Harris is typically an English name, pluralizing of the personal name “Harry.” It is also in Ireland, where Harris can be an Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó hEarchadha. Occasionally, it can be an Americanized form of several Greek and similar-sounding Jewish surnames.[i]
World: Over 1 Million people bear the surname Harris. About Âľ of those people live in the United States. The tiny island country in Micronesia of Nauru has the highest frequency of people with the Harris surname, with 1 in 29 people having the surname.
United States: Harris is most common in the US in Mississippi, where 1 in 200 have the surname. Nationally, about 1 in 471 people have the surname.[iii] Â
6th Great-grandfather: Robert Overton Harris (1696-1765)
7th Great-grandfather: William Harris (1669-1730)
8th Great-grandfather: Robert Harris (1635-1701)
9th Great-grandfather: William Harris (1596-1656)
10th Great-grandfather: William Harris (1545-1601)
11th Great-grandfather: William Harris (1522-1559)
12th Great-grandfather: William Harris (1502-1556)
13th Great-grandfather: John Harris (1480-1520)
My Harris Ancestors in History
Revolutionary War – Sarah married David Blackwell in 1776, and their first child was born in 1779. David served in the Virginia militia during the Revolution. His father, Robert Harris, served in the Albemarle Co., Virginia militia.
Drawing of a fortified village like Jamestown.
Immigrant Ancestor – William Harris emigrated to Virginia Colony with William Claiborne in 1621. He was born about 1596 in Willingale Doe, Esses, England.
Some researchers believe my earliest known Harris ancestor to be John Harris, born in Prittlewell, Essex, England, before 1480.[v]
I have 466 known descendants of John Harris in my tree: 159 Roberts, 13 Blackwell, 12 Hart, and 11 Harris. I have previously written about four of them.
Linwood Dyer Collection – Part 044
 Hinkley Family Photographs (2024.13.43)
Portland, Maine, Dedham, Massachusetts
By Don Taylor
This photo album is from the Linwood D Dyer Photo Collection and is in very rough condition. Because most images are glued in place, I cannot access the photo backs. My goal is to reunite the images with family members who may have never seen the pictures before. The Scarborough Historical Society holds the originals in the Linwood Dyer Photo Collection.[i]
Pauline (Warner) Hinkley – 1911.
Hinkley Family Album, Pages 24 & 25.
Page 24
This photo is a snapshot of a woman in her bedclothes, standing in a doorway. Between this photo and the next image is written, “Switzerland – 1911.” In part 43 of this series, I reviewed several photos of Rufus Henry Hinkley, Jr. (1873-1942). During that review, I learned that Rufus married Pauline Warner in 1899.
Passenger Lists indicate that Rufus & Pauline returned from Europe aboard the S. S. Franconia, leaving Liverpool on August 8[ii] and arriving in Boston on August 16, 1911.
I am sure this is a photo of Pauline (Warner) Hinkley taken in 1911 in Switzerland.
This photo is of a woman feeding chickens and ducks. Under the picture is written “Pauline.” Also on the page is a photo of two people walking along a beach. Neither photo has a date or location associated with them. Although I am sure the images are of Pauline and Henry, both pictures are taken from a distance and of little interest. They are available through the Scarborough Historical Society.
Page 26
This page of the album consists of four photos. Three are of Pauline. In one, the photo is in deep shadow; in another, a hat covers most of her face. A third photo shows Pauline holding a cat with a dog standing nearby. There is another animal in the picture, but I’m unsure what it is. I have included a copy of this photo in my Linwood Dyer Collection family tree at Ancestry.
Rufus Henry Hinkley, 1911.
Hinkley Family Album, Pages 24.
Rufus Henry Hinkley, in Switzerland, 1911.
This is the photo of a man sitting at a table with mountains in the distance. Above the picture is written, “Switzerland – 1911.”
Passenger Lists indicate that Rufus Henry Hinkley returned from Europe aboard the S. S. Franconia, leaving Liverpool on August 8[iii] and arriving in Boston on August 16, 1911.
I am sure this is a photo of Rufus taken in 1911 while in Switzerland.
First home of Rufus Henry and Pauline (Warner) Hinkley, circa 1907.
Hinkley Family Album, Page 27.
Henry & Pauline’s 1st home in Dedham, MA.
Page 27 consists of two photos:
A house. Under the photo is “Henry’s and Pauline’s first home – Dedham – Mass.”
A woman sitting in a chair reading a room with two bookshelves filled with books.
The 1900 US Census finds Henry and Paula living at the Granite House (hotel) in Milton, Norfolk County, Mass.
The 1910 US Census lists Henry R Hinckley and his wife Pauline living at 68 Maple Place,[iv] Dedham, MA.
Pauline Hinkley reading in home library, early 1900s.
The 1915 tax lists indicate that Rufus lived at 5 Common St., Dedham,[v] MA.
