Descendants of the Counts of Harnes
(version February 22, 2022)
Please email corrections to Mike Clark
 

 

History of the Family in Belgium

 

The destruction of the archives of Harnes and Ypres during the First World War resulted in the loss of many historical records pertaining to the de Haerne family and complicates trying to trace the family orgins during the early 1600s, just before they relocated from Ascq in northern France to Ypres, Belgium. Fortunately, bits and pieces of information remain, which have been reconstructed into the account that follows.

1. Simon de Harnes was the younger brother of Englebert de Harnes, who was the last of the Lords of Harnes and a member of the noble House of Antoing d'Epinoy. Englebert is said by Pascallet (1857) to have set fire to his castle during a conflict in 1558 with the King of Spain, afterwhich Englebert renounced his titles and lands to the Abbey of St. Peter of Ghent to become a monk, "thereby leaving his younger brother {and heir} to earn his bread by the sword" (de Harne et al., 1916). Pascallet (1857) further states that Simon's son Denys (Denis) retired to Annappes, which is a small village on the outskirts of Lille and about 30 km northeast of Harnes. Because Annappes today is part of the town of Ascq, Pascallet's Simon de Harnes, the patriarch of the Belgian branch of the family, is very likely the same Simon de Harnes who the records show was born about 1555, married in 1580 a lady named Antoinette Demouvaux (d. 1619), and died in 1620 when he was 65 years of age in either Ascq, or somewhere in the surrounding lands.

   There is also record of a Clementine de Haerne, a daughter of one Jean de Haerne, who married in 1547 in Bruges, Belgium the well-known Flemish Renaissance painter Adriaen Isenbrandt (1480/90-1551) and had with him two daughters and a son. The relationship of Jean and Clementine to Simon de Harnes, if any, is unknown, as is what became of their children. However, the timing is such that she could be an aunt of the Simon above. There is also record of a Catherine de Harnes (b. 1680), who was a daughter of Simon de Harnes and Antoinette Demouvaux. She is possibly the same Catherine de Harnes who married Michel Agache and had a son named Roger Agache who was born in 1609 in Ascq, but this is a guess. Finially, there is record of a Jeanne de Harnes, daughter of Simon de Harnes (d. 1620) and Marie Lemerre (d. 1620), who was born in 1587 and married in 1607 to one Francois Leruste. This Francois died in 1664 in Ascq. Jeanne and Francois appear to have had a son named Simon who died in 1610 as a child or infant. Another son of theirs named Claude Leruste de Harnes was born on Feb. 12, 1610 in Ascq.

2. Denys de Harnes, "the elder" settled in Annappes (Ascq), an outlying district of Lille, and still resided there in 1609, as attested to in an act of December 3rd of that year. This Denys, who is listed in Pascallet's (1857) history of the family, is probably the same Denys de Harnes whom the records show was born in 1580 to Simon de Harnes and Antoinette Demouvaux, and married Marie Meurisse (b. 1585).

3. Denys de Harnes, "the younger", who Pascallet (1857) names as the son of the aforementioned elder Denys de Harnes, is likely the same Denys de Harnes whom the records show was born on Feb. 17, 1608 in Ascq to Denys de Harnes and Marie Meurisse, and married in 1638 to a lady named Antoinette Fournier (1611-1662). This Denys appears to have had at least two sons, or perhaps a son and grandson, who follow.

   Simon de Harnes, who follows:

   Jean de Harnes, who is called by Pascallet (1857) a son of Denys. However, it is possible that this Jean was actually the son of the Simon de Harnes who follows.

   Marie de Harnes, said to be the daughter of Denys de Harnes and Antoinette Fournier, was born in 1645 in Ascq, Nord Pas de Calais, and married Jacques Cornille, with whom she had several children. She died in 1709 in Ascq.

   There is also record of a certain Jacques van der Vecht who in 1639 was either the guardian or tutor of Pierre de Haerne and Pierre de Clerq. Unfortunately, nothing further is known about either of Jacques’ charges, and we do not know the relation, if any, of them to either the Denys de Harnes or Simon de Harnes from whom the present day de Harne and de Haerne families descend.

4. Simon de Harnes, who Pascallet (1857) names as the son of the aforementioned Denys the younger of Asq, left Artois (Pas de Calais), France with Jean de Harnes, who was probably either his younger brother or his son, and settled in the area of Ypres (Ieper), Belgium. Jean and Simon, and their descendants, aligned themselves with several notable families of Ypres including the houses of Hespel, Saigny (Saney), Trouillere (Trolliere), Maistre, Francois, Notre-Dame, Noyelles, and Haerne. This Simon might be the Simon de Harnes who married Joanna Sougnie on March 4, 1628 in Ypres, though this would seem to make him too old to be the son of the aforementioned Denys de Harnes of Asq. Simon is followed below by Jean, who as noted could be either Simon's son or younger brother.

