Introduction / Families / Harcus / William Harcus (Hercus) and Janet Groat / William Harcus (Hercus) and Barbara Swordie

William Harcus and Jane Harcus

William Harcus (b. 16th January 1837) was a son of William Harcus and Barbara Swordie.

He married Jane Harcus (b. December 1838) at Luan on 25th March 1861. Jane was the daughter of Robert Harcus and Margaret Shearer and Luan was their family home.

William and Jane had four children:

• William Harcus, born 24th July 1862, Wardness, Eday. William was an apprentice baker in 1881 and went to the US in 1887. He was with his brother John and his family in Brooklyn, New York in 1900.

• Robert Harcus, born 8th May 1864, Tankerness. Sometime after 1881 he went to the US. He married Rose Egan in Manhattan on 10th December 1895. He was listed at a printer in the Brooklyn Directory of 1897, but has not been found thereafter.

• Margaret Ann Harcus, born 9th December 1866, Kirkwall; died Kirkwall 1868

• John William Harcus, born 28th September 1870, Kirkwall

The places of birth give some indication of their movements since getting married.

William drowned off the Sands o’Green, Eday on 25th February 1870. He was thirty three. Also drowned was Robert Reid of Sillerha, Eday.

Jane and her sons, William and John, were at Dunkirk, Kirkwall in 1871 staying close by her brother, Robert Harcus, and his family and in the Long Wynd in 1881. Her three sons were with her in 1881.

1881
Long Wynd, Kirkwall

	Relation	Status	Age	Occupation	Born
Jane Hercus	Head	Widow	42 years	Housekeeper	Eday
William Hercus	Son	Unmarried	18 years	Baker's app.	Eday
Robert Hercus	Son	Unmarried	16 years		Tankerness
John Hercus	Son		10 years	Scholar	Kirkwall
John Hercus	Boarder	Widower	34 years	Fisherman	Eday

She was with son John and his family in Brooklyn, New York in 1900, having gone to the US in 1889.

She probably died on 25th November 1901 in Brooklyn.