In Loving Memory

In Loving Memory To My Sister,
Dorothy Arlene Harrington Miller
September 22, 1935 ~ March 25, 2009

God Saw You Getting Tired,
And A Cure Was Not To Be.
So He Put His Arms Around You
And Whispered, Come To Me.

With Tearful Eyes We Watch You
And Saw You Pass Away.
Although We Loved You Dearly,
We Could Not Make You Stay.

A Golden Heart Stopped Beating,
Hard Working Hands At Rest.
God Broke Our Hearts to Prove To Us,
He Only Takes The Best.

Dort,
With All My Love And Admiration.

I Love You!
"Butch"

"Johanni de Haverynton"

Cartmel Priory Church of Saint Mary and Saint Michael
Cartmel, Cumbria England

Built Between 1190 - 1220

Ref: John De Harrington 22nd Great Grandfather (Page XIII) Family Book

"John de Haverington or Harrington was the son and heir of Sir Robert Harrington (23rd Great Grandfather), of Harrington in Cumberland and his wife, Agnes Canfield, heiress of the family of Furness or Fleming of Muchland in Furess". "Sir John Harrington was born about 1281 and he suceeded his mother in 1293, and his father Sir Robert Harrington in 1297 while he was still under age. He was Knighted, on 22 May 1306 when Edward, Prince of Wales was made a Knight at Westminister."

"Sir John de Harrington was summoned, 26 October 1309 for military service, as well as on 3 Edward II to 27 Mar 9, Edward III (1335). He was summoned to councils from 20 Dec 1324 until 25 Feb 1341/42, and to Parliament from 3 Dec 1316 until 3o Jul 1345. His name on the writs is styled "Johanni de Haverynton" and he was called "Lord Harrington".

"In conjunction with his wife, he made a settlement of his Lancashire manors and on 6 Jan 1340/41, he obtained a charter free warren in Witherslack and a park in Aldingham. Sir John Harrington died on 2 Jul 1347 and was buried in Cartmel Church."

Sir (Lord) John Harrington (1281- 1347) was the 8th Great Grandfather to Sir John Harrington (1561-1612), adopted Godson to Queen Elizabeth. (Page IX)

Cartmel Priory Church of St. Mary and St. Michael was dedicated in 1220
and continues to have weekly services. Through the centuries, it has been changed and refurbished. It is well known for the stone work and intricate workmanship in stone, glass and wood. Between 1327 and 1347, a chapel with four traceried windows were provided by Lord John Harrington in the south choir aisle.

The tomb of Lord John Harrington which is located in Town Choir of the Cartmel Priory Church of Saint Mary and Saint Michael.

Home Of The Ajax

For the past couple of days, I have been following a lead that I had come across a year ago. It has taken sometime to find verifiable documentation, however, I am now satisfied that the information is accurate. I will be posting this information within the next few days.
Until then, I thought you would find this interesting.

Fieldgrove House, Bitton, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom

The Fieldgrove House was once the home of Sir John Harrington, a godson of Elizabeth I.
This is the house in which the water closet (Ajax) was invented by Sir John Harrington and his brother Francis of Kelston Towers. (Page IX and Narrative ~ Family Book).
This was the first documentation that I have found that it mentioned that he had assistance from his brother in his invention to please the Queen.

Harrington, Lincolnshire, England

I now have preliminary documentation, awaiting confirmation with secondary information that Harrington, Lincolnshire, England is the area that our family had the most influence. The Harrington lineage also indicates earlier areas that the "Haverington" or "Harrington" family were an influence with the most predominant area being in Lancastershire. Some areas are difficult to search since the maps have been revised over the centuries. Names such as Lincolnshire and Lancastershire are common to our county names. On the map below, Lincolnshire is located on the shores of the German Ocean, adjacent to the compass rose. Lancastershire is located northwest of Lincolnshire and situated on the Irish Sea. The community of Harrington is located in the area of the large bay at the southern end of Lincolnshire.