5. Jean de Harnes is followed by his son, who is listed below. Jean is the final member of the family listed in Pascallet's (1857) History of the Counts of Harnes, and he is the member of the family about whom we know the least. It needs to be noted that many of the documents researched by Pascallet (1857) were lost during the destruction in WWI of the Archives of the Town of Harnes, and much of what Pascallet (1857) writes about that concerns the later members of this family can no longer be verified.

   The above lineage is not without controversy. Some argue that the de Haernes rose to prominence in 18th-century Ypres not through aristocratic ties, but "good marriages and key positions in the city." Furthermore, "some attachment [to the old family of Harnes] seems impossible, not because of lack of documents but of concordance of social circles" ¹. Perhaps, but "social circles" tend to blur and disappear during times of religious strife and military occupation, as with the Eighty Years War (1568-1648) of Belgium and the Netherlands. Also, there are 19th-century genealogists who had access to archival documents that no longer exist, and they write that the family of Desire de Haerne (1805-1895), which now follows, is related to the old family of Harnes (Pascallet, 1857; L'Histoire, 1862, Tisseron, 1883; and Merghelynck as implied by van Hille, 1970).

   ¹Frédéric de Berthier de Grandry, personal communication, 19 March 2019.

    

   

    

   Bridging the gap between the Counts of Harnes in Flanders and Artois (above) and the de Haerne family of Ypres in Belgium (below) is a lineage published in "L'Histoire des Principales Familles de l'Europe", Geneva, 1862. As this appeared during the lifetime of Desire de Haerne (1804-1895), the most illustrious member of the family, it was probably prepared with his knowledge and cooperation. Regrettably, the loss of many original records during WWI makes it impossible to verify this lineage today. The family of Desire de Haerne clearly believed at the time that they descended from the old lords of Harnes (Tisseron et al., 1883, p. 25), and their descendants believe so today (de Harne et al., 1916). With the loss of so many documents during the ravages of two world wars, there is probably no way to know today what was verifiable or not two-hundred years ago.

    

   

    

6. Pierre de Haerne (or de Harnes), who was born in Ypres, probably in the late 1600s. He seems to be confused in some sources with his grandson, who is also named Pierre. He married Catherine Francois, with whom he had a son. This son follows below. Pierre is the earliest member listed in the lineage researched by van Hille (1970), who notes that, "la destruction des archives d'Ypres rend impossibles de recherches aux notes qu'on trouve dans le Fonds Merghelynck a la B.R." (i.e., the destruction of the Ypres archives makes it impossible to research the notes found in the 'Fonds Merghelynck' at the Royal Library of Belgium - the 'Fonds Merghelynck' being an archival collection of documents by the Belgian genealogist Arthur Merghelynck (1853-1908), who was also an unpaid archivest of Ypres. As such, van Hille (1970) seems to imply that the 'Fonds Merghelynck' contain notes pertaining to the early de Haerne family of Ypres.)

   There is also record of a Jean Baptiste de Harnes who married Jeanne Masurel and had a son Michel Joseph de Harnes who was born Sept 4, 1707; and a daughter Marie Anne Joseph de Harnes, who was born Aug 29, 1715. The relation, if any, of this Jean de Harnes and his children to the Pierre de Harnes above, or to the André de Haerne below is not known.

7. André de Haerne/de Harnes (d. 1772) was probably born in the late 1600s, most likely no later than about 1700 or so, in Ypres, which then was part of the Netherlands, but today is part of Belgium. Although there is uncertainty and confusion associated with his father and grandfather, there is record of several details concerning his life. He served as a clerk of the magistrate of Ypres, and married his first wife Marie-Catherine Bevernage on September 1, 1724 at the church of St. Martin in Ypres. After Marie died in Ypres on July 7, 1736 at about 40 years of age, André married his second wife Symphorienne-Felicite van Provyn on May 22, 1747 in Merckem, Belgium - Symphorienne being the daughter of Jean-Donatien the burgomaster and sire of Merckem. André died on October 13, 1772 in Ypres, as recorded in the church of St. Martin. His second marriage apparently was without issue, but van Hille (1970) attributes at least four children to the first marriage.

   Marie-Petronille de Haerne (b. 1726) was born on May 22, 1726 in Ypres.

   Pierre de Haerne (b. 1728), who follows:

   Denis-Francois de Haerne (b. 1731) was born on Oct. 8, 1731 in Ypres.

