Acton, County Armagh
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Acton is a small village in County Armagh, Northern Ireland, about a half mile north of Poyntzpass. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 78 people. It is situated within the Armagh City and District Council area.
[edit] History
Lieutenant Charles Poyntz was granted 200 arces of land around the Poyntzpass area in 1608. He was originally a native of Acton, in Gloucestershire, England. He built a house on the land near Poyntzpass and brought families from England to live there and help him secure the land. The village built from the settlement is called Acton, which is one mile outside Poyntzpass.
The village was originally founded by Sir Toby Poyntz, who, for his military services, obtained a grant of 500 acres of land, part of the forfeited estates of the O'Hanlons, and erected a bawn 100 feet square, a house of brick and lime for his own residence, and 24 cottages for so many English settlers, and called the place Acton, after his own native village in England. It consists of one main street, and in 1837 contained about 50 houses "indifferently built".
[edit] References
- NI Neighbourhood Information System
- Acton Cemetery
- Poyntzpass History
- Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, 1837