Today, no home is at 68 Maple Place, Dedham, MA. At 66 Maple Place is a house built in 1958, and at 70 Maple Place is a home built in 1944. The house currently at 56 Maple Place appears to be the same as in the far left of the photo. So, I am confident these photos are of the Rufus Henry Hinkley home between 1901 and 1914.
Frances Elizabeth Prindle Hinkley, c. 1876 & 1897.
Hinkley Family Album, Pages 26 & 28.
Frances Elizabeth Hinkley, circa 1876.
Also on Page 26 is a carte de visite of a young child, probably one or two years old, taken at Lamson Photo. Lamson Studio opened in Portland, Maine, in 1871, operated into the 1900s, and closed before 1911. Beneath the photo is written “Frances.”
So far, my research into the Hinkley family has yielded only three Frances members:
Frances Elizabeth Prindle – born in 1843.
Frances Elizabeth Hinkley – born abt. 1876 in Portland, Maine.
Frances Quinby (Frances Hinkley’s daughter) was born abt. 1911 in New Jersey.
Additionally, I have found no evidence that Rufus and Pauline had any children. As such, I am confident this is Rufus Henry Hinkly, Jr.’s sister, Frances Elizabeth Prindle Hinkley.
Frances Elizabeth Prindle Hinkley, 1897.
Page 28
This page consists of two photos. The first is a professional photo labeled “Frances Elizabeth Prindle Hinkley” and “1897.”
Frances (Hinkley) Quinby with her first son, Frank, in 1904.
The second photo on Page 28 is of a young woman with a baby. The image is labeled “Baby Quinby 1904- died 28 July 1904.”
Find a Grave has a memorial, #118941676, for Frank Lees Quinby[vi]. He was born on 14 December 1903 and died on 28 July 1904 at the age of 7 months. His parents are Frank Lees Quinby (1879-1965) and Frances Hinkley Quinby (1875-1980).
Frank & Pauline’s second son, Frank, learning to walk, circa 1909.
Indeed, the loss of their first child was crushing. Their second child was also a boy, and they also named him Frank Less Quinby, Jr. There is a small thumbnail photo of him on page 29 of the Hinkley Family Album. I include a copy of the photo in my Linwood Dyer Collection family tree at Ancestry.
Conclusion
I would love to hear your reaction if any of these photos are of your family member. Especially if this photo is of a loved one for whom you hadn’t seen this photograph before.
Due to software limitations, the images uploaded to Ancestry, Dead Fred, or Flickr have higher quality than those linked here. Feel free to use these photos in your genealogical activities. Please cite “Photo Courtesy: Scarborough Historical Society.”
Endnotes
[i] Scarborough Historical Society Accession number: 2024.13.43.
[ii] The National Archives in Washington, DC; Washington, DC; Series Title:Â Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving At Boston, Massachusetts, 1891-1943; NAI Number:Â 4319742; Record Group Title:Â Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787-2004; Record Group Number:Â 85; Series Number:Â T843; NARA Roll Number:Â 16. Via Ancestry.com.
[iii] The National Archives in Washington, DC; Washington, DC; Series Title:Â Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving At Boston, Massachusetts, 1891-1943; NAI Number:Â 4319742; Record Group Title:Â Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787-2004; Record Group Number:Â 85; Series Number:Â T843; NARA Roll Number:Â 16. Via Ancestry.com.
[iv] “United States Census, 1910”, , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M2KS-RM9 : Sat Mar 09 01:50:40 UTC 2024), Entry for Henry R Hinckley and Pauline Hinckley, 1910.
[v]Income Tax Assessment Lists, 1914 – 1917. NAID: 76034890. Records of the Internal Revenue Service, 1791 – 2006, Record Group 58. The National Archives at Boston, Massachusetts.
[vi]Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/118941676/frank_lees-quinby: accessed November 24, 2024), memorial page for Frank Lees Quinby (14 Dec 1903–28 Jul 1904), Find a Grave Memorial ID 118941676, citing Evergreen Cemetery, Portland, Cumberland County, Maine, USA; Maintained by Sally – Midcoast Maine (contributor 48138595).
I know nothing about my 3rd-great-grandmother, Lucy Wilson Taft. Other researchers have suggested facts, but I’m not confident about them.
Family Search has profile KLG2-H2F for Lucy. Â It suggests she is the daughter of Asa Taft (1774-1839) and Lucy Wilson (1791-1851). She married Joel Barnes (1790-____) and had one child, Nelson Barnes (1816-1884). It also suggests she had three siblings: Sara Jane (1821-1881), James F. (1822-1848), and Ambrose Wilson (1826-1891). Sadly, there are no sources connected to her profile.
Ancestry Public Member Trees isn’t much better. A search for Lucy yielded 219 public trees. Most facts are only the results of other people’s research, such as Ancestry Family Trees and Geneanet Trees Indexes. US Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865 indicates that Nelson Barnes was a private with the 8th regiment, Indiana Infantry, for 3 months in 1861.
