Harrington Family Research Bulletin

Volume 1, Number 1 January, 1989

Transcribed by: Al Boswell

boz@verinet.com

April 17, 1998

LETTER FROM THE EDITORIt is with both pride and humility that I present this first issue of the Harrington Family Research Bulletin. Having researched my own Harrington family line for many years, it is clear that there are records for numerous Harrington family progenitors across the country. Distinguishing between specific individuals and establishing links is indeed a formidable task.

My hope is that this quarterly newsletter will create a network of fellow Harrington researchers that will share the work of enlarging and expanding our separate Harrington pedigrees.

My long-range goal is for the Bulletin to help each of you trace your Harrington ancestry back to that illusive Harrington immigrant, and beyond. If you have already identified your Harrington immigrant, you are indeed fortunate and I hope you will share your success story with our readers.

I am in the process of creating a database of Harrington entries in Filby's Passenger and Immigration Lists Index and his yearly supplements. By sorting on various fields, I will be able to identify immigrants who traveled together, immigrants who migrated to or from a specific geographical area, immigrants who arrived in the same time period, etc. Some of these results will be published in the July issue of the HFRB.

One of the features in the next issue (April) will be a list of charter subscribers and, where available, information on their earliest known Harrington ancestors and their migration across America. The last issue for 1989 (October) will include an every name index for Volume I.

I welcome your comments and suggestions, and encourage you to submit biographies, family histories, ancestor and descendancy charts, Bible records, queries, and other pertinent materials dealing with Harrington ancestors anywhere, These will be printed and shared as space permits.

I look forward to working with each of you.

Sincerely,

Marilyn Brown

Editor

THE HARRINGTON SURNAME: ORIGIN AND SPELLING VARIATIONSAccording to Halberts of Bath, Ohio, probable spelling variations of the Harrington surname include:

A list of seventeen additional variations found in America was compiled by Charles B. Herendeen of Newark, New Jersey, These include:

Another possible variation is Arrington, which could be a phonetic spelling of Harrington pronounced with a Cockney accent.In the Latin census taken by William the Conqueror (1066-1087), and in the book ~Doomsday-, the name is spelled Harginton, Hargington, and Harynrton. Several early branches of the Harrington family descend from Robert de -Haverington, whose surname was shortened to Harrington in 1220 in the time of his greatgrandson Robert. (See page 8.)

Some orthographers agree that the name originally came from a fishing port and that the interlacing knot on this family's coat of arms represents a fishing net (see page 1). Halberts, however, interprets the name as "one who came from Harrington (the heath dwellers enclosure) in Northamptonshire" and "grandson of the tall or powerful man."

Included in The Harrington Family by George H. Harrington, notes dated 20 Hay 1929, p. 5. [A copy of this unpublished manuscript (929.2 H311-1) was found in the Los Angeles Public Library.]

ibid.

Herington, Kansas, located in Dickinson County, was founded in January 1884 by M.O. Herington, a local businessman. Twenty-seven miles from Abilene, Herington has a population of 2,930.

Also in Kansas is the small community of Herndon, located in the northwest corner near the Nebraska line in Rawlins County. Herndon was first settled in I878 and is a rich farming area in the Beaver Creek valley. Population is 220.

1. A. Harrington served 1861-65 with Company E, First Arkansas Infantry; filed Application No.19492 on 8 Aug 1908 from Pulaski County; died 16May 1935. His widow Sallie filed 26 Sep 1935.

2. A.J. Harrington served 1864-65 with Company E, Arkansas Calvary; filed Application No. 26061 in 1923 from Columbia County; died 18 Aug 1938.

3. B.G. Harrington served 1865 in Company A, llth Arkansas Calvary; filed Application No. 4775 on 20 Aug 1901 from Grant County; died 26 May 1903.His widow Lucy Ann filed 10 Aug 1903.

4. C.A. Harrington served 1861-1865 in Company D, First Arkansas Infantry; filed Application No.23 on 6 Aug 1903 from Arkansas County; died 25Mar 1917. His widow Sarah M. filed 8 Aug 1917.

