The lineage of the Hearne family

The Hearne family can be traced back to France and England to the time of William the Conqueror in 1066 A.D. The name at that time was spelled Herron. The Herrons came across from Normandy during the historic invasion of the British Isles.

Various members of this family occupied positions of prominence in British life. In 1627, William Hearne, the first Hearne to come to America, was born in London, England. He was a London merchant. He and his wife Mary came to the province of Maryland after 1681. Here he would die in Somerset County in October of 1691. Their son Thomas Hearne was born in Maryland and would marry Sally Wingate. Thomas died in Somerset County in 1762. Their son was Nehemiah, and he would marry Bertie.

Joshua Hearne, the next in this line, was born in Somerset County, Maryland in 1748. He moved to that part of North Carolina known then as Montgomery County, now Stanley County near the town of Albemarle. He was drowned in the Pee Dee River, eight miles from Albemarle, North Carolina.

Joshua’s son, Elisha was born in Somerset County, Maryland in 1770. He went to North Carolina with his father and then from there moved on to Jasper County, Georgia where he married Ferely Johnson about 1801 and raised four children. Ferely was born 1771-1780 in North Carolina. In 1810, Elisha was accidentally killed in a well. His wife died soon after. They are both buried in Jasper County, Georgia. The children, one of which was named Asa Hearne moved to Talladega County, Alabama. (Another son, Moses Hearne moved to Calcasieu, Louisiana where he married Malinda Jourdan. Moses is buried in Louisiana. Malinda Jourdan Hearne moved to Cass County with her children sometimes after 1872 and died there 2 Oct 1896.)

Back to son, Asa Hearne - he married in Talladega County, Alabama to Miss Easter Benton in 1822. They lived there until 1848 with their children Jefferson, Monstion, and David Thomas. Easter Benton Hearne died of a snake bite prior to 1848. Asa Hearne then married Martha McDonald and they moved to Vicksburg, Mississippi. None of his children by his first marriage would travel with them.

Asa was living in Vicksburg at the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861. He wrote to his son David Thomas “Tom” Hearne who had moved to Cass County, Texas near Hickory Hill (now Avinger area). He stated that he had four children with his second wife Martha and that at that time he was eighty years old, had not a decayed tooth nor a gray hair. This is the last they heard from Asa. It is supposed that he was killed or died during the Civil War and that his wife took the children and went possibly to her family. It is known that he possessed considerable property, but whether it was destroyed or sold is not known.

Tom Hearne was born in Talladega, Alabama 8 April 1831. He went to Cass County, Texas about 1854. He enlisted in Cass County in the Confederate Army in 1861. Tom Hearne was elected first Lieutenant and promoted to Captain. He served throughout the war. Prior to his departure for the war, a young lady presented him with a Confederate flag in a special ceremony given for soldiers leaving from Cass County. This young lady was Elmina Abernathy. On the 10 Jan. 1866 after his return from the war, Tom married Miss Elmina Abernathy, and settled on a farm near Avinger, Cass County, Texas.

Miss Elmina Abernathy Hearne was born November 1834 and was the daughter of Alfred W. Abernathy and Magdalene Friday. The Abernathy family were pioneer residents of Young’s Chapel. Alfred W. Abernathy, born October 1798 in South Carolina, was a merchant there and in Alabama prior to coming to East Texas about 1860.

Elmina’s mother, Magdalene Friday was born in 1803. The Fridays and Abernathy families emigrated to Texas at about the same time, settling about two miles north of the town of Avinger. They owned a number of slaves who after the war, took on their owners’ names. The Fridays and Abernathy family members and some of their descendants are buried in the old Hearne Cemetery. Tom Hearne was elected to the Texas Legislature twice and served both terms with credit Tom and wife Elmina owned one thousand acres of land in the Avinger, Texas area and grew fruit, and stock of all kinds. Elmina would die 12 Apr 1904. (Cass County Sun states that Mrs. E. A. Hearne dies at her home two miles from Avinger on Wednesday morning 13 April 1904. It also stated that she was 69 years old and had lived in Cass County quite a long time before and since her marriage. Three of her children had gone on before her. Survivors include her husband and two children, John T. Hearne, and Mrs. J. G. Archer.)

Captain Tom Hearne died in 1915. The couple had two children that lived to be adults- Sarah Frances Hearne and John Thomas Hearne. Building of the Hearne’s old home was completed in 1871. John Thomas Hearne was born in the kitchen before the rest of the house was finished. The first school John Thomas Hearne attended was across from the Dr. J. H. Avinger home to the north on the old Jefferson to Clarksville road. Later this same school building of frame construction was moved to a site just across the street from the Baptist Church.

Sarah Frances Hearne married J. G. Archer on 4 May 1896 in Cass County, Texas. In 1904, Mr. Archer was licensed to preach by the Methodist Church and became an evangelist. Sarah Hearne Archer became a teacher in private and public schools. This couple had no children. Mrs. Archer taught at the Avinger school located in the old Baptist Church building facing the railroad. After the church re-organized, she also taught in a one room building erected adjacent to the Methodist church on the approximate site of the present parsonage.

John Thomas Hearne married on 18 Dec 1892 to Miss Nolie Wilson, who came from Missouri. They lived in Avinger, Texas. Mr. John Hearne was appointed postmaster of Pettingill, but never did open a post office. Their children were Elsie Vivian, Florence and Frances Hearne who also lived in Avinger.

Daughters of John Thomas and Nolie Wilson - Florence Hearne married M. L. Felker, Sr. and Elsie Hearne married Tip Stephenson. Source: Hearne History, published 1907 and obituary.

A SPECIAL NOTE TO ALL OF OUR READERS If you are having trouble with your Genealogy or just want to know who your Great Grandfather was and what he did The Cass County Genealogical Society might be able to answer your questions.

Or if you have an interesting or humors tale about your family, or a little-known tidbit about our local history that you would like to see recorded for posterity, please contact us at: C. C. G. S. P. O. Box 880 Atlanta, Texas 75551, E-mail us at evanjevans@yahoo.com , Call us at (903) 796-3081, Or just visit us in the Genealogy and History Section on the Second Floor of the Atlanta Public Library