Hearne History - Page 453

[Continued from page 452]

place. The burying ground of the family was afterwards established at Uncle Joseph Hearne’s, in his garden near his house.

THOMAS HEARNE, fifth son of Ebenezer and Priscilla, born Nov. 3, 1768, died June 24, 1838. The following sketch was furnished me by his grandson, Edward Frank Hearne of Laurel, Del., who is a man of considerable force and fine character. He served several terms as Magistrate, and also as Mayor of Laurel.

THOMAS HEARNE, son of Ebenezer (Eben Hearne), settled in what is now the southern part of Delaware and near what is known as Mason and Dixon’s Line, about fifteen miles from the southeast corner of the above named State. This settlement was then almost a wilderness, the nearest family being about five miles away. At the age of twenty-five he married Sally Cannon and settled on a part of his father's land near by, and from them has sprung a progeny numbering about two hundred and seventy-five, to this date (July 23, 1894).

For two or three years after his marriage he worked at house-carpentering in North Carolina, visiting home for a few weeks perhaps twice during the time. In making one of these trips home by way of Philadelphia, he there purchased a lot of tools and a gun; several of these old tools and the gun are still in the possession of E. Frank Hearne, a grandson; they are now about one hundred years old. During his absence from home all the affairs of the farm were managed by his wife, who was a woman of unusual spirit and resolution.

He and wife were members of Christ's Church (Episcopal), Broad Creek, which is two miles from Laurel, Del. This old church was built in 1772 and is still standing, and the people gather there two or three times each year, in crowds, from every direction, to worship within the old walls and to occupy the same old time-worn pews that were once occupied by their forefathers.

They started in life with a determination to succeed, notwithstanding their location and surroundings, which were most unfavorable, and by industry and frugality had, at the time of their death, accumulated a large tract of land, which is now divided into fifteen farms, and is owned and occupied by his descendants.

He served in the War of 1812, but in what capacity and under what leader I do not know. I am sure tat he was at the defense

[Continued on page 454]


Notes:


Copyright (c) 1999, 2007 Brian Cragun.