My dad's side of Forneys was of German decent (Huguenots) living near or in Geneva, Ain Province, France at the time of the revocation of the "Edict of Nantes" about 1685. It is believed they escaped the carnage and sought refuge in Canton of Berne (possibly Wattenwil), Switzerland. They were offered land and a place to worship freely by the sons of William Penn, in Pennsylvania. They arrived in Pennsylvania around 1721, and many members of the family served in the Revolutionary War. The Forneys settled in the Pennsylvania counties of York, Berks, Dauphin, Lebanon, Lancaster, and Sommerset. There appears to be three primary branches of Forneys which have never been connected to the best of my knowledge. It is almost certain they are related however, due to letters and accounts of visiting each other and referring to their neighbors as relatives.
18th Century PA German Naming Customs
A very helpful site if you are researching Pennsylvania German immigrants.
Palatine & Pennsylvania-Dutch Genealogy
The best site to start with if you are researching Pennsylvania German immigrants.
My mom's side of the Hardins are believed to have originated in Northampton England and to have arrived in America as early as the 17th century. They were originally Harding's but it's believed they dropped the "G" as it sounded too British around the time of the Revolutionary War. Another common spelling is Harden. Our Hardin line includes a connection to the 29th President Warren G. Harding.
THE HARDEN - IN - ING NEWSLETTER
If you have Harden, Hardin, or Hardings in your family line there is only one place to start and that is with Orin Hardin's newsletter. Orin has compiled every available piece of information on the HARDEN-IN-ING families for over 20 years. For information on subscribing to his newsletter, click on his E-Mail address above and request information. Be sure to leave the subject area blank.
HARDIN-L ROOTSWEB
Click on the link above to E-Mail Charles E. Carter for information on subscribing to the Hardin newsgroup.
Seven fascinating letters written between 1862 and 1869 depicting real pioneer life in Ohio and Illinois.
