Thomas Hearns UE (1731 - 1803)

Born Nov 1731 in Greenfield Hill, Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut

Ancestors

Husband of Deborah (Campbell) Hearns — married 1760 in Charlotte, Chautauqua, New York

Descendants

Died 1803 at about age 71 in Fredericksburg, Greater Napanee, Lennox and Addington, Canada West

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Gloria Zink [send private message]

Thomas Hearns was a United Empire Loyalist.
UEL Status:Proven
Date: Undated

Biography

Thomas Hearns UE was born before November 1731 in Fairfield, Connecticut to William Hearns (1708 - 1773) and Elizabeth Thorpe (1708 - ?), both also born in Fairfield, Connecticut.

Thomas Hearns married Deborah Campbell about 1760. Deborah was born December 24, 1745 in Edinburgh, Scotland, the daughter of John Campbell (1715 - ?) and Agnes Ruff.

Thomas (Harnes, Herns, Yarnes, Hearns) was taxed from 1759-1766 in South Precinct, which is now part of Putnam County. Thomas was living in Kingsbury, Charlotte County, New York. This county was formed in 1772 from Albany, and in 1784 was renamed Washington County.

"On August 29th, 1780, Joseph Hawkins, Thomas Yarns and William Bell were apprehended and brought before the Committee for Detecting and Defeating Conspiracies, at Albany, charged with having been with the enemy." In Minutes of Commissioners for Conspiracies, dated February 5, 1781, Thomas Yarns of Kingsbury, Charlotte County was discharged from confinement for good behaviour. It again lists Thomas Yarns of Kingsbury in Charlotte County, and that he then lived "upon the Frontiers". Thomas’ sympathies were obviously with the British and he joined the Revolutionary army. ^[1]

Following the Revolution, Thomas and his family moved to Lot 11, Concession 4, Fredericksburgh in Canada as Loyalists. Thomas died in 1803 at Fredericksburgh, Lennox and Addington County and Deborah also died in Fredericksburgh.

Their children were

1. Gilbert (1760 - 1831) married to Catherine Bartley and secondly to Mary McDougall,
2. Josiah (1762 - ?) married to Janet Yannotshay Bartley,
3. Johnston (1765 - 1798),
4. Sarah (1768 - bef. 1846) married to Nathan Howard, m secondly to ? Irish
5. Thomas Thorpe (1770 - after 1861) married to Martha Cronk and secondly to Hannah Huffman,
6. Jason (1772 - ?) married to Rebecca,
7. Darius David (1773 - 1851) married to Nancy Parks and secondly to Mary Gould, and
8. Jerusha (1775 - 1813) married to Joseph Tibbo and secondly to Andrew Spencer. ^[2]

Research Note: here are some more Upper Canada Land Petitions that could be looked up Here - and there might be more under different spellings

