BADGER FAMILY CHRONICLES

© Christopher Earls Brennen

CHAPTER 5

THE HARRIS FAMILY


This chapter delineates the family of Annie Marion Harris, known as Nan, who was born about 1879 in County Longford and, in 1904, married Samuel Storey Badger. The father of Annie Marion Harris was William Harris.


Will of Arabella Harris of Longford dated Nov.1, 1897

  1. William Harris was born in Co. Longford in 1853. He lived in the town of Longford and married Arabella Anderson whose family is described in the next chapter. William died before 1897 and before Arabella who prepared her will on Nov.1, 1897. The will of Arabella Harris of Longford reads as follows:
    This is the last will of me, Arabella Harris of Longford in the County of Longford. I will and bequeath my interest in the house and premises in which I now reside and carry on(?) business in the town of Longford and all my other personal estate of whatever nature and kind I many died possessed, unto my daughter Annie Harris subject to the payment of all my debts, funeral and testamentary expenses - and I appoint my two brothers George Anderson of Croghan in the County of Roscommon and William Anderson of Ballymore, Boyle, in said County as executors of this my last will and testament - and I hereby revoke all former wills and codicils. Dated this first day of November, 1897. Signed Arabella Harris, Longford, J.A.Thompson, Clerk in Holy Orders, Longford, and Mary Anderson, Croghan. Signed by the testatrix in the joint presence of us who thereupon signed our names in her and each others presence."
    The children of William and Arabella Harris:
    1. Ida Blanche Harris was born on Apr.27, 1872, in Longford, Co. Longford.

        
      John Henry Harris and the account of his death.