5. R.R. Harrington served 1862-1865 in Company K, 37th Mississippi Infantry; filed Application No.15366 on 2 Aug 1910 from Clark County; died 15 Aug 1922. His widow Mrs. N.E.E. filed in 1922.

6. John Harrington served 1865 in Company F, 36th Mississippi Infantry; filed Application No. 6989 on 10 Aug 1911 from Marion County; died 25 July 1911. His widow Mary A. filed 12 Aug 1912.

7. W.W. Harrington served 1863-65 in Company E, Second Arkansas Calvary; filed Application No.18192 on 4 Aug 1909 from Grant County.

1. Cornelia Harrington, widow of B.N. Harrington, filed Application No. 8499 on 9 Aug 1906 from Ouachita County. H.W. Harrington served in Company K, Arkansas Calvary.

2. Margaret Harrington, widow of Mitchel Harrington, filed Application No. 24075 on 15Aug 1916 from Sebastian County. Mitchel Harrington served 1861-65 in AZ; died 22 Mar1913.

3. Cinthy Harriogton, widow of W. B. Harrington, filed Application No. 158 on 1 Jul 1992 from Columbia County. W.B. Harrington served in Company B; 19th Arkansas Regiment; died 15 May 1862.

4. Susan Herrington, widow of Philip Harrington, filed Application No. 6630 on 12 Aug 1903 from Lincoln County. Philip Harrington served 1863-65 in Company D, 15th Arkansas Regiment; died 14 Jan 1884.

Copies of individual pension files may be ordered from the Arkansas History Commission, One Capitol Mall, Little Rock, Arkansas 72201, at the cost of $5.00. Please note that when the Arkansas Pension Board was created in 1891 only indigent or disabled veterans, honorably discharged, and their unmarried indigent widows were eligible. The law was revised in 1915 to include some remarried widows and mothers of veterans. "Indigent" was defined as one who owned less than $500 in real estate or had an annual income of less than $250. Since all veterans were not disabled or indigent, this cannot be assumed to be a complete list of Harrington Confederate veterans and widows who resided in Arkansas after the Civil War.

Elizabeth W. Harrington to John W. Allison, bond dated 21 Dec 1849, marriage performed 27 Dec 1849.

Rosa Ann Herrington to Levi Darr, bond dated -27 Oct 1852, marriage performed 27 Oct 1852. Bondsman William Shaw.

1

Whitley, Edythe Rucker, Marriaqes of Gibson County. Tennessee 1824- 860, Genealogical Publishing Company, Inc., Baltimore, 1982.

To find the reference from which these entries were quoted, consult Filby's PILI or wait for the July issue of HFRB, which will carry a complete list of Harrington entries and sources.

Please note that multiple entries for the same name may indicate that reference to a single individual's immigration appears in several sources or that several individuals of the same name immigrated.

1

From Filby, William P., Editor, with Mary K. Meyer, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, Gale Research Company, Detroit, 1981, and his yearly supplements 1982 through 1988.

William Harrington...participated in the battle of Tippecanoe. of his two sons, James Harrington was afterward killed by the Indians in the ranging service at Fort Harrison, and Charles, his brother, was also wounded at the same place....

Judge Harrington had a large family of children, some of whom came to manhood and womanhood, among whom were James, Charles, Thomas and William, Elizabeth Truesdell, Sarah Casey, Jane (Mrs. Charles) Brownlee [born 15 Jan 1804 in NC] , Mary died young, Irene Jerald, and Emily. judge Harrington died in 1831.

2 Stormont, Gil R., History of Gibson County_, Indiana, B.F. Bowen & Co., Indianapolis, 1914, p. 52.

William Harrington was born in Utica, New York, April 15, 1812, son of John and AsL-nath (Marvin) Harrington, with whom he removed, when fifteen years of age, to Akron, Ohio, where he resided until 1834, when he migrated to St. Joseph county, Michigan, and located on Nottawa prairie within the present limits of the township of Mendon... He followed the business of farming in Mendon, Nottawa and Leonidas, and also the business of hotel- keeper in Centreville, and in Pawpaw, Van Buren county.

In 1855 he was elected sheriff of St. Joseph county, which position he held for four years. He was postmaster, also, of Mendon for a time, and justice of the peace for several years.

