Re: Verdon Family Tree
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In reply to:
Verdon Family Tree
Simon Acland 12/03/09
I have attached an excerpt from a written history. The Verdon line from Ireland figured quite prominently:
Verdon Line (as written by my grandmother in the 1970’s)
Peter Verdon / wife unknown had child Edward M Verdon
Thomas Hammond/ wife unknown had child Jane Hammond
Edward M Verdon m. Jane Hammond, they had three children:
Thomas J. Verdon
Katherine Verdon
Mary Verdon
Edward M. Verdon ran off with the housekeeper to Paris leaving Jane and her 3 children. It was the scandal of the age!He subsequently came to San Francisco, changed his name to Brown and produced another family. Jane pursued him to California. I have seen a letter from some priest in Ireland to Jane saying “for God’s sake leave the poor man alone”.
Katie married somebody Fitzmaurice and had one daughter
Mary never married and was a charming delicate old lady
Thomas J. Verdon married Elizabeth Healy. They were my grandparents. They had one daughter, my mother, Olivia Marie who was born posthumously Jan 9th, 1880. Lizzie was eighteen at the time of her wedding and Thomas was twenty-two. He contracted yellow fever and jumped out of the window in the resulting delirium and died at age 23.
The Verdons and Hammonds were from Drogheda, Ireland where Thomas Hammond was the mayor in 1855. All I know about the Verdons is in a letter to me from Great Aunt Mary at the time of my marriage. There is a book in the Maryland Historical Society Library entitled “Irish Gentry” in which the Verdons are listed.All the Verdons spoke fluent French.
Letter of Mary Verdon to Harriet McCormick, 1936:
“Le Dieu en fie” (?)
The real motto of the Verdons some branches of the family use “Loy aute” but I like the other Harriet, Dear! I have not much to tell you as I have no records but must rely on my memory.
The Verdons came into England in the train of William the Conqueror.I have a faint recollection of our having had a copy of the “Roll of Bartelo Abbey” Among the ordained was a “De Verdonne” who seems to have been the first of the family in England. In 1173 a certain Bertrand de Verdon came into Ireland with Prince John – not very reputable company- who had been appointed by King Henry II his father, Lord of Ireland. This Bertrand received from John a grant of land in the northern part of County Lough adjoining Ulster. I think some Verdons still hold that land or rather some of it. In the thirteenth century a Franciscan Convent was founded in the town of Dundalk by John de Verdon. That is all I know about him, but I may be a little proud of him. The ruins are still there or were in 1871. Members of the family still hold some of the original grant I think. The “de” was dropped in the course of time. The last person to use it was my great grand-uncle Richard de Verdon. His brother, my great grand father Edward Verdon was distinguished for his great charity during the great famine. We had a martyr priest in the family who was shot for saying Mass, probably in Cromwell’s time. I understand that at the ordination of a Verdon, his vestments and his chalice is used, if possible. Some years ago, a cousin of my grandfather’s passed through here on his way to Rome from his see in New Zealand- Christ Church, I think. I asked about that story, he confirmed it and told me he had the chalice. That is all the more interesting events that I know. In my time, the members of the family were mostly lawyers and doctors. Nuns too were many; one of my cousins is in the Sacred Heart, a pretty old lady like me. Another is supervisor of the Assumption Convent in Mons, Belgium. Mother Verdon is in England.These two I have not seen since I was about five years old, but I corresponded for many years with another sister Kathleen Verdon who died two years ago (1934) Two other first cousins are a doctor in the Navy (he possibly was killed in the war (WWI) he was serving in the North Sea. His brother Michael Verdon has a rather (?) career. He was a civil engineer in the service of the present King of Spain. I fancy he is now living in Ireland, but I know nothing about them! Not much that is worth telling. What I find most attractive is the family motto “En Dieu se fie” May we always carry that and the other motto “Layaute” out and we shall be safe.
Love from;
Your old Grand Aunt
Mary Verdon
PS Your great great grand father’s home on the Boyne River near Drogheda where we spent many happy days was called Bayview. It is no longer in the possession of the family. Some great great on the Hammond side was Thomas Hammond of “Sheep House” on the other side of Drogheda. It was a charming place. His only descendants that I know of are Mary Hammond who lives or lived in Paris and her cousin Mayor Tom Hammond who lived in London.