The parish of Harrington, located in Lincolnshire, is now largely a bedroom community for employees of the shops and offices found in Workington and Whitehaven, England. The community has a population of about 6,000. The parish consists of Harrington, High Harrington, and Salterbeck. Harrington itself has four shops, post office with a similar business district in High Harrington and Salterbeck.

One particular landmark in Harrington is the Anglican Church, St. Mary's. The Roman Catholic church in Harrington is also dedicated to St. Mary. The original Anglican, St. Mary's was constructed when the area was settled. Due to age, the church was replaced in 1854 - 1855 which is the picture below.

In later years, St. Mary's was once again refurbished and the area surrounding it landscaped in greater detail. Today, the church and surrounding area is pictured below.

My Name Is Stanley

It has taken a while, but finally I have received a third piece of documentation that supports the earlier information pertaining to the origins of the Harrington family. From my understanding, there were two distinct Harrington lineages in England. For simplicity, the northern and southern Harrington families. Our early ancestors were from the northern part of England.

QUOTED FROM SOURCE

~

"The Harrington lineage is a long, for the most part, a distinguished one. Early generations came from Cumbria in the north west of England, having settled there after the Conquest, claiming through the marriage to William of Normandy's niece Matilda, royal kinship."

"By the 14th Century the main Harrington family was established around Morecombe Bay in Lancashire, though they held land as far afield as Ireland, with other branches in the English Midlands. The northern family's fortunes prospered under John of Gaunt and later Harrington's distinguished themselves with Henry V on the field of Agincourt. Though they (Harrington's) had been stout supporters of the the Lancastrian kings previously,the ineffectual rule of Henry VI persuaded them to support the Yorkist cause in the struggle of the Roses, resulting in catastrophic disaster for the northern Harrington's. The deaths of several of the principal males of the family resulted in most of their property and land being acquired through martial connivance by the Stanley family."

"The northern Harrington's re-emerged under Henry VIII with one of their number, John Harrington of Stepney, marrying Ethelreda Malte, daughter of Henry's tailor, though generally regarded as an illegitimate daughter of the king himself. The estates Henry generously granted his tailor and Ethelreda in Somerset provided the foundation for the Harrington of Kelston. John Harrington's son John by his second marriage to Isabella Markham was a godson of Elizabeth I and was poet of controversial distinction, though history remembers him better, unfortunately as the inventor of an early water closet."

~

I have additional information pertaining to burial sites in the Morecombe Bay area of several Harrington's including James Harrington(1592 - 1630) (11th Great Grandfather, Page IX Family Book) who was born in Bath, Somerset, England but his death occurred in Watertown, Massachusetts. The reason is unknown to me why his remains would be returned to England from the colonies. One can only assume that he was a gentleman of distinction or possibly ranking military officer.

The two members of the family named John in this documentation were father and son which are the 12th and 13th Great Grandfather (Page IX and X Family Book). James Harrington in the previous paragraph was the son of John Harrington (12th Great Grandfather).

I thought it coincidental that the "Stanley family" acquired much the of the Harrington family properties through martial connivance. This is the only time that I have seen my first name in our family history. Could I be a "Stanley" and not a "Harrington" :)

Invasion of Normandy

"D-Day"

In World War II, D-Day was used in reference to the day that a full force invasion would occur at Normandy by the allied forces comprised of four countries. It was the largest invasion force in the history of the world, comprised of 6,939 ships and allied forces of 156,000 personnel. The invasion would occur on the morning of June 6, 1944 and would mark the turning point of World War II in Europe. The sea invasion forces would land on five beachheads, Utah, Gold, Juno, Sword, and Omaha Beach. The Allied Invasion force was facing a superior force in personnel with a strength estimated at 380,000 personnel. Allied Invasion forces also consisted of a large airlift of soldiers that would parachute into the area behind the enemy defenses located on the beachheads. The invasion forces landing at Omaha Beach was comprised predominantly of American soldiers. The landings at Omaha Beach suffered the highest casualties than all of the landings combined, estimated at a loss of 5,000 lives. Other than actual film taken at the time of the invasion, most likely the best reenactment of the landing on Omaha Beach was seen in the movie, "Saving Private Ryan".

