Hello all, I have been researching my family and would love to be able to get it back farther, before they emigrated from England. In 1908 a book was published by a relative, Rev. John R. Harding, D.D. from Ithica, New York called "GENEALOGY OF THE HARDING FAMILY IN THE EASTERN COUNTIES OF NORTH CAROLINA." Here is the beginning to the book. Maybe someone will recognize something familiar. "The eastern counties of North Carolina were first settled by English Families, or by those of English descent who, having first etablished themselves in the more northern colonies, at length emigrated to Carolina. It has been impossible to discover the full facts concerning the first Harding who settled in Beaufort County, N.C., the ancestor of the many who now bear his name. The family tradition is that he came from Providence, Rhode Island, in the early part of the eighteeth century, that he was a ship builder, and that his first residence was on Fork Point, Tar River, near Washington. The compiler of the records has sought in vain for the birthplace, parentage or marriage of this man. The only clue, in the absence of family tradition, is found in a genealogical register of the New England Hardings, compiled by the Rev. Abner Morse, A.M., and published in Boston in 1864. While in this volumn there is no definate link binding the North Carolina family to those of New England, yet the similarity of Christian names in the two branches for several generations offers a probability that both are of the same original stock. These names are "Stephen," "Israel," "Nathaniel," "Benjamin," and "Thomas." If any dependence is to be placed on this coincidence, and there is strong reason to do so, then it is probable that our first North Carolina ancestor, Stephen Harding, who lived in Providence, Rhode Island, 1669, but who tradition says, came originally from Weymouth Landing, Mass. From Mr. Morse's record it is learned that the Hardings were among the earliest English colonists of Massachusetts. There is no exact date known of their arrival, but circumstanes indicate that they emigrated with Sir Robert Gorges in 1623, and settled at Weymouth Landing, near Braintree, Mass. Here for half a century was their home, from which they afterward moved to different sections of New England." Maybe someone might know more about this than I do. Hopefully it is of some interest so someone out there. Good hunting all! Edward Harding