   Antoine de Haerne (b. 1734) was baptized on April 4, 1734 at the church of Saint Martin in Ypres. He became a monk around 1760 at the Abbey of Warneton (in Hainaut), and died on May 27, 1787 at the abbey. This abbey exists no more, having been destroyed during the French Revolution. The historical society of Comines-Warneton has a portrait of Antoine that probably came from the abbey.

    

8. Pierre-Martin-Sebastian de Haerne (1728-?) was born on January 1, 1728 in Ypres, Belgium. He served as the agent of affairs in Ypres, and married Genevieve-Jeanne Mahieu, the daughter of Pierre-Jean Mahieu and Marie-Francois Marrranes, on August 8, 1773 in the church of St. Nicholas in Ypres. He is reported to have changed the family name to the Flemish spelling of de Haerne during the French Revolution. However, this name change may have also taken place earlier, as a portrait of his brother Antoine exists with the inscription "Antonius E de Haerne, aetatis 30, 1765, canonicus regularis Warnetonensis". Apparently, there is no record of Pierre’s death which leads to speculation that he may have been a victim of the Revolution. He seems to be confused in some sources with his grandfather, who was also named Pierre. Van Hille (1970) attributes to the younger Pierre and his wife Genevieve the children who are listed below.

   Antoine de Haerne was imprisoned during the French Revolution, but gained his freedom by serving as a soldier under the Emperor Napoleon. The only surviving reference that we have to Antoine is a short story about his life - "The Three Deaths of Uncle Antoine" - that was passed down through the family before being recorded in the 20th century by either Mary (1888-1980) or Josephine de Harne (1894-1957).

   Pierre de Haerne (1780-1849), who follows:

   Marie-Genevieve de Haerne (1781-1781) was born on Aug. 10, 1781, and died on Sept. 5, 1781 as an infant.

   Marie-Genevieve de Haerne (1784-1784) was born on Nov. 3, 1784, and died on Dec. 13, 1784 as an infant.

    

9. Pierre-Antoine-Andre de Haerne (1780-1849) was born on June 30, 1780 in Ypres, Belgium. He appears at one time to have been a lace merchant, and was also an employee of the town hall of Ypres. Later, he served as a government official with various duties including agent of affairs, customs official, and clerk of the police court. He married Sophie-Catherine van der Ghote (b. c.1777), the daughter of Denis van der Ghote and Marie-Catherine Vermeersch, on September 28, 1803 in Ypres. There is an online genealogy that shows Sophie as the daughter of Pierre Joseph van der Ghote (b. 1748) and Brigitte de Houzy (b. c.1760), and then shows Catherine Vermeersch (VanderMeersch) as the wife of Dyonisus Vanderghote (1746-1802). However, this seems less likely, as it contradicts the published genealogy of van Hille (1970). Pierre died on January 1, 1849 in Ypres. He and Sophie had several children who are listed below.

   

   Desire-Pierre-Antoine de Haerne (1804-1895) was born on July 4, 1804 in Ypres, Belgium, when it was part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Because he was born during the French Revolution, when Napoleon's brother was King of the Netherlands, Desire's birth date is recorded as 15 messidor an XII, which is in the format of the French Republican Calendar. Desire became a priest, and when he wrote against the Dutch King, he was forced to flee the city of Ypres disguised as a horse merchant. Returning when Belgium gained independence, he was elected in 1830 to the congress that helped frame the Belgian constitution. He then became a member of the Belgian Parliament, serving from 1831 to 1833 as Representative for the District of Roeselare, and then from 1844 until his death in 1895 he served as Representative of Courtrai, becoming in 1885 the oldest living member of the Belgian Parliament.

   Desire became director on December 29, 1858 of the Institute for the Dumb and Blind, a school in Brussels that was founded by the Sisters of Charity for girls who were deaf, mute, and blind. This inspired in Desire a lifelong interest in working with the deaf, and Desire's nephew Emil de Harne many years later spoke often of his beloved uncle and of the many boyhood visits he made to Desire’s school. Desire also founded in June of 1870 in Sheffield, England the St. Johns Catholic School for the Deaf (formerly St. John's Institute), which was the first school for the deaf in England. This school, which was moved in 1875 to Boston Spa (a parish in Leeds, West Yorkshire), has a statue of Desire on the roof of the chapel, as well as a portrait of Desire in a stained glass window of the chapel (shown on the right). Desire also published a number of political works, invented a sign language for the deaf, and wrote various papers on his work with the deaf.

