Introduction / Families / Harcus

Early Harcuses

There were other Harcuses on Pharay in early times about whom very little is known. These include:

• William Harcus who was married to Mary Sinclair. She was born on Pharay about 1763, one of the earliest Pharay births that can be documented. In the 1841 census William, Mary and their son James Harcus were living at Old Green, Eday. In 1851 Mary and James were still at Old Green, but Mary was identified as an 88 year-old widow born on Pharay. Son James was 57 and born on Eday, so it appears that Mary left Pharay well before 1800. Both Mary and James had apparently died before civil registration started in 1855. William Harcus’ age in the 1841 census was listed as 90, indicating he had been born about 1746-1751, but it is not known where or to whom.

• Robert Harcus who was married to Jane Hourston and had a daughter Janet Harcus, born about 1791 on Pharay according to later census records. Janet is recorded in the Eday census, living at the Lodge, until her death 3rd May 1875. She never married, but was listed with various occupations including “straw plaitter” in 1841. Robert and Jane had another daughter Marion Harcus, baptized 6th August 1797, according to the OPR, but it is not certain that she was born on Pharay (as opposed to Eday), and nothing more is known of her.

• Margaret Harcus and her husband Walter Hourston were on Pharay when their daughter Christina was born in 1793.

It is not known if any of these Harcuses were related to each other, or to other Harcuses on Pharay.