We now believe that they did not change the name but change the spelling.

We have been able to go as far back as a man called Christian Harnack who was born in 1774.

In 1808 he worked for Erardand lived in Tottenham Street

But this same man has his surname recorded variously as HARNOCK or HORNECK

The first appearance of the HAARNACK spelling is in the marriage entry of the church register of St Martins in the Fields in 1807.

By 1834, Christian's sons Henry and Christian were marrying married at Holy Trinity church. He used the HAARNACK spelling

Even so old spelling variations still lingered on. Nothing was standardised So to find details of the HAARNACKS prior to the 1830s and even into the 1850s , the researchers must be prepared to considerthe surnames HORNECK, HARNOCK, HARNICK, HAARNACK. HAARNOCK

and in 1881 we find a mispelling HARMACT!

Generally speaking, by the 1840s the Haarnacks were using the HAARNACK spelling more and more frequently.

One reason for this may have been the establishment and growth of the family business. Prior to this the Haarnacks probably worked for one of the other harpmakers who lived and worked in the North Soho area.

certainly the name HAARNACK appears in street directories at about this time

1840 Street Directory Henry Haarnack Coffee Room 50 Newman Street

At this time the harp maker Alexander Blazdell worked at 37 Newman Street

and harp maker Thos Martin worked at 22, London Street

1846 London Directory:

Henry Haarnack (coffee rooms) 50 Newman Street

1848 Post Office Directory

Christian Haarnack. Coffee House Keeper < a href="raystreet.html"> 7, Ray Street Clerkenwell

Henry Haarnack. Coffee House Keeper 50 Newman Street Marylebone

1851 Marylebone census

50 Newman St
Henry Haarnacke head 42 Harp maker b: London
Agnes his wife 34 b: Plymouth, Devon
Henry his eldest son and six other children

Post Office London Trades Diresctory for 1851

Harpmaker

Haarnack, Henry 50, Newman Street

1862 Street Directory

Henry Haarnack Coffee Rooms 65a Long Acre

Henry Haarnack harp maker 35 Berners Street Hy. Haarnack 50 Newman Street Harp maker Philip Holcombe worked at 38 Berners Street 1865 London Directory:

Christian Haarnack (marine store dealer) 276 Goswell Road EC
Henry Haarnack (coffee rooms) 6 Charlotte Street, Fitzroy Square W
Henry Haarnack, junior (coffee rooms) 50 Newman Street, Oxford Street W
Henry Haarnack (senior harp maker) 35 Berners Street, Oxford Street W

The Times on Wednesday January 16th,1867

1873 street directory

Henry Haarnack & Son, harpmakers - 10, Charlotte street
Henry Haarnack, coffee rooms - 12, Charlotte street
Henry Haarnack jnr. , coffee rooms - 50, Newman street

1892 street directory

Henry Haarnack & Sons, harpmakers - 10, Charlotte street
Mrs. Agnes Haarnack, coffee rooms - 12, Charlotte street
Charles Haarnack, builder - 19, Charlotte street
Henry Haarnack jnr. , coffee rooms - 50, Newman street

Reeves Musical Director 1879

Haarnach, H.& Sons. 10,Charlotte Street, Fitzroy Sq.W. Harp Manfr.
Haarnack, H.5, Newman street. Harp maker

Haarnack is mentioned in a list of harp makers on page 216 of Roslyn Rensch's book "Harps and Harpists".

There is an advertisement in the "Musical Opinion" in 1894 (Vol. 18. page 9.) which states
Haarnack and Sons "est.60 years"

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Four Generationsof Harpmakers

The oldest harp maker in the world