Several people ascribe “Lucy d. of Arba & Lucy Taft with a record that indicates her birthdate as  18 June 1845[i]. Her son, Nelson, was born about 1816, making an 1845 birthdate for Lucy impossible.
Some people cite the American Genealogical-Biographical Index (AGBI) (Volume 01, Page 376), which references “History and Gen. of the Jewets in America. By Fred. Clarke Jewett. New York, 1908.”
Some researchers cite the 1880 US Census record for Nelson Barnes, indicating both his parents were born in Connecticut. This record doesn’t fit any of the other data I have for Nelson or his parents, so I believe it to be an error in the Census.
WikiTree has a profile, Taft-1235, for Lucy Wilson Taft (abt. 1800 – abt. 1839). It has no sources except for “Family Tree.”
My research findings
 My quick look into Family Search and Ancestry failed to find viable results for Lucy Wilson Taft (later Barnes). As such, I think I need to go up a generation and then back down to learn more about Lucy.  Lucy’s potential father is Asa Taft (1774-1839). My records suggest Asa was married three times:
m 18 Sep 1794 – Sarah Whitney (1773-1813)
after 1813 – Lucy Fuller (1780-1830)
abt. 1819 – Lucy Wilson (1791-1851)
And had 11 children.
If Lucy Wilson Taft was born about 1800, then Lucy Wilson (1791-1851) cannot be her mother. It would be much more likely that Sarah Whitney is her mother. Something is wrong, so I will skip Lucy Wilson Taft for now and work on Asa Taft, his wives, and his other children. Hopefully, that research will provide insight into this family line.
3rd Great-grandmother: Lucy Wilson Taft (c. 1800-c. 1839)*
4th Great-grandfather: Asa Taft (1774-1839)*
5th Great-grandfather: Silas Taft (1744-1812)*
6th Great-grandfather: Stephen Taft (1710-1803)*
7th Great-grandfather: Benjamin Taft (1677-1761)*
8th Great-Grandfather: Robert Taft (____=____)*
Ancestors marked with an asterisk (*) are tentative and not confirmed.
Further Action
Research Asa Taft (1774-1839).
Research Asa Taft’s three wives, Sarah, Lucy, & Lucy.
Research Asa Taft’s 11 children (researching Lucy last)
Endnotes
[i] Ancestry.com. Massachusetts, U.S., Compiled Birth, Marriage, and Death Records, 1700-1850 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2018. This collection was indexed by Ancestry World Archives Project contributors. Milford Births, Page 164.   Â
Linwood Dyer Collection – Part 043
 Hinkley Family Photographs (2024.13.43)
By Don Taylor
This photo album is from the Linwood D Dyer Photo Collection and is in very rough condition. Because most images are glued in place, I cannot access the photo backs. My initial look suggests this photo album highlights the Hinkley family. The collection includes hundreds of images, documents, and genealogies of people who lived in Portland, Scarborough, South Portland, and Cape Elizabeth, Maine. My goal is to reunite the images with family members who may have never seen the pictures before. The Scarborough Historical Society holds the originals in the Linwood Dyer Photo Collection.[i]
Eleanor (Hinkley), Margaret, and Louise Kinney, 1914
Hinkley Family Album, Pages 18.
Eleanor (Hinkley) Kinney with children Margaret & Louise
Page 18 consists of one photo of a woman and two children. Although unlabeled, it is clearly a photo of Margaret Prindle (Hinkley) Kinney and her two children, Margaret and Louise, taken in 1914 when Eleanor was three and Louise was an infant.
Two children, a toddler and a young girl. The photo is labeled 1916.
Louise Kinney, c. 1916.
In 1916, Margaret was about five, and Louise was about two, and these appear to be photos of them.
I added the photo of Louise as a toddler and the picture of Margaret on the pony to my Linwood Dyer Collection family tree at Ancestry. I added the other two images to my Flickr Photostream.
Margaret Prindle (Hinkley) & Elbert Asa Gruver, 1908 & c. 1900.
Hinkley Family Album, Page 21.
Elbert Asa Gruver, c. 1900.
Page 21 consists of two photos of adults:
A man.
A woman – labeled Aug 16, 1908.
Last week, in Photo Friday – Hinkley & Gruver, I identified the man as Elbert Gruver.
Margaret Prindle Hinkley
That would suggest the woman is Margaret Prindle Hinkley. Margaret and Elbert were married on 1 Sep 1898 in Portland, ME. Because of the proximity of the photos, I am sure they are of Margaret and Elbert, probably taken several years apart.
I would love to hear your reaction if any of these photos are of your family member. Especially if this photo is of a loved one for whom you hadn’t seen this photograph before.
Due to software limitations, the images uploaded to Ancestry, FamilySearch, or Flickr have higher quality than those linked here. Feel free to use these photos in your genealogical activities. Please cite “Photo Courtesy: Scarborough Historical Society.”
Endnotes
[i] Scarborough Historical Society Accession number: 2024.13.43.