"The Soldier"

We are fortunate to have received a copy of "Wayne Baker - - WW II Experiences" from the Baker family in Lincoln, Nebraska. This document is a detailed diary of the experiences of my Great Uncle Wayne Baker accounting from the time he went into the Army in March 1942 to October 1945 when he returned home. His accounting traces the advancement of the Allied forces across Europe. On March 24th and 25th, 1945 he would cross the Rhine River into Germany. Great Uncle Wayne would enter the Army at age thirty eight, making him forty years of age on D-Day. Although, he wanted to be in the infantry, he was assigned to a medical unit. In August 1944 he left the 68th Medical Unit and joined the 30th Infantry Division as a medic for Company E, 117th Infantry. The "field medic" is perhaps one of the most dangerous jobs in an infantry company.

Wayne Baker (1957)

The complete diary is lengthy, I have taken the liberty to highlight some of the key elements. If anyone would like to read the entire transcript, which I would strongly recommend, you are welcome to share my copy. I never had the opportunity to meet my Great Uncle, but I would guess by his dictation he had a great sense of humor. In one particular instance, he tells of himself and buddy on Christmas Eve sneaking over a hill and stealing a jeep from the "jerries" and taking it for a joy ride. He also recalls the horrors of war. The diary also includes a "love story" without an ending. Wayne Baker was never married.

THE "WAR DIARY"

"June 1944: Landed on Omaha Beach, fought there, St. Lo, other places in Normandy"
"October 2, 1944: The 30th cracked the Siegried Line at Ubach"
"October 16, 1944: Directed to conduct a diversionary attack at Atchen. Only 7 of 42 survived, but the plan worked. Company won Battle Honors. Wayne received wounds for which he received the Purple Heart, but kept on going with no time off."
"November 1944: Proceeded to Aldorf, took towns of Maliadorf, Hongen, Warden, Kinzweiler, and others. Received wounds at Kinzweiler, got a Bronze Star for it. Kept on with no time off."
"December 1944: Left for the big battle (Bulge) in Belgium. Fought in deep snow in the Ardennes near Trois Point, Stavelog, Malmedy."
"March 1945: On a weekend (March 24-25). Crossed the Rhine into Germany, north of the Ruhr Valley. Was wounded in the second village across the Rhine (Spellen, near Wesel).
Taken to 94th General Hospital, 18 miles from Bristol."
"June 1945: Back to France via La Harve. To a camp at Mennecy near Paris."
"June 27, 1945: To Worms, Germany via Nancy, Saarburg, Heidelburg, Mannheim."
"July - August 1945": Neustadt Germany between Marburg and Kassel, never rejoined the 30th."
October 4, 1945: Troop transport ship docked at Boston, Massachusetts.

Wayne Baker Was Wounded In Action On Three Occasions
Honorably Discharged With 20% Disability

"MEDALS AND AWARDS"

Bronze Star
Purple Heart with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
Good Conduct Medal
WWII Victory Medal
American Defense Service Medal
Medical Combat Badge
Unit Battle Honors
Unit Belgian Fourraguerre

Wayne Baker passed away on December 25, 1965 at Benedict, Nebraska and is buried at Pleasant Hill, York County, Nebraska. My father spoke very highly of his Uncle Wayne, I regret that I never had nor took the opportunity to meet him. An American and Alaskan flag will be placed at grave site the next time I am in Benedict, Nebraska

Mustered For Duty

This is a perpetual posting. As additional information is obtained, it will be included in this posting. Throughout the history of the United States, the Harrington family and the descendants through marriages have answered the call to duty in service to their country. They have answered the call in both peaceful times as well as times of turmoil and war. The history of our military contributions dates from War of Independence to the present time. I have accumulated a number of individual biographies, which I will post in time. If I have missed any names from the roster, please let me know so I can include them. (Indicated by parenthesis is the relationship to myself)

