Harper

**eric41** · 13-Jan-07, 18:03

Good Morning
Have just joined the list. I am looking for any info on the Harper name. Have a fair amount of details on the above, but always loking for additional possibilities.
From very cold Canada

Regards

Eric

**trinkie** · 13-Jan-07, 21:06

Hallo Eric,

Is it
1) The source / derivation of the name Harper, that you are interested in ?

2) Or any families with that surname?

1) It is possible that the name would have been given to one who played the Harp for a Clan Chief. The 'Harper' travelled around playing/singing all the news and kept the communities up to date with what was going on. It was a very important job.
Though in the Highlands the small Harp was known as a Clarsach.
''Harpist'' refers to one who plays the concert harp.

2) There are plenty families with this surname in the north. I have a Harper born 1757.

Trinkie

**eric41** · 14-Jan-07, 04:26

Good evening Trinkie
Thanks for your reply. It is the family that I am looking for. The oldest I have been able to prove is James Harper married to Katherine Keith, my 5 th great garndparents, and three children.
I have downloaded all the Harpers on the 1841 Census, and am now trying to see if my James had brothers and sisters, and from there be able to put together my Harpers of Caithness.

Regards

Eric

**Tricia** · 14-Jan-07, 17:24

Eric
Can you give us some names - dates - places for your HARPER to see if we can help.
I have a few in my family.
Tricia

**lindadorren** · 14-Jan-07, 23:26

Hi,

I have one Harper link in my tree - Williamina Harper, born about 1848 who married David Campbell in Thurso in 1871. They had two children Davidina Campbell Harper born before they were married and George Harper Campbell born after. George Harper Campbell was my great grandfather on my mother's side. He was a publican and ran the Crown Hotel, where he died in 1911 just 2 weeks after the birth of his youngest child. There are lots of family tales relating to this branch of the family but fact is difficult to establish and if you had any connections into it then I'd be grateful if you'd share your knowledge with me. I have little info to offer in return but what I do have you'd be welcome to if it fitted.

Linda

**eric41** · 15-Jan-07, 05:33

Good evening Lindadorren
Thank you for your reply. I have information on the above but will send that part privately. Would love to be able to add some more information. Wiliamina was my 1st cousin 3 times remived.

Regards

Eric

**Donald Harper** · 18-Feb-07, 21:03

Originally Posted by lindadorren

Hi,

I have one Harper link in my tree - Williamina Harper, born about 1848 who married David Campbell in Thurso in 1871. They had two children Davidina Campbell Harper born before they were married and George Harper Campbell born after. George Harper Campbell was my great grandfather on my mother's side. He was a publican and ran the Crown Hotel, where he died in 1911 just 2 weeks after the birth of his youngest child. There are lots of family tales relating to this branch of the family but fact is difficult to establish and if you had any connections into it then I'd be grateful if you'd share your knowledge with me. I have little info to offer in return but what I do have you'd be welcome to if it fitted.

Linda

I have Harpers on the paternal side of my family. Primarily from Wick area, Caithness. A James Harper born circa 1787 who married a Katherine Keith.

**caroline** · 18-Feb-07, 21:57

I have John Harper married to Elizabeth McKenzie and 3x g grandparents were Janet Harper b abt 1800 married Benjamin Bremner. Any possible connection.

**eric41** · 19-Feb-07, 17:42

Good morning Donald
Jame harper and katherine keith are my 5X great grandparents. Would be very interested in comparing information.

Eric

**eric41** · 19-Feb-07, 17:48

Good morning Caroline
Although they are not my direct line, I do have a lot of infromation on this family. Have been trying to establish if there is a connection to my Harpers. Would like to compare notes.

Regards

Eric

**Mamie_2** · 23-Feb-07, 21:14

Originally Posted by caroline

I have John Harper married to Elizabeth McKenzie and 3x g grandparents were Janet Harper b abt 1800 married Benjamin Bremner. Any possible connection.

I am related to grandchildren of Janet Harper and Benjamin Bremner. Their son Benjamin married my great grand aunt Margaret Dunnet. Do you have more information of John and Elizabeth?

I also have a Harper 3rd great grandmother - Isabella who I believe is the daughter of Alexander Harper and Janet Rugg. Any ideas appreciated.

Maryann

**sasenach** · 03-Mar-07, 21:21

Hi Do you have any connections to Andrew Harper married to Catherine Christian?

**Bonnie Parker-Duke** · 17-Sep-07, 03:26

My g,g,g grandfather Alexander "Sandy" Farquhar b. 1835 married Margaret Harper (no birthdate or place; no marriage date). I"m looking for any info I can find on her/them. The only child that I am aware of is Alexander Farquhar b. 12 June 1855 who emigrated to Canada and from there to the State of Washington in the USA.

I have family letters called The Harper letters by my family. There is not much genealogy info in them however, included with them is a copy of letters of reference that came with the Widow Harper (Barbara Robertson widow of David Harper, farm servant) and her children to North America as well as her children's birth records: Margaret, born 9 January 1823; John, born 18 April 1824; William, born 13 December 1826, David, born 1 October 1828; Catherine born 1February 1831; and Alexander, born 2 February 1838. All are extracted fro the Register Book of Wick Parish in the county of Caithness. Looks like the signature of the Registrar is James S. Maddox and the records were extracted on 26 March 1856.

