Roger A Hiern, Sr and family TimeLine
1753 October 29, RAH, Sr was born to Dr. Charles H in Jamaica
1776 RAH, Sr was a Lieutenant with the East India Co.
1789 RAH, Sr was a Captain with the East India Co.
1795 RAH, Sr married Sarah Baynham (at the age of 42/43)
1796 RAH, Sr moved to New York
1804 RAH, Sr was one of the organizers of the Essex Turnpike
1805 Birth of RAH, Jr (Sr was 52 ?)
1808 Birth of Finley B (Sr was 55 ?)
1810 New York Census – Roger Alden Hiern (Sr) is shown to have a wife and 6 children
1812 [Approx.] RAH, Sr moved his family to New Orleans — His 7 children were:
Henry B, Sarah A, Finley Bodam, Roger Alden, Caroline (Cornelia), Claudine, and Mary
1820 Hancock County Census lists R.A. Heirn, Sr with valuation of $480 and 240 acres living in the Chimney’s Area west of Pass Christian. He was not listed in 1821, 1823, 1825 Tax Rolls
1829 Hancock County Tax Roll as Hiern living in Pearl River District.
1830 Hancock County Tax Roll lists Heirs of Roger A Hiern (Sr) – property in Pearl River District
1831 Hancock County Tax Roll lists Roger A Heirn having 931 acres in Pearl River District.
1831 RAH, Jr built the Lighthouse and became its Lightkeeper
1831 Charles Shipman built the formative Pass Christian Hotel
1832 Hancock County Tax Roll lists Roger A Heirn as possibly two separate people.
1835 Hancock County Tax Roll lists Roger A Hiern as having 931 acres on the Sea Coast and having 9 slaves.
1837 Hancock County Tax Roll lists (1) RA Hiern with 931 acres and four slaves in the Pearl River District and (2) RA Hiern & Co. with six slaves.
1837 Roger A Hiern acquired a Gulf lot adjoining the Lighthouse Lot from Charles and Cornelia Shipman (Cornelia was RAH, Jr’s Sister)
1838 Hancock County Tax Roll lists (1) Roger A Hiern with 320 acres at Pass Christian and (2) Roger A Hiern & Co. with thirteen slaves. Finley B Horn was listed as being in Pass Christian.
1838 RAH, Sr died (at age 85?)
1839 Finley B Hiern appointed Lighthouse Keeper and Post Master, both
1840 Hancock County Tax Roll lists F.B. Hiern & Co. with 640 acres and 13 slaves in Pearl River District.
1840 Hancock County Census lists FB Heirn with 2 Females and 14 slaves
Charles Shipman listed with1 Female and 1Male child (5-10 yrs)
1841 Hancock County Tax Roll lists only F.B. Hiern & Co. with 160 acres and 13 slaves in Pearl River District and in Pass Christian.
1841 State Census lists Finley B. Heirn and two females in the household.
1841 Roger A Hiern, Jr acquired 6000 PC acres from Charles Shipman and Cornelia Hiern Shipman
1842 Harrison County Tax Roll lists Finley B Heirn having a $75 watch, 30 cows, and 16 slaves.
1842 Finley B Hiern received a Quit Claim from John Henderson on the 1 arpent by 40 arpents excluding the 1/2 acre Lighthouse lot.
1844 Claudine Hiern appointed PC Lighthouse Keeper
1846 The “Oregon,” a wooden steamer, of which RAH,Jr. was a part owner, was built at New York and used on the Mail Line between New Orleans and Mobile. (The Oregon was converted to a gunboat at outbreak of Civil War and was destroyed by Confederates on April 1862 to prevent Federal capture)
1848 Finley B Hiern was appointed Recorder (Mayor) of the village of Pass Christian
1849 Charles Shipman died in Mexico
1850 Harrison County Census – lists FB Hiern (39), wife Eliza (31), and children Cora (15), Eliza (6), and Charles (1)
Lists Claudine (40) and Sarah (30)
1860 Harrison County Census – lists FB Hiern (50), wife Eliza (40), and children Eliza (16) and Charles (12)
Lists Claudine (59) as Postmistress and Sarah (52)
1867 April 18, RAH,Jr’s Will was filed at Mobile – his estate was given to his spinster sisters, Claudine and Sarah, but in the event of their death, the estate would go to his nieces and nephew, Cornelia, Eliza, and Charles H. Hiern.
1870 Harrison County Census – lists FB Hiern (60) retired, wife Eliza (48), Eliza (22), Charles (21)
Miscellaneous Information
Vessel — ROGER A. HEIRN (1857) – (was this built for the same RAH ???)
The U.S. ship ROGER A. HEIRN was built at New York by William H. Webb (hull #111), for the New York firm of Post, Smith & Co, and was launched on 9 April 1857.
Description: 1,088 tons; 173 feet 4 inches x 37 feet x 23 feet (length x beam x depth of hold). She was built for the New York-Antwerp trade.
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Finley B. Hiern was sued on 2-24-1857 by Elisha Bloome of NYC, for non-payment of a $900 loan plus interest made on 5-5-1851. The night before the trial, the courthouse burned and destroyed the original two notes and legal documents [Note: I do not readily have the source of this record] [Note: Have not found evidence of any Harrison County courthouse fire before the 1900s. (However, the first courthouse located in MS City was burned – need to get date) (Possibly, the fire was in NYC)]
[Note: Fire destroyed the Hancock County courthouse on March 31, 1853, and the county Seat was subsequently moved to Shieldsborough (Bay St. Louis), but not without a prolonged contest between the two cities which was temporarily interrupted by the Civil War years and the period of Reconstruction. In addition to fire losses in 1853, some of the county records were declared to have been destroyed by Federal troops in 1863.]
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