   Desire in 1855 became an honorary Canon of the Cathedral of Brussels, and Pope Pius IX in 1870 elevated him to a House Prelate, which entitled him to be addressed as Monsignor de Haerne, the same title that would be given to a bishop. In addiiton, Desire was made a knight of the Order of Leopold (Belgium), and received the Order of the Iron Cross (Belgium), the Order of Charles III (Spain), the Legion of Honour (France), and the Order of Christ (Portugal).

   He died on March 22, 1890 at his house in Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, Belgium, and he was buried in Courtrai in an elaborate funeral overseen by the town mayor. There is an obituary that gives his burial place as the Courtrai Cemetery, which is probably the Courtrai Communal Cemetery of St. Jan's, but this needs to be confirmed. In addition to memorials in his memory in England at St. John's School in Boston Spa, there is a statue of Desire de Haerne that was unveiled on August 26, 1895 in the busy town square (Grote Markt) in the center of Kortrijk (Courtrai). It is the work of the sculptor Paul de Vigne, and it is considered one of de Vigne's signature works. This statue was moved in 1929 to place near the town casino (gambling hall), then again in June 1951 to a small park on the east end of the Avenue Monseigneur de De Haernelaan in central Courtrai. (A series of several pictures showing the statue are shown below at the end of a listing of Desire's siblings). There is also a street named the Rue de Haerne in the Etterbeek District of Brussels that is named after Desire de Haerne as well.

   The portrait of Desire de Haerne on the left is a lithograph from a photo taken by the studio of Brandt and Detrez. It appeared in 1858 in "Biographies des Membres des Deux Chambres Législatives" by Eugene Bouchart. The center showns a painting of Desire by Belgian artist Antoine Van Hammée (1836-1903) that hangs in the Army Museum of Brussels. It is titled "The Toast to the King, 1878", and depicts Desire offering a toast to King Leopold I on the anniversary of Leopold's 1832 inauguration as King of Belgium. Van Hammée's wife is shown at the piano, and his son Félix sits on the floor with drums. The photo on the right shows Desire in later years.

   Caroline-Symphoriene-Sophie de Haerne (1805-1882) was born on Aug. 10, 1805, probably in Ypres, Belgium. Because she was born during the French Revolution when Napoleon's brother was King of the Netherlands, her birth date is recorded as 22 thermidor an XIII in the format of the French Republican Calendar. She died on May 21, 1882 without issue.

   Auguste-Denis-Martin de Haerne (1806-1870) was born on Nov. 11, 1806 in Ypres, Belgium. He was ordained a priest on Dec. 19, 1832 as Augustus Dionysius Martinus de Haerne, and apponinted a few days later on Dec. 29th as a coadjutor (assistant to the bishop) at the College of Saint Nicolas (near Liege). He was then advanced on April 17, 1833 to the Professor of Rhetoric at the college, and remained in this office until Sept. 30, 1841 when he became the Pastor of Moorsel. He then served in various capacities until his appointment on March 7, 1855 as the Doyen of the village of Ninove, where he had a dozen priests under his direction, probably at the Abbey of St. Cornelius, which dates from 1137 and sits adjacent to the city. Here he remained until his death on Oct. 2, 1870 in Ninove.

   Alix-Adelaide-Maries de Haerne (b. 1808) was born on Aug. 6, 1808, and died a nun.

   Georgie-Julie-Aloise de Haerne (b. 1809) was born on Nov. 1, 1909, never married, and died without issue.

   Sophie-Rosalie-Catherine de Haerne (b. 1811) was born on June 24, 1811, and died a nun.

   Marcelline-Antoinette de Haerne (1813-1841) was born an Jan. 16, 1813, and died on Aug. 25, 1841 at the age of 28 years. So far as we know she was never married.

   Florimond-Jean-Antoine de Haerne (1814-c.1832) was born in 1814 and killed in an accident when he was 18-years old, which makes 1832 his likely death date.

   Louis-Henri-Longin de Haerne (1817-1887), who follows:

   Marie-Pauline de Haerne (b. 1819) was born on Jan. 11, 1819, never married, and died without issue.

    

   The top row above shows five views of the memorial statue to Desire de Haerne in the town square (Grand Place) of Courtrai, Belgium. The far left shows the statue in 1895 being assembled in the main square of town. The view on the left shows the statue shortly after its dedication that same year. The middle view shows the main square of Courtrai at the turn of the century with St. Martin's Church on the left and the statue in the foreground of the church. The town hall is the large building on the right side of the square. The next view to the right shows the statue in 1951 just after being moved to its present day location; and the far right shows the statue as it looks today surrounded by shade trees that since 1951 have grown up around it. The panorama picture in the second row shows the tower of the town hall and Desire de Haerne's statue as seem from St. Martin's Church.

