1836, until the winter of 1880, when a catalogue of the Cincinnati Wesleyan College found its way to Ann Arbor, Michigan, and by accident came into the hands of Edward D. Hearne, a student there from Georgetown, Delaware, and from perusing its pages he was surprised to find a Mattie Hearne among the recent graduates of the college, and her address given at Covington, Ky. Inspired by curiosity to learn who the Miss Mattie Hearne of Kentucky might be, Edward wrote to the address given, and received a response which prolonged the correspondence and led to the introduction of another Mattie Hearne, of Philadelphia, who took up the correspondence, and on receiving an urgent invitation from her Kentucky namesake (who in the meantime had become the wife Edward S. Ebbert), Mattie E. Hearne, of the Quaker City, visited Kentucky and made the personal acquaintance of her kindred there. It was while on this visit that the "strawberry mark" was more fully developed, and, with the aid of Mr. J. D. Hearne, the family archives, traditions and memories were consulted in both the Delaware and Kentucky branches of the family; the result being a constantly growing tree, which would only be preserved to posterity with the assistance of the engraver. The inception and much of the original data for this record tree emanated from Mattie E. Hearne of Philadelphia, to whom belongs the credit, and without whose aid the Hearne family would be without the record which many of them now prize so highly. The entire expense of engraving the tree and printing and mailing, the same free to all applicants, was borne by Jonathan D. Hearne, of Covington, Ky., who was also untiring in his efforts to obtain all possible data; and it was he who sent to England for the coat of arms and such facts as were there obtainable. The clerical work, including the several thousand letters necessary, was performed by Edward S. Ebbert, who, perhaps as fully as any member of the family, was interested in the work and appreciated the difficulties attending so stupendous a task as that of tabulating a family which "as the sands of the sea for number."

In the spring of 1895 the tree was partially revised by W. T. Hearne, and some corrections and additions made, and again in 1907.

ROBERT CLEMENT, third son of Cannon Hearne, born Sept. 14, 1831, with the infant boy James, went, after their parents' death, to live with Uncle Thomas Owen, and made it their home until grown, going to the country schools and working on the farm all

[Continued on page 359]

Thanks to Catherine Bradford for transcribing this page.