I would love to hear from anyone descended from the Hyrnes or who can add any information to their story.
You can post on the blog itself or contact me by email:
Pauline Loven
Researched and written by Pauline Loven BA
Researched and written by Pauline Loven BA
Hyrne Family Letters, 1699-1757 
Ms. Loven
June 24, 2010
I was amazed tonight to discover your website/blog about the Hyrne letters of SC and England.
I had found the comment about Robert Wright (in your chapter 4) in Eliz. Hyrne’s letter to her brother, Jan 21, 1725.
This letter and the ref to the HYRNEs appeared in the British publication, Notes and Queries in 1936 under the byline of P D Mundy, a well-known genealogist or ? of the era, d. 1959. I only copied it a week ago, found it via GoogleBooks search.
In reflection, thought since he mentioned the HYRNE letters that he had found by 1936 in the same page, that the 1725 letter about Mr. Wright and family might be by HYRNE, your site proved me right. I can tell you a lot on WRIGHT, but need to know if anything appears on him after this letter and if you have heard from anyone else about him.
His son became the last royal governor of Georgia, Sir James Wright, and that is whom I and several others are researching. I too am as puzzled as Elizabeth Hyrne was in 1725 about the Wrights sudden move to S.C. where he became in 1730 the Chief Justice, and died in 1739.
He was of course from Sedgefield in County Durham, and there was one followup response to P D Mundy later in 1936 but it did not add much, it was from a man who lived in Co. Durham.
Hope to hear from you soon.
I was in the U. S. Air Force, stationed in England, in 1971 and 1972 and made one nice visit to Lincoln.
Ken Thomas
June 24, 2010, Decatur, GA (in Atlanta, GA metro-area)
Hi Ken
Sorry for the delay in replying, it took me a while to find the time to go through the letters. I am afraid there was no other reference to the Wrights before or after the letter in question. It is an interesting, detailed, but ultimately enigmatic comment. I have now created a sub-page for the reference (under genealogy) – so if you want to add more about the Wrights there, that would add to the body of knowlege about them and perhaps somebody else might add to it. If you have a blog or web site for your research I would be happy to add a link.
Pauline
Dear Mr Thomas
Can you pls tell me anything about the daughter of Robert Wright who married my ancestor Archbishop Moore of Canterbury?
There was apparently issue but Miss Wright must have died quite early since he remarried.
Ian Thomas
Ms. Loven:
I am writing from Charleston, SC. I am a descended from the Hyrnes and Smiths. The multiple marriages between the families make a complete review of the connection impossible but I am directly descended from The Second Landgrave Thomas Smith and his marriage to Mary Hyrne, the ghost of Yeamans Hall. While the first Edward Hyrne stumbled in his pioneering efforts, his granddaughter married The Second Landgrave Smith and lived a life as grand or grander than the Massingbreds in England. I do not know how much information you have received since 1998 from Charleston but the Hyrne marriages tied them to most of the important families of early Carolina. Unfortunately, many histories of the early colony like to quote Elizabeth’s early letters. They do not follow the family’s great success in the second and third generations, made possible by the return of Elizabeth and the close family connection she maintained with her step-sons.
It seems you have a particular interest in clothing of the period. The house at Yeamans Hall (where the Landgrave lived before taking back Medway, and then occupied by his son, is described as having the landscapes painted on the walls painted over and replaced by numerous framed portraits of the family. Most of these were by an artist named Theus. These would have been painted in Elizabeth’s later years of Thomas’s (2cnd Landgrave) and his children and grandchildren. He had 20 children, ten by Mary Hyrne , his second wife. Many Theus paintings that survive have lost the identity of the sitter, but there is one claimed to be of Landgrave Smith. There is also an unsophisticated painting also said to be the Landgrave. I think the Theus is of a grandchild named Thomas but the clothing might date the paintings. Some of the Theus paintings are identified as females of the family and their husbands, making them difficult to connect to the Smith/Hyrne family, if you do not know the history.