    

    

10. Louis-Henri-Longin (Ludovicus Henricus Longius) de Haerne (1817-1887) was born on March 15, 1817 in Ypres (Ieper), Belgium. As a young man, he was the king’s district commissioner of Echlo, and at other times administered the districts of Turnhout, Till-Roulers, and Grand-Echo. He married Mathilde-Marie-Ghislaine Rooman on Nov. 25, 1846 in Baerle, Belgium. Marie, who had been born on April 20, 1826 at Drongen near Ghent, was the daughter of Jean-Lieven-Ambroise Rooman (1793-1881), the burgomaster of Tronchiennes, and his wife Silvie Antoinette Speelman (1796-1873). Louis and Mathilda lived at first in Echlo, where their first two children were born, then moved on May 27, 1849 to Turnhout, probably when Louis assumed new government responsibilities. They also lived on the Grand-Place (town square) of Turnhout, and at la Rue Neuve, a street in Turnhout. They later moved on February 12, 1875 with their family to Ghent, with the exception of their oldest son Emile, who appears to have moved on April 3, 1869 to Anvers, Belgium. Louis' move to Ghent was probably due to his appointment to the governorship of the district of Till-Roulers. For his services to the state, The King of Belgium made Louis a Knight of Order of Leopold (Belgium), and also a Knight of the Order of Civil Merit (Belgium). His wife Mathilde died on March 19, 1881 in Baarle, Belgium; and Louis died on March 4, 1887 in Tielt, while still serving as the governor of Till-Roulers. Louis and Mathilda had several children, who are listed below, the first two born in Echlo (Eeklo), Belgium, and the rest in Turnhout in the province of Antwerp, Belgium.

    Emile de Haerne (1847-1918), who follows in HAWAII:

    Louise Mathilda de Haerne (1849-1907) was born Louise-Desiree-Sylvie-Marie-Ghislaine de Haerne on Apr. 10, 1849 in Echlo, Belgium, and became a nun. She died on Feb. 1, 1907 in Belgium.

    Armand de Haerne (1850-1902), who follows in CANADA:

    Celina Augusta de Haerne was born Celine-Marie-Ghislaine de Haerne on or about Nov. 15, 1852 in Turnhout, Belgium. Her birthdate appears to be Nov. 15 as written in the Antwerp Civil Register, yet appears as Nov. 18 in most transcriptions. She married Paul Gaillard (1852-1922) on Aug. 3, 1875 in Ghent, Belgium, and had with him the four children listed below. She died on April 1, 1889 in Brrom, Belgium, when her youngest child was only 7-years old. Paul then married his second wife Gabrielle Mélanie Lauwers (1869-1952) on July 1, 1890 in Brussels, Belgium, and had another six or so children with her.

    Joseph-Jean Gaillard (1877-1877) was born on Jan 31, 1877 in Ghent, and died a few weeks later on March 24 in the same city.

    Marie-Margaret Gaillard (1878-1895) was born on May 15, 1878 in Schaarbeek, Belgium. Her mother died when she was 12-years old, afterwhich Marie-Margaret went to live with her uncle Michel. She died single on April 19, 1895, probably in Michel's house, just before her 17th birthday.

    Joseph-Louis Gaillard (1879-1948) was born on Dec. 26, 1879 in Schaarbeek, Belgium, and became a Jesuit priest. He died on Feb. 20, 1948 in Woluwe-Saint-Pierre, Belgium

    Marie-Louise Gaillard (1881-1966) was born on Sept. 21, 1881 in Schaarbeek, Belgium; and died a spinster on April 9, 1966 in Lovenjoel, Belgium.

    Alix Helena de Haerne (1854-1915) was born on or about Dec. 8, 1854 in Turnhout, Belgium. Her birthdate appears to be Dec. 8 as written in the Antwerp Civil Register, yet appears as Dec. 11 in most transcriptions. She became a nun, and died in 1915 in Belgium.

    Maria Ferdinand de Haerne (1856-1905) was born Marie-Ferdinande-Anne-Helene-Ghislaine on or about Oct. 8, 1856 in Turnhout, Belgium. Her birthdate appears to be Oct. 8 as written in the Antwerp Civil Register, yet appears as Oct. 10 in most transcriptions. She became a nun, and died on Sept. 7, 1905 in Belgium.

    Werner Antoine de Haerne (1860-1933) was born Werner-Auguste-Marie-Ghislaine de Haerne on or about April 5, 1860 in Turnout, Belgium. His birthdate appears to be April 5 as written in the Antwerp Civil Register, yet appears as April 7 in most transcriptions. He married Celeste-Marie Gilliodts (1852-1934) on July 9, 1898 in Brugge, Belgium, but they had no children. He died on July 21, 1933 as the archivest of Ghent.

