O'Harvy History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsEtymology of O'HarvyWhat does the name O'Harvy mean? The Gaelic name used by the O'Harvy family in ancient Ireland was Ó hAthairne, which is possibly derived from the word athardha, which means paternal. 1 Early Origins of the O'Harvy familyThe surname O'Harvy was first found in Connacht (Irish: Connachta, (land of the) descendants of Conn), where they held a family seat from very ancient times. Early History of the O'Harvy familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our O'Harvy research. Another 74 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early O'Harvy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. O'Harvy Spelling VariationsBecause early scribes and church officials often spelled names as they sounded, a person could have many various spellings of his name.Many different spelling variations of the surname O'Harvy were found in the archives researched. These included Harney, Hartney, O'Harney, Hartney, Harnedy, Harnet, Harnett, Hartnet, Hartnett, Haherny and many more. Early Notables of the O'Harvy familyMore information is included under the topic Early O'Harvy Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the O'Harvy familyIn the 18th and 19th centuries, thousands of Irish families fled an Ireland that was forcibly held through by England through its imperialistic policies. A large portion of these families crossed the Atlantic to the shores of North America. The fate of these families depended on when they immigrated and the political allegiances they showed after they arrived. Settlers that arrived before the American War of Independence may have moved north to Canada at the war's conclusion as United Empire Loyalists. Such Loyalists were granted land along the St. Lawrence River and the Niagara Peninsula. Those that fought for the revolution occasionally gained the land that the fleeing Loyalist vacated. After this period, free land and an agrarian lifestyle were not so easy to come by in the East. So when seemingly innumerable Irish immigrants arrived during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s, free land for all was out of the question. These settlers were instead put to work building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. Whenever they came, Irish settlers made an inestimable contribution to the building of the New World. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the Irish name O'Harvy or a variant listed above, including: Edward Harnet settled in Salem Massachusetts in 1640; and he was reported from "suffering from favouring the Quakers"; James, Ann, John, Patrick and William Harnet all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860.
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