The union of Smith and Hyrnes resulted in many famous Americans down the generations, such as Robert Mills, designer of the Washington Monument and considered the first American born architect.
I am still looking for a complete printing of the letters but you may be able to tell me if only a few are available to read outside of the Archives. Thank you, Rick.
How interesting – do you know if any of the Theus paintings are available to view on line? Do you know if they are in private or public collections? I would be very interested to see them.
Pauline
I was just given this link on letters so havent read yet. Edward Hyrne was my 8th great grandfather so am interested in more on later generations also
Rick,
You must contact me re: your recent post that mentions interesting connections to other SC families and well-known Americans, etc.
Let’s talk and share. How have you documented your information re: your family connections? I am a direct descendant of 1st and 2nd Landgrave Thomas Smith through Mary Hyrne Smith and her husband James Screven. I am also named for my 8th great grandmother, Barbara Atkins, the 2nd wife (?) of Gov. Thomas Smith. Also, where is Mary Hyrne Smith, the wife of 2nd Landgrave and Judge Thomas Smith, buried? Do you have a copy of his will? Where were/are all the “Lotts” he left to his children and grandchildren in Charleston?
Many thanks.
Barbara Vickers Burton
Hello, just wanted to let you know that I have a set of some photos I took of Medway back in 2005 if you were interested in seeing them. The photographs I have unfortunately are not of the best quality because I did not have the greatest camera then – but I figured I would share them with you anyway.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/itsbrandoyo/sets/72157626853500214/with/5805962815/
Hello,
I’m enjoying reading your information here so much. I started looking into my husband’s ancestry as a hobby and come to find he is related to the Landgrave Thomas Smith family, Mary Hyrne and Elizabeth Smith. Do you have any of any of these letters in print format that I could purchase?
Thank you,
Beth Beery & Jim Bennett
I am a desendent of Edward Hyrne and Barbara Smith. Edward was the son of Edward Hyrne sr and his first wife who is unknown. Barbara Smith is the daughter of the Landgrave Thomas Smith the 2nd who, later married Mary Hyrne the daughter of Edward Hyrne Sr and unknow. I have a lot of family info..
Christian,
Let’s talk and share. How have you documented your information re: your family connections? I am a direct descendant of 1st and 2nd Landgrave Thomas Smith through Mary Hyrne Smith and her husband James Screven. I am also named for my 8th great grandmother, Barbara Atkins, the 2nd wife (?) of Gov. Thomas Smith. Also, where is Mary Hyrne Smith, the wife of 2nd Landgrave and Judge Thomas Smith, buried? Do you have a copy of his will? Where were/are all the “Lotts” he left to his children and grandchildren in Charleston?
Many thanks.
Barbara Vickers Burton
Mrs. Loven,
Is there any way that you could make the stone marker on the Messingberd’s more legible? I can’t read the info from your website, and the type is too small to read on the family tree chart. Where did you get the info for this family tree piece, and how can I get a copy that I can read?
Many thanks,
Vickers Burton
Hello Vickers
I will try to find an opportunity to go back to the memorial and re-photograph it. The family tree I compiled from data in the letters in combination with other established dates. It was done quite a while ago and needs redoing.
Best wishes
Pauline
Sent from my iPad
Hello,
Thank you, Pauline, for sharing these letters. I find myself fascinated not only by them but also by the comments of those who share my ancestors.
I’ve recently discovered that I’m also directly descended from Mary Hyrne and Thomas Smith through their son Henry Smith (who inherited the landgrave title) and his wife Elizabeth Ball. If I’ve counted correctly, Mary Hyrne would have been my seventh-great-grandmother.
I fear I have little information to add about the family history, as my research is still in its very early stages. But I would love to hear from others who know more or who could point me in the right direction!
Best,
Kristin
Erie, Pennsylvania