    Michel Hippolyte de Haerne (1868-1938) was born Michel-Hippolite-Louis-Marie-Ghislaine de Haerne on July 23, 1868 in Turnhout, Belgium. He became the First Judge (President) of the Court of Appeals at Ghent, and married Marie-Josephine-Therese-Ghislaine Vercruysse (1866-1929) on May 12, 1896 in Courtrai, Belgium. Marie had been born on Oct. 6, 1866 in Courtrai, Belgium, and she was related by marriage to Baron Paul Coppens d'Eeckenbrugge (1889-1967) - her niece Germaine Vercruysse (1899-1994) being the Baron's wife. Although Marie died on Feb. 19, 1929 in Cannes, France, she was buried in the family tomb (probably of the Vercruysse family) in Baerlie-Tronchienne, which is most likely somewhere near Ghent, Belgium. Michel was knighted for his services on Feb. 6, 1931 by King Albert I of Belgium, with his title of "chevalier" being transmissable to his heirs. Hence, when he died on Sept. 18, 1938 in Belgium, this title passed to his only child Marie, who is listed below.

    Marie-Louise-Helene-Camille-Antoinette-Ghislaine de Haerne (1898-1974) was born on August 21, 1898 in Courtrai, Belgium. She inherited her father's title of a Knight (Chevalier) of Belgium, and she later married Leo Louis Marie van Nispen tot Sevenaer (1893-1952) on Feb. 29, 1940 in Ghent, Belgium. Family correspondance addressed her as Mme. M.L. van Nispen tot Savenaier. She died on Feb. 20, 1974 in Het Zoute, Belgium, and with her death the title of Knight originally awarderd to her father became extinct. So far as we know, she was the last descendant of Louis de Haerne (1871-1887) to remain in Belgium, the other members of the de Haerne family having relocated to the United States and Canada.

 

Houses associated with the de Haerne Family in Belgium. They are probably located in either Ypres or Turnhout. Emil de Haerne about 1870 is believed to have taken part in the start up of a bank, which utlimately resulted in the loss of either one or both of these houses.

 

Some Related Links
The Counts of Harnes       Michel of Harnes, the Knight-Trouvere       The Last Count of Harnes	Descendants of the Counts of Harnes       The Three Deaths of Uncle Antoine Harnes Through the Ages

 

Selected References:

 

MORE REFERENCES

 

 

 

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History of the Family in Hawaii

 

10. Emile-Antoine-Marie-Ghislaine de Haerne (1847-1918), the eldest son of Louis de Haerne, was born on October 17, 1847 in Echlo (Eeklo), Belgium and emigrated about 1882 to the Hawaiian Islands, after he lost the family estate in a business transaction. Emil was one of the founding teachers of the first English-speaking school at Halawa on Hawaii, and either taught, or was the principal, of schools in Sprecklesville on Maui, and Honomakau on Oahu. He also founded the Hawi post office. He married Francisca "Frances" de Jesuz Gomes Camacho on August 28, 1886 at the Halawa Catholic Church in North Kohala on the big island of Hawaii. Frances, who had come from the Madeira Islands off the coast of Portugal with her family to work the sugar cane fields, had been a student in one of the classes that Emil taught in Halawa. Frances and Emil had thirteen children, the eldest born in Halawa and the rest near Hawi, North Kohala, Hawaii. For the story of Emil and Frances in Hawaii, please see the chapter of this history on "Remembrances of Mary Walsh and Josephine Jones". There is also a chapter on the "Descendants of Emil and Frances". Emil and Frances had several children, who are listed below.

    Mary de Harne (1888-1980) married Joe Walsh and had two children.

    Louise de Harne (1891-1942) married James F. Clark, Sr. and had one son.

    Josephine de Harne (1894-1957) married Tom Jones and had two children.

    Joseph de Harne (b. 1895) died an infant.

    Joseph de Harne (1896-1897) died an infant.

    Frances de Harne (1897-1971) married Frank Betz and had four children.

    Clement de Harne (b. 1899) died an infant.

    Paul de Harne (1900-1981) married Emma Arantha Davis and had nine daughters, seven of whom survived.

    Maurice de Harne (1902-1982) married Helen Nichols and adopted two daughters.

    Edward de Harne (1904-1982) married Edna McNicoll and had two sons.

    Alice de Harne (1906-1969) married Ulysses Chelli and died without issue.

    an unnamed infant was born, baptized, and died in November, 1908.

    Helen de Harne (1909-1911) died single.

    Eleanor de Harne (1911-1995) married Colonel Douglas Dwyre and had five sons.