I have no idea who the Harpers were except that they have always been referred to as "cousins." I wonder if you might have gleaned any information in regard to Margaret Harper (I'm wondering if she may be David Harper's sister? His eldest daughter is named Margaret). David and John are mentioned in letters written between my Weir/Farquhar ancestors.

I hope this information has been more enlightening for you than it has been for me so far!

Bonnie Parker-Duke

**Bonnie Parker-Duke** · 17-Feb-10, 18:24

Eric,

I hope you are well and back to doing your genealogy again.

I want to give you a bit of information on my Harper family that my Weir cousin John Humphrey have come up with over the last couple of years.

Margaret Harper, daughter of David Harper and Barbara Robertson, had a child Alexander Harper/Farquhar as the result of a liaison with Alexander Farquhar b. 1816 and who later married his first cousin Christina Alexander.

David Harper passed away about 1842. In 1854 his son William b. 1826, left Scotland for Canada. He wrote, encouraging mother and siblings to emigrate. In 1856, they did.

That is the last information I have on William. Brother Alexander mentions in a letter his wanting to go to the Yukon but I find no record of him there as I can find no census records from that time.

Barbara, Margaret, Catherine, John and David evidently went to London, Middlesex, Ontario. Youngest son Alexander wrote a few letters from Norfolk, Connecticut but I can find no record of him after 1861. He mentioned going the US to join the Union during the Civil War (The War Between the States) but I can find no record either for or against that idea. There are Alexander Harpers who served but I have no way to find out whether one of them was him.

Meanwhile, in London, John Harper died at the age of 38 on 17 March 1862. David "Drowned in the River Thames in the accident to the Steamer Victoria" 24 May 1881 outside of London, Ontario. Evidently his sister Catherine and her husband William Applegate were in the same accident but survived.

Barbara Robertson Harper died 23 October 1866 also in London, Middlesex, Ontario.

Catherine, as mentioned, married William Applegate. As far as I know, they had no children. William died 7 June 1902 aged 68 yrs. Catherine did not remarry; died 16 August 1916; both died London, Middlesex, Ontario.

Margaret married Robert Lovell and had a daughter Martha Margaret Lovell b. about 1866. Margaret Harper Lovell wrote her son Alex Farquhar who have returned to Scotland to live with his father and eventually married before returning to London in 1873 mentioning that she had gone through a very bad bout of diphtheria but was getting better. A couple of months later, she died on 28 October 1873. She was buried at St. Paul's Anglican Cemetery in London, Middlesex, Ontario where her mother, sister, brother in law and brothers David and John were also buried.

Unless Alexander or William had a family and had sons, it appears that our branch of the Harper family has run its course.

Both John Humphrey and I are determined to track down William and Alexander so I shall keep you posted in the event that we learn anything.

My best to you!

Bonnie

**Tricia** · 17-Feb-10, 20:39

Thanks for posting this Bonnie.
John Humphreys and I relate. If you relate to John perhaps we share some names also.
What is your link to John. Is it via Weirs

Harpers: do your link at all to line of William Harper and Janet Cook who married 1799 Wick.
Tricia

**Rosemary Skea** · 17-Feb-10, 21:12

My great grand mother was Georgina Harper, daughter of John Harper and Elizabeth Swanson who were married on 30th December 1830 in Watten. I have no information on John.

Rosemary

**Tricia** · 17-Feb-10, 22:47

HI Rosemary
Hope all OK with you - long time since we "spoke"

Is Elizabeth Swanson - Elspat bapt 1807 daughter of George S & Elizabeth McAdie - South Dunn Watten.
Tricia

**Bonnie Parker-Duke** · 18-Feb-10, 04:47

Hi Tricia.

John and I are related through the Weirs, yes. Isn't he a gem? He did commentary for me on family letters I shared with him between the Harper family and between members of the John Weir/Catherine Meiklejohn family in the late 1800's and early 1900's.

John and I are related through James Weir who married first Jane Sutherland (their first, John, is my ancestor) and then Jean Cormack (their daughter Elizabeth is John's ancestor).

Not related to the Harpers you mentioned though.

Are you related through the Weirs?

Bonnie

**Bonnie Parker-Duke** · 18-Feb-10, 04:50

Rosemary,

I'm sorry I have no information on this line. I wish I could help. If I find anything, I'll let you know.

Bonnie

**Rosemary Skea** · 18-Feb-10, 07:48

Originally Posted by Tricia

HI Rosemary
Hope all OK with you - long time since we "spoke"

Is Elizabeth Swanson - Elspat bapt 1807 daughter of George S & Elizabeth McAdie - South Dunn Watten.
Tricia

Yes Tricia, and George Swanson's sister Isabel married James Budge which made Georgina and her husband, James Budge 2nd cousins ! A comment about them being related was written on their marriage certificate. Georgina's sister Isabella never married and lived with Georgina at Bigton in Shetland and died there. They both lived with their granny McAdie in Watten prior to going to Shetland - both parents were deceased pre 1859.