Lincoln's Longford links explored

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Lincoln's Longford links explored

Former American President Abraham Lincoln's late wife carried strong Longford links, historical experts have claimed.
The wife of the United States' 16th President, Mary Ann Todd became America's First Lady after what some records describe as a "hesitant two year courtship".

But it is Ms Todd's family lineage and the revelation that her paternal great grandfather David Levi Todd may have come from Longford which has researchers feverishly sifting through her family tree.

Leading members from Longford's Historical Society who are heading up the study said indications of Ms Todd's midlands association cropped up almost by chance.

"It (research) is in the very early stages and just came about during other research that I was doing," the organisation's vice chairman Aidan O'Hara explained.

Despite there being no family by the name of Todd still resident in Longford, preliminary findings show a clutch of Todds living in the Clonguish area around 1854.

Historians are also looking to focus much of their attention on the connection, if any, a townland in the area called Toddstown may have on the 'Todd-Lincoln' association with Longford.

Whatever the precise nature of the Todds' relationship with Longford, the possibility of one of America's greatest ever leaders marrying a "Longford woman" is sure to stoke plenty of interest amongst genealogical connoisseurs over the coming weeks.

The Co. Longford Historical Society is therefore interested in hearing from anyone who may have information with respect to families named Todd in the county, or neighbouring counties.

Source: Longford Leader