Dear Harkeys, I wrote this note late last night but didn't mail it, because AOL had already shut down. This morning I got up grateful to still have it and thought I would dump most of it. On rereading, however, I find that, whether I'm on the right or the wrong track, I'm still intrigued by the question. I beg your tolerance. By the kind permission of Lorine McGinnis Schulze, I am copying below a section about her Swiss HERSCHE ancestors from her website, The Olive Tree Genealogy. (Her Christian HERSHEY may remind you of the Christian HARSHY on the 1743 "Lydia" passenger list.) The Olive Tree Genealogy URL is http://www.rootsweb.com/~ote/ (If you haven't visited The Olive Tree, you are in for a genealogical treat. Well written, lots of early passenger lists, and much more!) I am not sure of anything about our HARKEY origins, but I tend to think we are NOT the same family as HERSCHE. I base my shaky opinion mostly on the difference in sound between HERCHE and HERSCHE and the way the sounds are heard. In English there is no longer a sound exactly like the Germanic CH. Therefore, CH in a German word tends to transform into a K/G sound (unvoiced/voiced) in English (Milch, milk; Buch, book; Luchs, lynx; stark, strong; Streiche, string), whereas the SCH keeps the same sound (SH) but drops the unnecessary C (Fisch, fish; Bischof, bishop; Schwein, swine; Schulter, shoulder). I think the S sound usually stays. The above is a very general and oversimplified explanation--half-baked, one could say--and probably couldn't withstand a knowledgeable rebuttal or a broader choice of examples, but it's what I've been thinking. Refutations cheerfully accepted! That's why I think that the surname that is HERSHEY today was probably HERSCHE or HARSCHE in Europe and became something like HERSHEY or HARSHY at, say, the dock in Philadelphia. And HERCHE was approximated as and became HERKE/HARKE/HARGY. Of course, you get one list-maker in Philadelphia who hears it differently, and my idea totally falls apart. (What I'm saying above applies only to HEARD sounds. If a HERCHE wrote his own name or spelled it for a list-taker, it would be more apt to remain HERCHE.) How'd I get off onto THAT? Sorry. Here is the excerpt, with thanks to Lorine Schulze. After it, I'll add a skeletal summary of like-named persons in the 1790 PA census. =================== MY MENNONITE ANCESTORS GINGERICH/GINGRICH || HERSCHE/HERSHEY || BURKHOLDER || HUNSAKER/HUNSICKER by Lorine McGinnis Schulze The Olive Tree: http://www.rootsweb.com/~ote/ The GINGERICH Family of Switzerland [snip] The first record of the surname in America is in Conestoga Township, Lancaster County, PA in 1724, where the name of William GINGERICK appears. In 1727 three men came to America: Christian, Jacob, and David GINGRICH. They served in Chester Co. PA as indentured servants. Johann GINGERICH appears in 1735 in Warwick Township, Lancaster County PA. My 6th great-grandfather, Michael or Ulrich GINGERICH, emigrated from Alsace to Lancaster County PA in 1747. His son, my 5th great-grandfather, Abraham GINGERICH born in Warwick Twp, Lancaster Co. PA, went to Waterloo County, Ontario with his ten children in 1801. The HERSCHE Family of Switzerland The earliest HERSHEY I have recorded is Jorg aka Jacob HERSCHE, who died after 1621 in Appenzell, Switzerland. Jorg's son, Conrad HERSCHE married Grethe Lamere. Conrad had a son, Franziest HERSCHE, who married Engel Darig. Franziest HERSCHE had a son, Hans Andrew, born 1665 who came to PA in 1719 with his sons, Andrew and Benjamin. This Andrew HERSHEY, born 1702 in Switzerland, was married to Mary. Andrew [HERSHEY] had brothers, Benjamin [HERSHEY] and Christian [HERSHEY]. Christian HERSHEY came to PA in 1717 and was married to Oade. How my poor lonely female HERSCHE born ca 1725-30, who married Ulrich aka Michael GINGRICH, fits into this line is not known. [snip] ============================== From 1790 PA census index: HARGEN(? coffee stain on last letter!), Michael HARGER, John HARGES, George HARSHEY, Benjamin, Christian (2), John, Jonathan? (another coffee stain) HERSHEY, Christian (8 of them!!!) Alma [email protected]