DOCTUS CUM LIBRO [learned with the aid of a book]: Way back when, before literacy became the norm, the person doing the writing wrote what was heard, not what was meant to be heard which is one explanation for the many variant spellings of the surname some of us know as HERNS, others HEARNS or HYRNS. Other spellings seen on various and sundry records are HARNS, HURNS and finally HYRNS & YARNS And, different spellings occur in the same family line! 1819 born Ebenezer "HEARNS" began using "HARNES" in 1855 and three of his children used this spelling in their lifetimes, while two other children used "HEARNS". Another family line began the use of "HYRNS" by 1880. So, one can't assume from reading records that these families are not related because "it isn't the same spelling", when in fact a common ancestor is involved in all the surname variations. The HEARNS spelling is seen first on the Greenfield Hills [Connecticut] church records of Fairfield at the christening of the known children to William and Elizabeth Thorpe Hearns. HARNES spelling appears after when 1731 born Thomas appears listed in Upper Canada records in 1784 as HARNES. Another idiosyncrasy in names is that known as patronymics. One type of patronymics is the naming of the first born child for the paternal grandparent, the second born for the maternal grandparent, then alternating until grandparents and immediate family members names were used. Generally, the name of the father or mother was not given to a child until all important family member names were used. Using patronymics in this manner means given names repeat each generation and there will be first cousins sharing a given name of a grandparent. Female cousins sharing a given name gained some identity at marriage, although that usually meant "wife of" rather than "grandaughter of". What this naming custom meant in the "Hearns" family was that there are three first cousins, named Thomas and all were born within a ten year time frame of the other. These three first cousins named Thomas "Hearns", had an Uncle Thomas Hearns and the common ancestor was 1731 born Thomas Hearns. The family origins before Connecticut aren't known. The earliest ancestor known to date is William "Hearns" who married Elizabeth Thorpe and their children were christened at the Greenfield Hill Church in Fairfield Connecticut. The christening dates begin in 1728 and the last recorded christening event is 1737. These christening dates don't mean these were the only children born to this couple, we know only of those who have vital record data. How did "we" get to Canada? War. The French and Indian war ended with the fall of Quebec to the English who took possession of a body of land stretching from the settlement of Quebec on the Atlantic ocean, westward to Detroit [Michigan]. England was deep in debt from several military actions on this continent and the English government resorted to taxing the colonists to meet their financial obligations at home and abroad. Agitation began for change to England's constitution, permitting colonists to be represented within the English government. When this movement failed, the slogan, taxation without representation became a rallying cry for open rebellion culminating in the American Revolution for the colonists, or Rebel Cause for the Brits'. The political catchphrase "domino effect" used by the 1960's and 1970's media and US Congress to rationalize military action in Viet Nam was not original to the twentieth century. King George III rallied Parliament for military action telling the members [words to the effect] that if the American Colonies were lost as a crown dependent, then the colonies of Bermuda, Jamaica and others in the British West Indies would follow, thus the "domino effect". There were those colonists who retained loyalty to England and chose to support the British by becoming soldiers in a British army unit, or were ordinary citizens who would have remained neutral had they been given that choice. However, the anti-monarchists formed Committees of Safety who subjected these Loyalists and "fence sitting citizens' to imprisonment, loss of property, loss of their wordly goods and other indignities of the civil sort. 1731 Thomas "Hearns" committee experience is chronicled: Minutes of the Commissioners for Detecting and Defeating Conspiracies in the State of New York. Albany County Sessions Vol II:1780-1781: 1789 August 29 "Thomas Yarns* William Bell. . .having been apprehended by [justices of the peace for county of Charlotte] were brought before the board under Guard and it appearing from the charges transmitted by said justices that the said prisoners are dangerous and disaffected persons and that they have been with the enemy. It is therefore resolved that they be committed and a mittimus be made out for them. 1780 Sept 22 "and laid before us several examinations taken by [Justices of the Peace for Charlotte County] respecting Thomas Yarns and others now confined in gaol", 1780 Dec 4: "Thomas Yarns was brought before the Board and examined and then ordered to be recommitted." 1780 Dec 12: A letter from [Commissioners of Charlotte County] was laid before the Board setting forth that they inclose a petition signed by sundry inhabitants of Kingsbury in favour of Thomas Yarns, William Bell who are at present in Confinement. ." 1781 Feb 5: "Resolved that Thomas Yarns be discharged from confinement on entering into a Recognizance for his good behaviour doing his duty and appearing before any three of the Commissioners for Conspiracies when thereunto required during the continuance of the present war with Great Britain.[List of individuals fined] Thomas Yarns of Kingsbury in Charlotte County, Farmer 100#. As the above mentioned Thomas Yarns lives upon the frontiers and has it in his power to aid and and comfort the enemy resolved that he be ordered to remove into the interior parts of this State by the first day of May next." The interior of the state of New York was not to far inland in 1781. At the time of the American Revolution, Westchester County was the furthermost settled area.

The "Y" spelling of this name may only mean a transcriber's interpretation of old, faded & difficult to read handwriting which was sometimes written very fanciful.

Sources

1. ↑ "Old Fort Edward", by Hill
2. ↑ http://www.uelac.org/Saskatchewan/biographies.php#WillBell1

• "Records of Greenfield Hill Church, Greenfield, Fairfield Connecticut". NEH&G Register, vol 69, 1915."Minutes of the Commissioners for Detecting and Defeating Conspiracies in the State of New York" Albany County Sessions 1778-1781. Vol 2. State of NY Library,Albany NY. "Loyalist Settlements 1783-1789. New Evidence of Canadian Loyalist Claims. Archives of Ontario. Court Records: Case Files, Heir & Devisee Commission RG 40, Surrogate Court Records, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. "Don't Know Much About History: Everything You Need to Know About American History but Never Learned". Kenneth C. Davis. Avon Books. 1995

Acknowledgments

• Profile started by Lisa Stevenson, Tuesday, November 18, 2014.