On the 19th day of January, 1840, Mr. Harrington married Lydia A., daughter of Moses Taft .. Mrs. Harrington was born in Ellicutt, Chautauqua county, New York, November 18, 1820, and removed with her father to Mendon in the year 1835. No children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Harrington.'

Mr. Harrington died the 12th day of October, 1873.

History of St. Joseph County, Michigan. L.H. Everts & Co., Philadelphia, 1877

BIOGRAPHIESSir Charles Harington 1 (1872-1940)British soldier; served in Boer War (1899-1900), World War (1914-18); commanded Black Sea army (1920-21); commanded Allied forces of occupation in Turkey (1921-23).- promoted general (1927) and commanded in India (1927-31). Aide-de-camp general to the king (1930-34),- governor and commander in chief at Gibraltar (1933-38).

English political theorist; author of The Commonwealth of Oceana (1656), and several tracts supporting his Utopian state.

English writer. Godson of Queen Elizabeth. Translated Ariosto's Orlando Purioso by command of Elizabeth; banished from court because of certain satires, including Metamorphosis of Ajax (1596). Accompanied Essex to Ireland (1598); attempted vainly to reconcile Elizabeth and Essex. Author of an account of Elizabeth's last days, a Tract on the Succession to the Crown, and an appendix to Godwin's De Praesulibus Angliae; his collected, epigrams were published in 1618.

English nobleman, cousin of Sir John Harington (1561-1612; entrusted by James I at his coronation (1603) with guardianship of Princess Elizabeth at Combs Abbey; saved Elizabeth from Gunpowder Plot conspirators (1605), escaping with her to Coventry; accompanied her to Germany on her marriage to elector palatine (1613); died on return journey. (He received a Royal Patent in 1613 for coining brass which he had done to reimburse himself for expenses caused by Elizabeth's extravagances; these tokens became known as 'Harringtons.')

American astronomer and meteorologist who graduated from the University of Chicago and did advanced studying in Leipzig. He was Professor of Astronomy in Chicago; Director of the observatory in Chicago; and, Director of the United States Weather Bureau until 1895 when he became President of the University of Washington. Founder of the "American Meterorological Journal."

1 Webster's Biograohical Dictionary, G. & C.

Merriam Co., Springfield, Mass., 1965.

2 Ibid.

3 Ibid.

4 Ibid.

5 Halberts of Bath, Ohio, Historiography of the

Harrington Family.

6. Ibid.

Robert Harrington of Watertown, Massachuttes (1634)

Frederick Lewis Weis' genealogy of Robert Harrington traces almost 1400 of his descendants, 985 of which are in the first six generations. Weis' work is probably well-known to most Harrington researchers, although a surprising number of them are not descended from this Harrington line.

This genealogy still can be of value to those of us not descended from Robert. Suppose your earliest known Harrington ancestor came from Windsor County, Vermont, and pertinent census records list five Harrington families in that county. By using Weis' book, you may be -able to eliminate several of these families as possible ancestors, leaving you free to concentrate on the remaining ones.

As another example, suppose your earliest known Harrington ancestor was born in Ohio. You might want to check this book for branches which migrated to or through Ohio. Were there any in the right age range to have been your ancestor's parents? Was there a similarly named Harrington whose line is not traced forward?

Even if none of these possibilities provide a clue, you still will have a list of Harrington names to refer back to while checking local records. You may even want to keep family group sheets on these other Harringtons, so that you can identify records which are not in your line.

There were at least three early Harrington families in New England and keeping them separate can be difficult. In addition to Robert, there were Abraham Harrington of Cambridge, whose male descent soon died out, said Benjamin Harrington of Providence, Rhode Island.' Some genealogists have claimed that these three were brothers, but Weis states emphatically that there is no evidence to support this.

Descendants of Benjamin Harrington, who generally spelled the name Herrington or Herrenden, settled in Rhode Island and eastern Connecticut. The Descendants of Robert Harrington of Watertown remained in eastern Massachusetts for several generations. Eventually, however, both of these lines expanded outward and overlapped, sometimes even intermarrying. _(For more information on Benjamin, see pages 8-9.

