Markethill and its surrounding district rest quietly in the heart of rural County Armagh. Within a six-kilometre radius of the town of Markethill there is a cluster of small towns and villages, connected by narrow winding roads, nestling into the beauty of the Orchard County landscape. A traveller unfamiliar with the area would be quite likely to stumble upon any of these rural communities by happy accident. What attracts so many to the area is that unspoilt beauty of the countryside in delicate harmony with the small village communities dotted throughout the locality. Many families of this area can trace their roots in this land through many generations, lending the district a friendly community atmosphere.
At the heart of this network of rural communities is the town of Markethill. Though many pass en route to the ecclesiastical City of Armagh, to pass by is to miss an important part of the history of this area. Those who take time to study the tapestry of our local rural history will not be disappointed.
TIMELINE
| YEAR | EVENT |
|---|---|
| Pre AD800 | The Celts, St.Patrick and the coming of Christianity |
| 800-1014 | Viking invasions, Battle of Clontarif |
| 1014-1250 | Normaninvasions |
| 1250-1450 | Normanpower in decline |
| 1450-1541 | Englishreassert control in Ireland |
| 1541-1598 | KingHenry VIII declared King of Ireland |
| 1549 | Defeat of Gaelic Ulster Lords English Prayer Book to be used in Ireland |
| 1600 | Erectionof a fortress at Mountnorris |
| 1603 | JamesVI of Scotland ascends the throne of England |
| Endof Nine Years War and Gael hold on Ulster | |
| 1605 | Sir Arthur Chichester made Lord Deputy of Ireland to oversee plantation |
| 1607 | Flightof the Earls |
| 1609 | Plantationof Ulster begins in Co.Armagh |
| 1610 | HenryAcheson granted 1000 acres |
| 1617 | Firstcastle built in Markethill |
| 1619 | JamesHamilton granted 1000 acres at Hamiltonsbawn |
| 1625 | CharlesII ascends the throne |
| 1628 | SirArchibald Acheson made Baron of Nova Scotia |
| 1630 | MusterRolls details landlords and tenants able to fight in case of conflict |
| 1634 | Deathof Sir Archibald Acheson and his son Patrick |
| 1641 | Rebellion by native Irish Mullabrack Parish Church, Acheson Castle destroyed Rectors of Loughgilly and Mullabrack murdered |
| 1642 | GeneralMunro sent by Scottish Parliament to defend settlers |
| 1646 | GosfordGrand Gate Lodge rebuilt |
| 1649 | Charles I executed Oliver Cromwell lands in Ireland |
| 1660 | CharlesII proclaimed King |
| 1662-1679 | ScottishKirk being forced to accept Bishops - more Scots flee to Ulster |
| 1664 | HearthTax Census adopted |
| 1667 | Actof Uniformity - all holders of office must take Oath of Supremacy |
| 1685 | Death of Sir George Acheson James II ascend throne |
| 1688 | Siege of Derry |
| 1689 | WilliamIII and Mary II ascend the throne |
| 1690 | Williamitevictory over James at Battle of Boyne |
| 1695 | Introduction of Penal Legislation against Catholics Sir Nicholas Acheson elected MP for Co.Armagh |
| 1696 | Beginningof 11 year famine in Scotland - thousands more arrive in Ulster |
| 1701 | Deathof Sir Nicholas Acheson |
| 1702 | Anneascends the throne |
| 1704 | TestAct excludes Presbyterians from many offices |
| 1717 | Riotsin Armagh |
| 1719 | Presbyterianlegitimised |
| 1727 | SirArthur Acheson elected MP for Mullingar |
| 1728-1730 | Visitsto Gosford of celebrated author Jonathan Swift |
| 1741 | Archibald,son of Sir Arthur, elected MP for Dublin University |
| 1749 | Deathof Sir Arthur Acheson |
| 1761 | SirArchibald Acheson elected MP for Armagh |
| 1770-1773 | Cropfailures forces many to emigrate |
| 1776 | Sir Archibald elected MP for Borough of Enniskillen Sir Archibald made Baron of Gosford of Markethill |
| 1785 | SirArchibald elevated to the peerage |
| 1790 | Deathof Sir Archibald Acheson |
| 1791 | Foundingof United Irishmen |
| 1793 | SirArthur Acheson appointed Colonel of Armagh Militia |
| 1795 | Battleof the Diamond |
| Formationof Orange Order | |
| 1796 | Orangemenparade through Gosford Demesne on 12th July |
| 1797 | SirArthur elected MP for Armagh |
| 1798 | Rebellion led by United Irishmen Members of Armagh Militia capture French colours at Co.Longford |
| '1800 | Act of Union with Britain Founding of an agricultural school by Lord Gosford |
| 1805 | AchesonHouse in Gosford Demesne burned down |
| 1806 | SirArthur is made Earl of Gosford |
| 1807 | Deathof Sir Arthur Acheson |
| 1815 | Openingof Gosford School |
| 1818 | Typhusoutbreak in Markethill |
| 1819 | ThomasHopper designs new castle |
| 1821 | Reportof William Grieg into financial affairs of Gosford Estate |
| 1822 | ArchibaldAcheson becomes Lord Lieutenant of Armagh |
| 1822 | Newcloth market opened in Markethill |
| 1830 | MullabrackParish church rebuilt |
| 1830 | Circulartower added to Gosford Castle |
| 1842 | Armagh workhouse opened Markethill replacement courthouse built |
| 1846 | Newband organised in Markethill |
| 1846-1849 | PotatoFamine |
| 1847 | Soup Kitchen financed by Lord Gosford North-west family wing added to the Castle |
| 1859 | '59Revival, spiritual reawakening |
| 1861 | MarkethillRailway Station constructed |
| 1864 | Deathof Sir Archibald Acheson |
| 1869 | Disestablishmentof the Church of Ireland |
| 1888 | Bassett Guide to Co.Armagh published Coal veins found in the Parish of Mullabrack |
| 1889 | ArmaghRailway disaster, 78 killed |
| 1914 | Outbreak of World War One Sir Archibald Acheson wounded during the war |
| 1916 | EasterRising in Dublin |
| 1918 | Endof World War One |
| 1920 | Stateof Northern Ireland formed |
| 1921 | Contents of Gosford Castle auctioned |
| 1922 | Deathof Sir Archibald Acheson |
| 1939 | Outbreakof World War Two |
| 1940 | American soldiers guard German prisoners of war in Gosford Castle |
| 1954 | Deathof Archibald Acheson |
| 1957 | Closure of Markethill railway station Death of Captain Patrick Acheson |
| 1958 | Gosfordpurchased by Department of Agriculture |
| 1960 | By-passconstructed around Markethill |
| 1961 | Deathof John Stanley Alexander Archibald Acheson |
| 1969 | Startof 'The Troubles' |
| 1969-1971 | BritishArmy billeted at Gosford Castle |
| 1971 | Firstterrorist bomb in Markethill |
| 1985 | Gosfordvault at Mullabrack Parish Church reopened for burial of Norah Acheson |
| 1989 | GosfordCastle bought by Smyth and O'Neill |
| 1991 | Terroristbomb destroys Spence Bryson weaving factory |
| 1998 | GoodFriday Agreement |
| 2000 | Openingof Markethill courthouse as a community venue and restaurant |