REPORTED FOR DUTY

James D. Harrington ~ Korea (Brother)
Donald D. Harrington ~ Vietnam Era (Brother)

Stanley R. Harrington ~ Vietnam Veteran (That Would Be Me)

William D. Harrington ~ Vietnam Era (Brother)
Henry M. Harrington ~ Vietnam Era (Nephew)

Henry Harrington ~ Civil War (Great Grand Father)
John Franklin Baker ~ World War I (Great Uncle)
Charles Andrew Baker ~ World War I (Great Uncle)
Grant Baker ~ World War I (Great Uncle)
Oliver Perry Baker ~ World War I Era (Great Uncle)
Wayne Baker ~ World War II (Great Uncle)
* Marshall Riley ~ World War II, Korean War (Uncle)
Fred "Ted" Riley ~ Korean War (Uncle)
Matthew Harrington ~ Active Duty (Three Tours Iraq) (Nephew)
Joshua Harrington ~ Active Duty (Afghanistan) (Grandson)

Ira Lewis Baker ~ World War I Era (Great Uncle)

* Marshall Riley ~ World War II, Korean War (Uncle)
** Deanna Harrington Bratton ~ Vietnam Era (Niece )

*Marshall Riley retired after thirty years of service serving during the time of three wars, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam although he never served in the combat area of Vietnam. In World War II he was in the Army infantry in the European Theater. Following WW II when the Army Air Force became a separate entity from the Army, he transferred service to the U.S. Air Force.

**Deanna Harrington Bratton is the only female in our family that I have found to have served on active duty in the military.

***All of those appearing with the last name of Baker are all brothers. Five of the brothers served during World War I, three of them in Europe and two were stationed in the United States. The sixth brother, Wayne, served in Europe during World War II.

The Baker Family

Ella Belle Baker

The Harrington family is related to the Baker family by the marriage of my Grandfather Henry Philo "Ten" Harrington (1874 ~ 1944) to Ella Belle Baker (1885 ~ 1939). Both of my grandparents passed away prior to my birth and are buried in Benedict, Nebraska.

My grandmother parents, my Great Grandparents, were Daniel Webster Baker, preferred to go by D.W. Baker, was born on September 25, 1854 in Waterfall, Pennsylvania. My Great Grandmother was Esther Anna Black who was born on August 24, 1861 in Clay Township, Pennsylvania. Both, D.W. Baker and Esther Black-Baker are buried in, Benedict Nebraska.

During their marriage D.W. Baker and and Ester Black-Baker had fourteen children, twelve boys and two girls. My Grandmother Ella Belle Baker had a twin brother, Grant Baker. The children, my great uncles and aunts include:

John Franklin Baker 1880 ~ 1950
Edward Arthur Baker 1881 ~ 1952
Charles Andrew Baker 1883 ~ 1942
Ella Belle Baker 1885 ~ 1939
Grant Baker 1885 ~ 1974
Ira Lewis Baker 1889 ~ 1962
Raymond Daniel Baker 1891 ~ 1971
Francis Clyde Baker 1893 ~ 1962
Oliver Perry Baker 1895 ~ 1976
Iva Pearl Baker 1898 ~ 1988
William McKinley Baker 1900 ~ 1959
Earl Baker 1901 ~ 1980
Floyd Baker 1903 ~ Researching
Wayne Baker 1904 ~ 1965

Ten of the Baker Brothers and Sister 1957

(Back Row) Wayne, Floyd, Ray, Oliver, Clyde
(Front Row) Grant, William, Ira, Pearl, Earl

As in all families, several members went by their middle names, shortened first names, or by nick names given to them. The majority of the family are buried at Pleasant Hill in Benedict, Nebraska. Two brothers are buried in Colorado and their brother, Ira Baker is buried in Enumclaw, Washington.

Living on a large farm in the heartland of America, the Baker brothers were true American patriots and answered their nations call during World War I and World War II.