Descendants of Robert Harrington of Watertown and his wife Susan George are listed in chart form on pages 6-7.

Weis, Frederick Lewis, Th.D.,F.A.S.G., Early Generations of the Family of Robert Harrington of Watertown, Massachusetts, 1634, and Some of His Descendants, privately printed at Worcester, 1958.

2Ibid., p. 9.

3Ibid., pp. 9-10.

Indiana Source Books, a four-volume set of materials reprinted from The Hoosier Genealogist, a publication of the Indiana Historical Society. First three volumes were edited by Willard Heiss and printed by the Family History Section of the Indiana Historical Society; fourth volume was prepared by the Society in 1987 after his death. Page number following entry refers to the page number within the volume.

George Herrington married Margaret J. Cawood 27 Jun 1836 (p. 23).

Margaret Herrington married William Buckles 5 May 1825 (p. 44).

Lewis Redford married Elizabeth A. Herington 12 Feb 1829 (p. 156).

VOLUME II:

Gibson County Marriage Records 1813-1822: Charles Harrington married Pheba Ann Jerald 14 Oct

1819 (p. 99); John N. Truesdell to Elizabeth Harrington, lic. 9 Jan 1817 (p. 101).

John Brownlee married Jane Harrington 18 Oct 1827 (p. 104); Joel F. Casey married Sarah Harrington 14

Aug 1823 (p. 105); Sylvester T. Jerauld married Arena Harrington I Jan 1833 (p. 107).

Levi Herington married Elizabeth Leatherman 23 Feb 1834 (p. 128).

John Haynes married Rebeckah Herington 26 Feb 1822 (p. 185).

CULLUM & HARRINGTON, boot & shoemakers, have commenced business in old stand of Whitney & Cullum in Lawrenceburg [Dearborn County). Sep. 29, 1821. In Dec. 22, 1821 Issue there was notice that above partnership was dissolved and W. Harrington would continue the business (p. 268).

Postmaster Isaac Dunn of Lawrenceburg advertised in issues of May 1, 1820, July 7 & Sep. 29, 1821, letters remaining in post office which would be sent to General Post Office as dead' letters if not picked up. The list of May 1, 1820, included M. Herrington.

Battle of Tippecanoe: William Harrington listed as private in William Hargrove's Company of Infantry from the Knox County area (p. 13).

John Tibbs to Elizabeth Harrington, lic. 22 Jul 1816 (p. 61).

Thomas Phillips (of Ohio) married Nancy Herrington 21 may 1826 (p. 95).

George White married Jane Herrington 28 Mar 1824; Andrew Wiles to Zelpha Herrington, lic. 10 Dec 1831; John' Philips married Almeda Herrington 2 Feb 1832 (p. 123).

Truman Smith married Roxy Ann Herrington 19 Dec 1843 (p. 194).

Anthony Herington married Amanda Skinner 16 Apr 1840 (p. 262).

Peter Herrington listed as one of the contractors of Road No. 6, called the Washington Road, extending from the Highlands on White River to Indianapolis (p . 274 ) ; William Harrington, commissioner from Gibson County, Evansville to White River via Sandersville & Princeton (p. 277).

George Barnard married Nancy Harringtan 15 Aug 1824 (p. 323); John Forkner married Mary Harrington 13 Sep 1828 (p. 327); Nathaniel Herington married Nancy A. McDonald 11 Nov 1821 (p. 329).

Peter Harington filed 4 Sep 1816 and 30 Sep 1816 for 160 acres in Jackson County.

Executive Journal of Indiana Territory 1800-1816, published 1900 by Indiana Historical Society, reprinted 1985.April lst (1813). William

Harington commissioned Judge of the court of common pleas for the County of Gibson (p. 102).

Clark County Indiana Marriage Record A 1808-1821 and Marriage Record B (incomplete) 1820-1822, DAR, 1956: Lyman Herrington married Anna Bullard 20 Nov 1821 by Lemuel Ford, JP.

Clark County Indiana Marriage Records 1825-1854 and January 1855, by Ruth M. Slevin, 1971: Susan Herrington to Henry Elsberry, lic. 21 Nov 1835,

Book D, p. 43.

