Background on the name Hartnett

Harnett - also found spelled as Hornet, Harnet, Harnot,Harned Hartnett.The Harnett name found in England and Ireland. In England a variant of ARNOLD, ARNOT; in Ireland, (O) Hartnett, Harnet, O'hAirtneada. (Reaney, MacLysaght). Traced by MacLysaght in Cos. Cork and Limerick. In Lismore, Co Waterford, the name is Hartnett.

Edward Mac Lysaght contends that O'Hartnett/Harnet is a Gaelic Irish surname which has a long history in Ireland, and is not considered to be indigenous to England. He states in his books on Irish surnames that the early anglicized form O'Hartnedy, occured frequently in the sixteenth century Fiants in Ireland. Families of these names were located mainly in Counties Cork, Kerry and Limerick, with Harnet being more usual in Co. Limerick and Hartnett in Co. Cork, while both forms are found in Co. Kerry. In these three counties, before the transfer of ownership of land from landlords to tenants, there were four large Irish proprietors named Harnett. Of course the British Isles have always been a melting pot second only to North America, with waves of conquerors having crossed the English Channel. It is certainly possible that the Irish name Harnett was preceeded by the French name Arnet.

There is a Harnett coat of arms outlined in John Burke's "Encyclopaedia of Heraldry", 1847. It is described as "Ar. a pale sa. surmounted by a saltire gu. a chief az. Crest - A hornet fly, wings elevated, ppr. The pale is formed by 2 lines drawn perpendicular from the top to the base of the escutcheon. The saltire is formed by four lines...(which produce an X across the shield). The chief is the whole upper of the field, cut off horizontally". (ar.=silver or white; sa.=sable or black; gu.=gules or red; az.=azure or blue; ppr.=proper).

Early instances in NF: James Harnett or Harnell, ? of St. John's, died ? 1795 (co 194.40); William Harnet, of Harbour Grae Parish, 1817 (NF Archives HGRC); James Hornett, fisherman of Exploits, 1821 (USPG) Elizabeth, of Change Islands, 1821, (USPG); William Harnet, of Bonavista, 1832 (NF Archives, KCRC); William Harnett of Seldom Come By, 1843 (DPHW *#); John and Maurice Harnot, of Lord's Cove (Burin districr, 1871 (Lovell); Mark Harnet, of Wild Cove (Fogo District), 1871 (Lovell).