Harkness

Harkness
Recorded in several spelling forms including: Harkness, Hakkness, Hearkness, and Harkess, this most interesting surname is Anglo-Scottish. It is a locational name from an unidentified place but possibly the remote village of Hackness in Yorkshire. The translation of this name is 'Hook shaped headland', or the possibly as the village is well inland "the (pagan) shrine on the hook shaped hill", the second element of "naess", having varied meaning according to the specific location. As this is a locational name, that is to say a name given to people after they left their original homes and moved elsewhere, perhaps it is not surprising that in the churchyard of Dalgarnock, near Thornhill, in Scotland, are several tombstones of people of this name, who were mostly tenants of the farms of Locherben and Mitchellslacks, in the parish of Closeburn. The first recording of the surname appears relatively late, in the early 17th Century (see below), while James Hearkness married Jane Wawby at the church of St. Mary, Carlisle, Cumberland, on April 30th 1678. One James Harkness of Locherben was leader of the band of Covenanters who rescued some Covenanters from Royal troops in the Pass of Enterkin, while they were being conveyed to Edinburgh for trial, in 1684. His brother Thomas was executed in the Grassmarket of Edinburgh in 1685 for his part in the affair. A branch of the family emigrated from Dumfriesshire to Ulster in the 17th Century, and settled finally in Co. Limerick, Ireland, where the family of Harkness of Garryfine still possess lands. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Barbara Harkkness, which was dated June 29th 1617, marriage to Robert Dowthwaite, at St. Andrew's, Penrith, in Cumberland, during the reign of King James V1 of Great Britain, 1567 - 1625. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

Surnames reference. 2013.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Harkness — is a Scottish surname. Its etymology is probably from the Old English personal name Hereca (a derivative of the various compound names with the first element here army ) plus the Old English næss headland , cape The name comes from hidden origins …   Wikipedia

  • Harkness — est un nom de famille d origine écossaise Ned Harkness (1921 2008) joueur de hockey sur glace Steve Harkness (né en 1971), footballeur Tim Harkness (né en 1937), joueur de baseball Harkness est le nom de famille de personnages de fiction… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Harkness — ist der Familienname folgender Personen: Douglas Harkness (1903–1999), kanadischer Politiker James Harkness (1864–1923), kanadischer Mathematiker Diese Seite ist eine Begriffsklärung zur Unterscheidung mehrerer mit demselben Wort bezeichneter… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Harkness Memorial State Park — (230 acres) is a park and botanical garden located at 275 Great Neck Road, Waterford, Connecticut, on the Long Island Sound. It is open to the public every day during the daylight hours.The park was formerly Eolia, the estate of Edward Harkness,… …   Wikipedia

  • Harkness Tower — Der Harkness Tower ist ein Glockenturm auf dem Campus der Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut in den Vereinigten Staaten. Er ist ein markantes Wahrzeichen der Universität und auch als Fotomotiv beliebt. Der 1917 bis 1921 im Stil der …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Harkness Tower — Infobox building building name = Harkness Tower native building name= caption = Harkness Tower over the year former names = building type = architectural style = Collegiate Gothic structural system = location =New Haven, CT owner =Yale University …   Wikipedia

  • Harkness Roses — R. Harkness Co. Ltd, or Harkness Roses, is the leading rose breeder in England.The nursery was founded in 1879 in Yorkshire. Early varieties included a sport of Heinrich Schultheis introduced in 1893 as Mrs. Harkness .In the 1950s, Harkness… …   Wikipedia

  • Harkness Fellowship — The Harkness Fellowships (previously known as the Commonwealth Fund Fellowships) are a programme run by the Commonwealth Fund of New York City. They were established to reciprocate the Rhodes Scholarships[1] and enable Fellows from several… …   Wikipedia

  • Harkness, Anna M. Richardson — ▪ American philanthropist née  Anna M. Richardson  born Oct. 25, 1837, Dalton, Ohio, U.S. died March 27, 1926, New York, N.Y.       American philanthropist, perhaps best remembered for establishing the Commonwealth Fund, which continues as a… …   Universalium

  • Harkness table — The Harkness table refers to a style of teaching wherein students sit at a large, ovular table with their teachers, in use at many American boarding schools and colleges. It encourages classes to be held in a discursive manner. Developed at… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”