Jefferson County Indiana Marriage Records 1811- 1873, by Ruth M. Slevin: William Harrington married Julia A. McCauley 24 Sep 1856, Book 9, P. 138.

Clinton County Indiana Marriage Book II 1844-1851 by Ruth M. Slevin: Sarah Harrington married James H.S. Collins 22 Jul 1847; Stephen Herrington married Mary Ann Collins 16 Apr 1847.

Tippecanoe County Indiana Marriage Records 1826-1850, DAR: James Rains to Julia Ann Harrington, TC, LA, 2 Mar 1839; by F.C. Webb, JP, 3 Mar 1839, p. 103.

History of Clinton County, Interstate Publishing Co., Chicago, 1886: Henry W. Harrington ran for governor in 1876 against Benjamin Harrison and James D. Williams, receiving 178 votes. Williams received 2,624; Benjamin Harrison 2,300 (p. 364).

The following list of patriots in the Revolutionary War is taken from DAR Patriot index, National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Washington, 1966. Many of the Massachusetts patriots belong to the Robert Harrington of Watertown line. Patriots from Rhode Island and Connecticut are possibly, but not necessarily, descended from Benjamin Harrington of Providence, Rhode Island.

NOTE: Weis' genealogy of Robert Harrington lists sixty-eight Harrington patriots, all descended from Robert of Watertown, who fought in the Revolutionary War.

According to copies of family letters in the possession of the editor, Abraham and Lyman Harrington were brothers who came from Ontario County, New York, to Jennings County, Indiana, in 1819. Census records, however, place then in Clark County, Indiana, in 1820, where Lyman was married to Anna Bullard in 1821. They were both in Jennings County by 1830.

These same letters state that they were born either in Ontario County, New York, or in Vermont, Lyman in the year 1795. Several documents and census records state their birthplace as New York. The family may have migrated from Vermont just prior to their birth.

No concrete evidence has been found to establish their parentage. The 1820 Clark County census shows Abraham in Jefferson Township age 26-45, with three sons and one daughter under 10, plus female 16-26. Two houses from Abraham was Medad W. Harrington, age 45+ (with 1-0-0-2-1-1/1-3-5-0-1), who may have been Abraham and Lyman's father. One of the older males is almost certainly Lyman, who was not yet married and in his own household. Also living in Jefferson Township was George Harrington, age 26-45, with three females under 10, and female 16-26.

The 1810 Ontario County, NY, census lists Mead Harrington in Livonia, age 26-45, with household including 1-1-1-1/4-1-0-1. This is believed to be the Medad W. in 1820 Clark County, IN. If Medad is Abraham and Lyman's father, they had at least one other brother (George?), and several sisters, as yet unidentified.

Lyman and Anna (Bullard) Harrington remained in Jennings County, where they appear in the 1830, 1840, and 1850 census records. Their children in 1850 included George W. [Washington), age 21, Mary, age 13, Hannah, age 7, Lafayette, age 5, and Winfield Scott, age 1. Earlier census records indicate that there were probably several older daughters already married by 1850, and one other son, perhaps Henry, age 16 in 1850, a laborer

Need information on the parents of Samuel Harrington, b cl8OO NY; lived Tippecanoe County, Indiana, in 1850; died before 1860 when Catherine (b ciSI2 VA) was a widow. Contact the editor.

Need information on father of Andrew J. Harrington, b cIS35 IN; married 1862 in Tippecanoe County Eliza Gregory; killed in battle near Chattanooga 1865; mother Elizabeth of Tippecanoe County collected arrears in pay and bounty. Widow Eliza filed claim in 1867. Contact the editor.

Would like to contact descendants of Sarah ('Sarie') and Mary Harrington, twin daughters of Lyman Harrington and his wife Lydia Harrison, born cl859 in Macon County, Illinois one twin may have married a Walker. Sarah still at home in 1880. Contact the editor.

Need information on Joshua Harrington, residing 1790 in Canandaigua Township, Ontario County, New York (1-2-3), and Nathan Harrington (2-0-0), listed next to Joshua. Contact the editor.