    2. John Henry Harris was born on Sep.11, 1873, in Longford, Co. Longford. He married Anne Elizabeth Lawrence (born in 1872) who died in July 1941. John lived most of his life in the suburbs west of London and died in 1973 at the home of his son, John William, in Fifield near Slough. He acquired the nickname of "Pixie" due to wearing a balaclava when he ran a bus service between Maidenhead and Windsor before selling out to in 1933. He would also drive some 100 miles a week to collect rents from houses he owned in Datchet and Windsor. He made national headlines when he bought a new car at the age of 93 but blotted his copybook shortly thereafter when he got into an accident. John died just a few days after his 100th birthday. John and Anne had three children:
      1. Laura Kathleen Harris was born on Jul.10, 1901, and, on Sep.2, 1929, married Reginald Albert Beard, born Sep.1, 1897. Reginald died in 1976 and Laura died in Feb. 1997. They had two sons:
        1. Douglas Albert Beard married Kathleen Anne Hennessey. Douglas was married for a second time in 1970 to Margaret Frances Kane. Douglas and Kathleen had two children:
          1. Paul Douglas Beard married Karin Denise Bayerl. They have two children, Tegan Amelia Beard and Colin William Douglas Beard. Paul Beard (paulbeard@gmail.com) provided the information on this branch of the Harris family.
          2. Sarah Ruth Beard married Yves Quirion. They have a daughter Sophie Anne Quirion.
        2. Laurence Anthony Beard married Margaret Webb they had two children:
          1. Carolyn Beard married Simon Spong. They had two children, Lloyd Spong and Katie Spong.
          2. Nicola Beard married Robert Clifford. They had a daughter Felicity Maxine Clifford.
      2. John William Harris was born in 1904 and married Grace Puttick. John and Grace had two children:
        1. Christopher Harris was born on Jan.29, 1932, and died in 1941.
        2. Patricia Harris married twice. In 1986 she married Anthony Camm. She and her second husband, Patrick Nunn, had two children:
          1. Roma Nunn
          2. Juli-Carole Nunn
      3. Patricia Jessica Jane Harris married Leonard Underwood. They had three children:
        1. Elizabeth Underwood married Mark Dutton in 1966.
        2. Frank Underwood
        3. Gina Marilyn Underwood
    3. Marian Anne Harris was born on Mar.1, 1875, in Longford, Co. Longford. Though her mother is listed as "Josephine" Anderson rather than "Arabella" Anderson it seems fairly certain that this is the same Annie Harris who inherited all her mother's property (see above) and who, in 1904, married Samuel Storey Badger (the family of Samuel and Annie or Nan Badger is described in the chapters that precede and follow this one). Listed in the 1901 Census is 26-year-old unmarried Annie M.Harris (Church of Ireland) who is the head of a household and drapery business on Main Street, Longford. Living with her are a 17-year-old unmarried apprentice dress-maker, Mary A. McGarry (Church of Ireland, born in Co.Westmeath), a 20-year-old unmarried servant Kate Lennon (Roman Catholic, born in Co.Longford) and two boarders, a 33-year-old unmarried solicitor George F Montgomery and a 67-year-old widower John Parkinson.
    4. "Maysie" Harris was married twice but had no children. Her second husband was ?? Fryar. In later life, Maysie lived in Magherafelt with her sister Annie and her family. Maysie is buried in the First Presbyterian Church grave with her sister and her family; the Badger gravestone includes "...Maysie A. Fryar died Feb.10, 1960."
    5. Elizabeth Letitia Harris was born about 1877 in Longford. She died on Dec.12, 1950. This is probably the daughter known as Bessie who married Robert Neely. They lived in Cambridge before emigrating to New Zealand. They had 4 children:
      1. Meryll Neely
      2. Dorothy Neely married William Robinson and they had three children:
        1. Brian Robinson, a dairy farmer in Cambridge, emigrated to Rotorangi, New Zealand and had three children:
          1. Paul Robinson became a doctor in Auckland, married Michelle ?? and had children, Zachary and Maud Robinson.
          2. Jonathan Robinson
          3. Mathew Robinson became a landscaper.
        2. Maureen Robinson married Doug Cameron who had a kiwi fruit orchard in TePuke, New Zealand. They had three children:
          1. Elizabeth Cameron became a nurse and married Mike Kooyman, a dairy farmer. They had children Anneka and Huntly.
          2. Peter Cameron married Wendy ??
          3. Susan Cameron married Mark ??
        3. Margaret Robinson married Richard Hodges, a sheep farmer in Inglewood, Taramaki near New Plymouth, New Zealand. They had three children:
          1. Philippa Hodges became a vet.
          2. Anne Hodges married Mark Bridges.
          3. Sally Hodges
      3. Herbert Neely married Doreen ?? in Cambridge. They had no children.
      4. Gladys Neely married Keith Reynolds and they had 4 children:
        1. Richard Reynolds married Barbara in Teawamutu and they had three children:
          1. Suzanne Reynolds married Alex Snodgrass.
          2. Geoffrey Reynolds
          3. Gavin Reynolds
        2. Bruce Reynolds married Raewyn and they had a daughter Carey who married Peter Goodwood.
        3. Ruth Reynolds married David Hamill who had a kiwi fruit farm and a garage in Whakatane. They had four children:
          1. Cyhthia Hamill
          2. Jaimie Hamill
          3. Alison Hamill
          4. Keith Hamill
    6. Fred Harris, brother of Annie Harris, was billeted in Cambridge, England, at Christmas 1914 as a soldier in the 6th Battalion of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers. On that date he mailed the attached photograph of himself to his nephew Dermot Storey Badger. [ From The history of the 6th Battalion: The battalion moved to Cambridge in December 1914 and to Bedford in May 1915, when the formation was renamed 158th Bridgade, 53rd (Welsh) Division. On the 2nd of July orders arrived to re-equip for service in the Mediterranean. Leaving the artillery and train behind, the rest of the Division left 14-19 July and they embarked at Devonport on the 19th of July to Imbros. The Division made a landing at Sulva Bay, Gallipoli, on the 9th August 1915 and were involved in operations in the Sulva Bay area suffering heaving losses. By the time they were evacuated on the 11th of December the Division stood at just 162 officers and 2428 men (approx. 15 percent). From Mudros they went on to Alexandria and to Wardan ... ] We doubt that Fred survived Gallipoli. Fred had two children:
      1. Maureen Harris married Paddy McHugh.
      2. Desmond Harris died in a car accident.
        
      Front and back of postcard sent to Dermot Storey Badger on Dec.25, 1914.

    7. Harry Harris emigrated to South Africa and had two children:
      1. Aileen Harris
      2. Thelma Harris married ? Kelly and lived in Durban, South Africa.
    8. George Harris became a major, presumably in the British Army. He had two children:
      1. Boyd Harris had two children, Robyn and Ian.
      2. Leslie Harris

Last updated 7/20/10.


Christopher E. Brennen