. At the time the following persons were also staying with the Easons:

  1. John Savage a lodger born c 1830 in Dublin, a Dresser
  2. Margaret Savage his wife, born c 1831 in Dublin, a Dressmaker
  3. Mary Finigan a lodger, born c 1834 in Liverpool, a Dressmaker
  4. Elizabeth Allen a lodger, born c 1829 in London M/S, a Miliner
  5. Thomas Foy a visitor, born c 1831 in London M/S, a Cigar Maker

Children

  1. Richard Eason 1845 - 1909
  2. Catherine Eason born 1846,
  3. Thomas Eason born 1850
  4. Jane Eason c 1853 Liverpool
  5. William Eason c 1854 Liverpool – 1915
  6. Martha F Eason c 1860 Liverpool

Nothing is known of Thomas, Jane or Martha as yet.

Death

Richard died about 1877, aged around 64 years, in Liverpool. Catherine died aged around 74 years in 1905, in West Derbyshire.

Liverpool in the 1800s

Liverpool had become prosperous through the slave trade in the 1700s. However slavery was abolished in 1807.

Many Irish came to Liverpool to escape the potato famine –300,000 starving people arrived in 1827, and many stayed on. It is likely our first known Eason was among them - Richard was born in Ireland and was living in Liverpool by 1851, with several Irish lodgers in his house. Liverpool was also the port of entry for migrants from Britain's far-flung colonies, and became one of Britain's first multicultural cities.

During the 1800s the city suffered a great deal of poverty, disease and death. Cholera was a major killer – in 1849 over 5,000 people died from cholera. In 1854 over a thousand died. An outbreak of Scarletina killed over a 1000 children in 1858. In 1866 another cholera outbreak killed over 2000 people. It is quite probable that disease killed some of the family of our first known Sisson, George. His wife had died by 1871, his son died in 1876 and two grandchildren in 1876 and 1878. His son in law also died before 1881, six years after marriage.

Liverpool was a miserable place for many people. The courtyard and back to back houses were small two story homes without running water or sanitation. Around 23,000 children were homeless or negelected in the 1850s. Many were Irish orphans.

Between 1830 and 1930 over nine million people set sail from the Mersey's docks to find a better life in Australia and the USA.