Old Urney Cemetery
The Herdmans of Sion Mills: A Family Who Built a Village, Led in War, and Cared for the PoorThe quiet headstones of Old Urney Cemetery tell the story of one of Tyrone’s most influential families – the Herdmans of Sion Mills – whose vision shaped industry, community, and philanthropy for over a century.
Here rest:
- Emerson Crawford Herdman, K.B.E., H.M.L. (1869–1949) – industrialist, Justice of the Peace, and soldier. As a captain in the North Irish Horse, he went to France in 1914 and was promoted to Major. At home, he was a prominent sportsman, captaining Strabane Harriers and Strabane Golf Club.
- Olive Mary Herdman (1871–1969), Emerson’s wife, who outlived him by 20 years and saw the mill through changing times.
- John Patrick Herdman (1906–1987) and Dorothy Mary Herdman (d. 1996), the next generation of a family that continued the Sion Mills legacy.
- John Herdman (d. 1903), his wife Mary (d. 1906), and their little daughter Selina Violet (d. 1878), reminding us of the family’s deep roots in Carricklee.
- Fanny Alice Herdman (1844–1916), remembered as a great philanthropist. So beloved was she that work at Herdman’s Mill was suspended so the entire village could grieve. Her remains were brought home from Dublin and she is mother to Captain J.C. Herdman.
- Emerson Tennent Herdman (d. 1918) and Adelia Maud Herdman (1866–1952), who maintained the family estate and its traditions into the early 20th century.
The stones at Old Urney record milestones in the story of a family whose work transformed Tyrone, combining enterprise with compassion, leadership with generosity.