Ellen Dorcas Harn Manuscript

ELLEN DORCAS HARN MANUSCRIPT INTRODUCTION Kenesaw, Neb., July 22, 1901 In order to discover the earliest trace of the Harn family we have endeavored to arrive at the primary meaning of the word Harn, or its root. Webster in his definition of the word harness had this to say: I. W. "harness, from harn, that is closely fitted". After giving the primary spelling of the word in different languages adds that; "The primary sense is to fit, prepare, or put on"; and in different languages it signifies not only harness, but furniture and utensils.” For the word harns in its plural sense then some authority gives as its definition "Brains" signifying, perhaps, furniture, utensils. The word harns in Scotland is used in the sense of brains. Mr. David D. Shearer, an intelligent and widely read Scotsman from near Edinborough, Scotland & a brother of Alexander Shearer, the eminent gardener of the Marquis of Tweedale, gave me this explanation of the commoner use of the word harn: "When a Scotsman gets angry at another Scotsman the angry man will draw his fist and say; I'll knock out your harns', meaning his brains." Webster, also, says that the word harns, in Scotland means brains. Burns in his poem, Tam O'Shanter, has this couplet: “Her cuty sark O'Paisly harn That, while a lassies, she had worn," And a footnote explains that the word harn means a coarse linen. Mr. Joseph E. Leighton, of Harnham, Belsay, Newcastle-on-Tyne England, writes me that "Harnham is a hamlet and the name is old Saxon for corner house. It may have been settled about a thousand years since. An ancestor of mine bought it about 200 years ago". Mr. Geoffory Hitt- as far as we can decipher the name- writes me from Harnham Vicarage, Saulsbury, England, that: "As far as I can see there is no connection between the surname Harn and the village of Harnham. What the meaning of Harn is I do not pretend to know. It may be another form of the common English surname Hearne", or even of Harn, but it is quite certain that Harnham does not mean the ham or home of people named Harn. Hoeran, as you will see by looking at an Anglo Saxon dictionary, means an estuary, or the mouth of a river; now from the position of Harnham it is certain that this is the harn or settlement at the mouth of the river. As estuary means an arm or corner of the sea the word harn leads us to the conclusion that in the above two cases it means corner- hence Harnhamor corner home, or rather home at the corner. So far as we have been able to trace any connection between Harnham, Harnhill, or Harnchurch with the surname Harn it gives us no light in tracing the family name. A letter from "The British American Heraldic Office, 22 South Moulton Street, - Oxford Street, London, England, of August 17, 1899, Mr. R.A. Hather, Manager, says: "We have come across the following in some genealogical manuscripts, formerly in the collection of a government official (an eminent geologist) and hasten to send it to you: Extract- Hearn, Hearne, Hearon and Heron appears to be one and the same family as shown by pedigrees upon record. The surname is prominent in Wales, Ireland and the United States as Harn or "Harne". There is a tradition in the Harn family that the name was originally Harnes, and because of some infraction of some English law the first settler in America fled from England and on reaching America dropped the final syllable to avoid detection. I have heard my father John Harn, (son of Caleb) tell this story frequently. I wrote to William Harn, son of Singleton, son of Denton Harn) of Unionville, Frederick County, MD., asking if he had ever heard of such a tradition. An extract from his answer runs thus: "I don't know anything about he old generations of Harns, only what father and mother (his father and mother were cousins) have told me. Their great grandfather was a Welshman-Left his country for some crime he committed. The original name was Harnes. He left off the es." So far as we have discovered no authentic record to vouch for the truthfulness of the above named tradition. There was a neighbor of my fathers- their farms lay adjoining and a portion of that farm became a part of the Harn farm under the ownership of my brother Thomas Wesley- whose not remote ancestors did come over with a "ball and chain". I have frequently heard my father say, rather boastingly, that if he was the owner of fewer houses and less lands than his neighbor his family record had no "ball and chain" attached to it. My father always referred to the traditional change of orthography and the reasons therefore in a light and jesting manner. He never attached any significant importance to it. Mr grandfather, Caleb, assumed towards it the same attitude. Because of the free and easy manner, as well as the publicity with which they spoke of it, the "crime", or infringement of the law, must have been of no serious nature. Had it been otherwise they would not have alluded to it in so trivial a manner. Both of them were proud gentlemen and touchily jealous of the honor of the family name. It is a matter in history that often in those days the early settlers, if not by law deported for its violation, made their escape voluntarily in order to escape its punishment. The shooting of small game for instance, on the preserve of the English nobility by the nobility, was considered a grave offence, but in our day and generation such trivial infringements of law by those who had no lot in their formation is of minor importance and little heed is attached to it. Mrs. Humphry Ward sets forth in forcible terms the difference of views as viewed from the two angles of visions of the nobility and commoners as regards the stealthy shooting of a hare or pheasant on the lands of the nobility. Be the tradition true or false, so far as we have authentic record, the family name has been wonderfully preserved from dishonor or disgrace, up to the present. My eldest brother, George Upton Harn, makes this statement on page 1 of his diary: "I have little to say about my parentage for I am unapprised of anything worthy of notice, except it be that my genealogy on both father's and mother's side could not be impeached with anything short of common honesty, so far as I am acquainted." It was a matter of family pride that their word was of as much value as a legally executed bond or deed. Though their educational advantages seldom rose above the common pay schools of the day their business abilities were not generally below par. So far as I know, not many of them became wealthy; certainly none of them were on the border of indigence. As a general thing they are independent, frugal livers of their day and generation. They were mostly farmers, mechanics, merchants, physicians, lawyers, editors etc. But few of them took to politics although they were deeply interested in everything that pertained to the best welfare of the country and its government. Some have attained to the legislatures of their respective states, some professors and presidents of colleges, some mayors of cities and some have received appointive offices of the general government, but none have made themselves widely known either by wealth, political attainments or in literature. We have no record to establish the fact, but my memory is very clear, that my father and grandfather always asserted that the first comer settled on the Severn River in Maryland. Younger members of the family than myself are certain that Philadelphia, Pa, is the initial settlement, and that the ancestors left property there that was never looked after by the heirs. William Harn, eldest son of Singleton Harn, son of Denton Harn, son of John Harn (1) my two sisters older than myself- Sarah A. and Susan C.- remember nothing of the settlement at Philadelphia. The stately forest trees that line its banks are doubtless the same whose leaves trembled as the tramping feet of Braddock's army woke the stillness of the forest on that memorable fruitless march to Fort Duquense. Somewhere along the vine clad dunes and the "bonny braes of this mystic stream lies buried the remains of the noted Indian chief Linganore, from whom the embryo river takes its name. The precise spot of this Indian mound is lost to human ken but the tenants of the valley hold in reverential memory the noble character of this woodland chieftain. A great, great, great granddaughter of this early settler, Minnie Tonka Williams- who was somewhat of a genius and also of a poetical temperament of no mean degree caught the musical cadence of the name of this valley and stream and when but a bit of a girl addressed to this valley the following scrap of sentiment. LINGANORE White are the torn clouds Scented by the breezes That float up the valley of fair Linganore Gone on the mountains The echo of cannon's mouth; Battle smoke darkens her summers no more. Pine trees of Linganore, Ceaselessly calling me, Oh, to repose in your shadows once more Lost there regretfulness, Found there forgetfulness, Found there the longed for, sweet Lethean shore. This bit of verse was written after a visit to her grandfather's home in the summer of 1868.

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