 

 

 

 

 

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History of the Family in Canada

 

10. Armand-Michel-Desire-Marie-Ghislaine de Haerne (1850-1902), the second son of Louis de Harne, was born on or about Nov. 27, 1850 in Turnhout, Belgium. His birthdate appears to be Nov. 27 as written in the Antwerp Civil Register, yet appears as Nov. 29 in most transcriptions. He became a soldier at the age of 17 under Napoleon III and was stationed in the French garrison that Napoleon kept in Rome to serve the interests of Pope Pius IX. When Napoleon declared war in August, 1870 on the Prussians, thereby starting the onset of the Franco-Prussian War, the French were forced to abandon this garrison, and the subsequent occupation of it by Italian nationalists is viewed by many historians as the start of the modern Italian state. Armand after the war married his first wife and became the commissioner of the arrondissement (administrative district) of Termonde. He is said to have received a large grant of land, but apparently gave this away to a Maurice Richard, probably about 1882 after the death of his first wife. When Armand's brother Emil lost the family estate in a business transaction about the same time, Armand estranged himself from his brother, and emigrated the following year, bankrupt by one account, to Canada. He departed from Liverpool, England on the sailing ship "Peruvian", and arrived on April 3, 1883 at the port of Halifax in Nova Scotia.

    A few months after his arrival in Canada, Armand married his second wife Marie Ann Biron on Dec. 2, 1883 in Stoke (Centre), Quebec. Marie, who had been born on Dec. 25, 1860 in Stoke, was the daughter of Antoine Jean Biron. Armand and Marie were together only a few years, as she died on Dec. 10, 1885 in Stoke, probably from complications related to the birth of their second daughter Marie (d. 1886). She is buried with Marie in the Cimetière Saint-Philémon de Stoke in the Estrie Region of Quebec. Armand and his surviving daughter Sara Mathilde continued to live in Montreal, where he worked for awhile as a translator in the House of Commons, and also became a writer of short stories, some of which dealt with werewolves and vampires. His first story, "The Devil Dance", appeared in the January-February, 1886 issue of the Canadian Evening News. His best known stories "Jean the Cursed" (or "Back Under the Ice") and "Nesime the Killer" were published a bit later. Armand's writing career eventually led to him becoming the editor of a newspaper in Montreal.

    Armand married his third wife Maria Emma Victoria Richard, who was also his sister-in-law, on Oct. 1, 1894 in Victoriaville, Quebec, when she was 21-years old and he was almost 23 years her senior. Emma, who had been born on May 18, 1873 in Victoriaville, was the daughter of Elzear Richard (Rechard) and Emelie Auger. She was also the sister of Adelia (Delle) Richard (b. 1860), who was married in 1884 to Marie Biron's brother. Armand died on Aug. 18, 1902 in Victoriaville, where he is buried in the Sainte-Victoire parish graveyard, with a large monument over his grave. His third wife Emma remarried two more times after his passing - second to Joel Laurendeau on Oct. 18, 1905 in Victoriaville at the Ste-Victoire Church, and third to Francois-Xavier LeBlanc on Feb. 12, 1916 at the Cathedral-de-Montreal in Quebec.

    From Armand's first marriage to Marie Biron were born:

    Sara Mathilde de Haerne (1884-1910) was born on Sept. 17, 1884 in Montreal; and married Alfred Prendergast in 1905 in Stoke (Centre), Quebec. Their daughter Marie Olive Aurelie Emilie Prendergast was born on Oct. 5, 1906 in Stoke (Centre), and reportedly lived to an old age; whereas Sara Mathilde died on April 22, 1910 in Montreal, while Marie was still a little girl.

    Marie Celina Louisa de Haerne (1885-1886) was born on Nov. 29, 1885 in Montreal, and died there less than a year later, being buried with her mother on August 1, 1886 in the Cimetière Saint-Philémon de Stoke in the Estrie Region of Quebec.

     

    From Armand's second marriage to (Maria) Emma Richard were born:

    Marie Blanche Gislande de Haerne (1895-1897) was born July 15, 1895 and died in 1897.

