James Apjohn 1796 to 1886
The Apjohn family of South Hill, Mount Merrion Avenue
Thomas Apjohn married Anne Beahan
born circa 1768 12 May 1793 born circa 1773
died 8 Dec 1846 (78) died 11 Nov 1843
Thomas Apjohn born circa 1768 of Longfield, Co Limerick married Anne Beahan of Adare, Co Limerick
on 12 May 1793. Thomas was a tax collector and they lived at Sunville House, Pallas Green (Grean).
Anne died at Pallas Green on 11 Nov 1843. Thomas died 8 Dec 1846 at Pallas House, Pallas Green,
Limerick and left 1K in personal estate.
1 Sophia Apjohn, second daughter married Patrick Kearney, a civil Engineer on 12 Jan 1832 at
Limerick.
2 Thomas Apjohn married Anne Barnes, eldest daughter of Thomas Barnes of Harrington
Street at St Peter’s Church Dublin on 11 May 1841. Thomas died on 12 Apr 1865 at Pallas
House.
1 Thomas Barnes Apjohn born at Harrington Street on 31 May 1842.
3 James Apjohn, born circa 1796 at County Limerick. He graduated Trinity in 1817 and MB 1821.
He was MD of Chemistry working at the Royal College of Surgeons in 1830 and published a
number of papers. He was also part of a team that surveyed and investigated the Mitchelstown
caves when they were discovered in 1832. He took on a number of commissions including
testing Guano and endorsed a few products. He also tested the mineral content on land in Joyce’s
Country, Galway for Lords Charlemont and Leitrim to determine was the land suitable for
mining. He was a member of the RIA and on the Committee of Science and was awarded the
Cunningham medal for his paper Upon a New Method of Investigating the Specific Heat of Gases. He
made an analysis of a Meteoric Stone which fell near Adair, in the county of Limerick which was
also published by the RIA. He married Annie White at Doon Church in June 1833. Annie was the
daughter of Richard White of Kilmoylan, Co Limerick. He was professor of Mineralogy in 1845
and Professor of Chemistry in 1850 at Trinity. They lived at Baggot Street for a number of years
and at South Hill on 11 acres from 1858. He was Chemist to the Royal Agricultural Society of
Ireland in the 1860’s and is credited with having developed the rational formula for determining
the humidity in air (dewpoint). He also discovered a manganese aluminium sulphate mineral which
became known as Apjohnite. James died at South Hill on 2 Jun 1886 and was buried at Mount
Jerome. He left 23K in personal estate, his son in law John Barton was one of the executors.
Annie was a collector of marine plants and in 1855 has a new species named after her. She died at
Stillmount, Londonderry on 22 Jan 1902 aged 92 at the home of her daughter Rebecca and was
buried with her husband. James' collection of minerals catalogued by him in 1850 is in the
Geological Museum, TCD. A painting of James by Sir Thomas Jones was bequeathed by his
daughter Rebecca to the Kings & Queens College of Physicians, Dublin in 1920.
1 Anne Apjohn born 2 Nov 1834 at 28 Baggot Street, baptised at St Peters.
2 Thomas Apjohn born 29 May 1836 at 28 Baggot Street baptised at St Peters.
3 Mary Apjohn born 22 Aug 1837 at Sunville, Co Limerick (the seat of Thomas Kearney). Mary
married John Killock Barton at Booterstown Church 19 Apr 1860. John was the son of John
Barton of Stone House.
4 Rebecca Apjohn born 19 Mar 1841 at 28 Baggot Street baptised at St Stephen’s Church married
widower Maurice Charles W Hime, Headmaster of Foyle College on 8 Jul 1887 at Booterstown
Parish Church. Maurice was the son of John Charles & Susan Hime. One of his sons; John
Godfray Whiteside Hime born circa 1872 to Margaret Robinson at Armagh lived with them.
Rebecca died 17 Sep 1919 at Inishowen aged 78. A book of verse, called Christmas Roses by
Maurice and Rebecca was published after her death in 1921 Maurice died 11 Nov 1924 at
Inishowen aged 83.
5 Sophie Apjohn youngest daughter born circa 1843 died 29 Jul 1845 at Abington near
Shanganagh.
6 James Henry Apjohn born 24 Apr 1845 at 32 Baggot Street baptised at St Peters. He graduated
Trinity and worked as an engineer. He was appointed to the Indian Public Works Department
in 1868 and moved there in 1869. He married Priscilla Elizabeth Miller nee Hallam, widow of
Rev A Miller at Balasore, Orisaa, Bengal on 9 May 1870. James was an engineer with the
Calucutta Port Commissioners and in charge of the Kidderppore docks. He retired in 1901 and
patented an 'Apparatus for Cleaning Carriage, Motor Car and other Windows' which used
brushes/wipers and could be driven by hand or motor. He also patented a gear system for cars.
Priscilla died at Chelsea in 1902 aged 64.
1 Mabel Apjohn born 30 Sep 1872 at South Hill married Clarence Edward Lee, son of
Leonard Harner Lees on 29 Oct 1894 at Bengal, India. She secondly married Captain
Charles Murray Carter of the Indian Army at Bengal on 16 Dec 1899. Murray was the son
of Charles Alexander Edward Stapleton Carter.
James secondly married Martha Amanda Evans of Cincinnati in 1903 at Chelsea, London. James
died 4 Apr 1914 at Hammersmith. Martha died at Hammersmith in 1926 aged 74.
7 Richard Apjohn youngest son born 14 Jun 1847 at 32 Baggot Street baptised at St Peters was a
praelector (research lecturer) at Caius College, Cambridge and involved in chemical research.
He died 12 Sep 1877 aged 30 at the Midland Hotel in London and was buried at Mount Jerome.
© June Bow & Karen Poff – December 2021