tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619816076262367330.post3747285708856005495..comments2024-03-27T09:42:21.306+11:00Comments on The History Buff: The Railway HarmonsAndrew Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00372672814907230105noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619816076262367330.post-7800104504343768842020-02-03T13:41:25.967+11:002020-02-03T13:41:25.967+11:00Dear ‘History Buff’
Thank you for your article. It...Dear ‘History Buff’<br />Thank you for your article. It has certainly got us Harmons thinking about our family history; at least as we remember it. Families are full of unreliable memoirs and it is nice to at least try to get things sorted. I just hope, given the complexity, that I have explained myself well enough in what follows. <br /><br />I refer you to the above quote (The railway Harmons; Thursday, 18 April 2019) viz- “It was … reported that he (i.e. Frederick Harmon) was a grandson of William Harmon, a crew member of the first train to run to Campbelltown in 1858. Whilst this is a great story, some research revealed it was not entirely true!” <br />“It would seem that Mr Harmon” (i.e. William Henry Harmon, my great grandfather: born 1853) “would have been far too young to drive or crew the first train to Campbelltown, and indeed it was reported in the SMH that the Chief Engineer, Mr Whitton, drove the train in 1858.”<br />What you have written is, of course, mostly correct. However the story, as I remember it, was that it was my great, great grandfather (also named William Harmon) who was a part of the crew on the first steam train to Campbelltown in 1858. I will admit that my recollection of the story is quite foggy given that I have not heard it for many years. However I found this little gem (Campbelltown: yesterday, today and tomorrow- see web address below) in which my grandfather, Percy Harmon, clearly agrees with the narrator that it was his (i.e. Percy’s) grandfather who was a part of the engine crew in 1858. Moreover Percy also states that his grandfather’s name was William Harmon (i.e. there is no middle name; or, as Percy says, there was “… only one name”). <br />So, basically, it would appear that you have quite possibly missed something in your research for your story. It would seem probable that a William Harmon did crew the first train in 1858- but that he was William Henry’s Harmon father. <br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7Y9EKPqmxQ&t=2s<br /><br />I would be interested in your comments. <br />Regards<br />Charles Harmon<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07377967255476288526noreply@blogger.com