    Fernand Hercule de Haerne (1897-1980), who follows:

     

11. Maurice Hercule Fernand de Haerne (1897-1980) was born on April 23, 1897 in Montreal, Canada. His birth year is sometimes given as 1893 and his mother is sometimes shown as Marie Biron. However, his birth certificate from the St. Hyacinthe Cathedral in Quebec, even though handwritten in French, clearly shows he was born in 1897 to Emma Richard and Armand de Haerne (mis-spelled as de Hearne). The fact that Emma's actual first name was Maria, and that her sister had married a Biron, adds to this confusion. Fernand joined the British Army Air Corp as a lieutenant in World War I, and served as a pilot. He married Marie Joseph Irma Brassard after the war on Jan. 11, 1921 in Montreal. He eventually became the head of La Globale Campagnis D’Assurance in Montreal, Canada. He and others prior to World War II helped to found the Lique de l'Achat chex-nous, or Home Buyers League, which promoted buying from French-speaking rather than English-speaking merchants, but is said by some to have really been a boycott of Jewish merchants. According to controversial research published by historian Esther Delisle (1993 & 1998), this led to Fernand being investigated along with other prominant Canadians by the U.S. Secret Service in the "Roux Affair" of 1942 as a French-Canadian nationalist with possible pro-German sympathies. However, other historians argue that the hysteria leading to these investigations was largely unfounded, and Delisle's writings have been widely criticised for perceived inaccuracies and exaggerations. Fernand died on Sept. 23, 1980 in Montreal, and he was survived by his two sons, who follow below.

    Michel Antoine Joseph de Haerne (1921-2016) was born on Nov. 20 1921 in Montreal, Canada; and died on Oct. 2, 2016 in Saint-Eustache, Deux-Montagnes, Quebec, Canada. He was one of the first Canadian aeronautical engineers, and later pursued a career as an insurance adjuster. He married Pierrette Parent and they have two sons - Michel, who was married first to Joanne Tourigny, and second to Sylvie Tardif; and André, who married Tammy Zimmerman. There is also a granddaughter Chloe de Haerne, who is the daughter of Michel and Joanne.

    Jean-Francois Joseph de Haerne, (1925-2013), who follows:

     

12. Jean-Francois Joseph de Haerne (1925-2013) was born on July 8, 1925 in Montreal, Canada. He followed a career in the retail trade, and married Marguerite (Margot) Geoffroy (1929-2008) on Aug. 6, 1949 at the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce church in Montreal. Margot was the daughter of Hector Geoffroy and Therese Seguin. She was born on Feb. 26, 1929 in the parish St-Romuald, Farnham (Missisquoi County), and baptized there the following day. She died on October 15, 2008 at the age of 79 at the Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur in Montreal, and Jean-Francois died at the age of 87 on March 10, 2013 in Laval-Quebec. The services for both of them were held at Saint-Maxime Church in Laval. They had several children who follow below.

    Jacques Maurice Joseph de Haerne (b. Aug. 2, 1950) married Johanna Snyder and died without issue on Oct. 28, 2008 in Rigaud, Quebec.

    Francois Guy Joseph de Haerne (b. Aug. 29, 1951) served in the Canadian army, and later became a construction worker. He has three sons.

    Didier de Haerne (b. Aug. 19, 1988)
    Thiery de Haerne (b. Aug. 9 1991)
    Renaud de Haerne (b. Oct. 24, 1995)

    Pierre Luc Joseph de Haerne (b. April 12, 1953) has two sons and a daughter. He died on May 9, 1996 in Quebec.

    Pierre de Haerne (b. July 22, 1974) has a son named Jacque de Haerne.
    Isabelle de Haerne (b. July 2, 1975) has daughter Kayla de Haerne (b. Aug. 8, 2003).
    Jean-Francois de Haerne (b. Dec. 27, 1979) has two daughters.

     
    Taylor de Haerne (b. Dec. 8, 1997)
    Danielle de Haerne (b. Dec. 5, 1999)

    Alain Michel Joseph de Haerne (b. July 22, 1954) works for a Canadian law firm. He married Lucie Mongeau and has a son named Simon de Haerne (b. Feb. 17, 1980), who serves in the Canadian Forces.

    Marie Helene Thérèse de Haerne (b. Dec. 12, 1957) married Gaétan F. Leclerc and has three sons and a daughter.

    Dominic Leclerc (b. July 28, 1987)
    Julien-Alexandre Leclerc (b. Jan. 13, 1989)
    Tanya Leclerc (b. March 25, 1991)
    Louis-Gabriel Leclerc (b. March 19, 1993)

    Louise Laurette Marie de Haerne (b. 1959) has a son and a daughter.

    Louis-Philipe de Haerne (b. April 17, 1982)
    Katheryn de Haerne (b. April 20, 1985)

    Edith Jacqueline Marie de Haerne (b. July 31, 1960).

    Jean Geoffrey Joseph de Haerne (b. Sept. 13, 1964) died on Dec. 26, 1996 in Quebec.

 

 

This family history was started by
Josephine de Harne Jones
in her diary from 1916 to about 1922
and has been expanded upon by
her nephew
Michael Sidney Clark

 

Please contact Mike Clark if you notice
any corrections or additions that need to be made