The Haarnacks

This is the story of a family called HAARNACK.

We know that a man called Christian Haarnack married Sarah Hackett at St Martins in the Fields in 1807.
St Martins in the Fields

Christian Haarnack was the first of four generations of master harp makers in London

We have very little evidence of this man except that his grandson was still working at the age of 93 and he told the newspaper reproter that his grandfather was chief mechanic at the Erard Factory in Gt Marlborough Street in 1808.

Other family legends state that he was making harps before Erard came to London from Paris to set up his business but we have no evidence to support this yet. 1870 OS Map

1823 London Directory:
F. Harnack (tailor)
I believe this man could be an uncle of the Henry HAARNACK(1808-1890) mentioned below who was my thrice great grandfather.

1846 London Directory:
Henry Haarnack (coffee rooms) 50 Newman Street
Frederick Charles Harnack (chinaman) 22 Tottenham St, Fitzroy Square
I believe this man could be a cousin of the Henry HAARNACK(1808-1890) mentioned below who was my thrice great grandfather.

1850 London Directory:
John Richard Harnack(tailor) 2, Newman Street
I believe this man could be a cousin of the Henry HAARNACK(1808-1890) mentioned below who was my thrice great grandfather.

Henry Haarnack (coffee rooms) 50 Newman Street

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

1862 London Directory:
35 Berners Street Henry Haarnack (harp maker)

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, W1
Henry Haarnack (senior harp maker) 35, Berners Street, Oxford Street, W1

The following entry appeared in the Times on Wednesday January 16th,1867

1867 London Directory:
Henry Haarnack (harp maker)50, Newman Street and 35, Berners Street,
Henry Haarnack (coffee Rooms) 65a, Long Acre, WC

a Haarnack Business Card

1874 street directory
Henry Haarnack & Son,( harpmakers )- 10, Charlotte Street
Henry Haarnack, (coffee rooms )- 12, Charlotte Street
Henry Haarnack jnr. ,( coffee rooms) - 50, Newman Street

In Reeves Musical Director 1879
Haarnach, H.& Sons.(Harp Manfr.) 10,Charlotte Street, Fitzroy Sq.W.
Haarnack, H. 50,( Harp maker) Newman street.

1880 Street Directory
Haarnack Hy and son (harp makers) 10, Charlotte Street, Fitzroy Square
Haarnack Hen (Coffee Rooms)12, Charlotte Street
Haarnack Hen Jun.( Coffee Rooms) 50, Newman Street
Haarnack Mrs Eliza (Wardrobe Dir.)127, Gt. Titchfield Street

Extract from Street Directory

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

There is an advertisement in the "Musical Opinion" in 1894 (Vol. 18. page 9.)
1894 OS Map

1909 street directory
Haarnack and sons, 10, Charlotte Street, Fitzroy Square

 Haarnack Poster

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

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"I have been working since I was 11 years old, so that I have been making harps for 80 years" said Mr, Haarnack "and I suppose I shall go on until I die. There have been four generations at the trade in our family, and in 1808 my grandfather was head machinist at Erard's. We have been in this workshop for 60 years.
What Henry David Haarnack said in 1926
A Skating Accident in Regent's Park.
A new event in the HAARNACK family history.
Charlotte Street
An account of how the BBC programme "The Naked Chef" was involved in my search for my ancestors in London's Fitzrovia. This page has lots of interesting links.
"London Voices and Snapshots in my head "by Peter Pitts

Herr Wilhelm Morgann's Original Blue Hungarian Band
A new page about the history and tradition of Hungarian bands and additional information on the following pages.
The Haarnack brothers
George
Harry
The Hungarian Gypsy Band's visit to London.

Haarnacke, Haarnach, Harnack, Horneck or Hardenack.
Some theories about the origins of the name, pages about other branches of the family and some coats of arms.

Harping on

Harp and Piano Makers of 19th Century London
This page sets out some of the information collected during my research.
News of Haarnack Harps
A Haarnack harp in New Zealand

Digressions

Daniel Justin Langlois

Other sites with references to or articles about the Haarnacks

Pictures of the Haarnacks can now be seen on the BBC community family history archive.
This page was been submitted to Cyndi's List on 6th August 2000 and if you click here you will see the entry and link.
It also appears on the Latter Day Saints website and if you click here here you will see the reference.
An article about the Haarnack family and their harps has been published on The Harp spectrum

The Hemsley family

The Sussex Connection
A new page exploring a recently discovered connection with the Hemsley family fron Ditchling in Sussex.
Some Hemsleys from Ditchling

Back to Home Page For more information please contact me.
First published on 2nd January 2001 and last updated on 10th February 2003.


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