Esse quam videri is a Latin phrase that means "to be, rather than to seem". It's a reminder to be true to yourself.
Origin
Esse quam videri comes from the essay On Friendship by the Roman statesman Cicero. It's been used as a motto by many groups, including the Swire family and North Carolina.
This site contains information on the successors (and ancestors) of the Harding family who were blacksmiths in Great and Little Packington, near Coventry in the 17th century.
Site updated 2023. This is a "New" Google site and should contain all that was on the original "Classic" Google site, plus added content since the transfer was made in late 2020.
A starting point is to go to the Harding Family Tree (Summary) page. That page is added to for additional generations in the Harding Family Tree (Detailed) page. Other pages provide information on the various connections often through wives such as the Peel, Cromwell, Chamberlain, Bage families but also topics such as Banking and Church and Religion.
Of great interest is this page "Annette's Jottings" Also here.
She was the daughter of William Sextus and brother of Septimus. In them she sets out all she knows and has experienced of her ancestors. Some of what is shown may have come from her brother.
Annette's Jottings contain many references to the Sir Robert Peel family to whom she related and the Peel Connection and Timeline page. The Timeline section contains many dates of the Harding family, Prime Ministers and Sovereigns as well as the Peel family.
Family Trees on Spreadsheets
These spreadsheets are designed to show the family trees. However, they may need some work to ensure they are clear in this new Google (Harding of Packington) website-
""Harding Family Tree.xlsx". Works well
At the bottom of this page, these attachments are shown. Anyone with Microsoft Office 2007 or later (and therefore able to download XLXS files) should be able to download these Family Trees PROVIDED THEY CLICK ON THE DOWN ARROW - NOT ON THE FILE NAME ITSELF (2022 may no longer work). Where a number is shown, it usually indicates the generation where, for example, William Primus Harding is 1, Richard the Elder, is -2, William Septimus is 7, Sonny Harding is 12 and so on:
"Harding Main Family Tree.." Having clicked on the down arrow to open this file, you will see that it opens with a page showing full known details of the Harding Family Tree up to the present day except for the descendants of William Quintus Harding's siblings. If you click on the tab at the bottom of the page which is labelled "From William V" you will be presented with a page which shows the descendants of William Quintus Harding and of his siblings.
"Harding Family Tree Text..". Having clicked on the down arrow, you should be presented with a files showing all known members of the family from the Richard the Elder to the present day
"Early Harding Family Tree...". Having clicked on the down arrow, you should be presented with more detailed information on the earlier Hardings
A lot more work is needed to make these trees clearer and more comprehensive. At 22.11.16, the three files need to be combined so that they are on one file with the contents on 2 or 3 tabs. The content also needs to be checked for more recent information in the rest of the web site, not yet recorded on the spreadsheets.
Packingtons
Little and Great Packington are about 95 miles from the London end of the M1. To get there, drive 70.5 miles on the M1to J17, then onto the M45 for 8 miles when it becomes the A45. From there, the two “villages” are or were between 16 and 20 miles on the A45 on the right hand side. The A45 at that point is a busy dual carriageway. Little Packington can be reached by turning right after about 18 miles onto the A462 and taking a turn on the right after a couple of miles? Great Packington is shown as being approached from about mile 17 ie earlier. The right turn is via a slip road, onto the Maxstoke / Meridon Road towards Maxstoke.
I found no sign of Great Packington but it is shown as half way to Maxstoke. It is probably where there is a Golf and Country Club and Hotel. I believe there is a Church somewhere in some private grounds and that it is used for organ recitals.
Little Packington has a church which has been converted into a private house. It is easily visible from the road that is off the A462. There are gravestones in its garden. A notice on the gate says “Any person who wishes to visit or tend a particular grave in the former churchyard should apply in writing to The Owner, Bartholomew, Little Packington, Meriden, CV7 7HN”
Hampton Arden is reached by turning left instead of right on the A452 and then after a short distance, right. It has an old church and lots of graves though few or none that are more than 200 years old where the writing can be deciphered.
This was started in a notebook when and just after I was in Alaska. Today, November 2024 is an attempt to vastly expand it starting at birth and going to now
24.11.1937. Born with twin Anthony who died shortly after.
C1938 -c1945. Loudhams Wood Lane, Chalfont St Giles, Bucks
I observed the towed gliders overhead en route to the invasion of France on DDay 1944. Left St Nicholas’s School “due to a problem”.
C1946.Pathway House, Copperkins Lane, Amersham, Bucks
On the Green, Chesham Bois, Bucks. A very small house, intended I think to be either temporary or a “2nd home”.
Ryecroft, Jordans, Bucks. Jordans is a village built after the 1st world war by and for Quakers who were pacifists. A few still left.
Gregories Road, New Beaconsfield, Bucks
1945 Summer term -1947 Spring term
Melbreck pre prep boys boarding school. Tilford, Farnham, Surrey. V small, only about 30 pupils. Aged about 7 to 9
1947 Summer term -1951 Spring term
Summerfields prep boarding school, St Leonards on Sea. It acted as if it were a prep school only for boys going to Eton and was very snobbish. The headmaster, Mr Barber, intended his son, Hilary, to take over on his retirement but this failed, as Hilary, who taught when I was there, was reported by old boys when they were at Eton, to have sexually misbehaved to them. When a few years later, Sarah and I were in the area and visited, we learned that as a result, it had been closed!
1951 Summer term - 1955 Summer term
Wellington College, Berkshire. In Combermere “dormitory”. I was academically weak so didn’t go to a university. Became the RSM "Regimental Sergeant Major" (senior cadet) in its Combined Cadet Force and probably the only case of an RSM not being a “school prefect”. An anomaly was that my mother was a quaker and therefore a pacifist. Being sent to Wellington was in itself a little odd but possibly because it was only about 30 miles from home at a time of petrol rationing.
1955 Autumn. Failed to my disappointment to have to do National Service due to eyesight. I wanted to do it as I had no career thoughts. It definitely would not have been followed by regular forces unlike many others at Wellington.
5.2.1956 - 4.1961
Articled clerk with Spicer & Pegler followed by qualification Feb 1961 as Associate Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants
April to June1961
Worked in office of Committee of 100 in Finsbury Park. I was a Member.
1961
Beaulieu Jazz Festival, “Organiser”.
August 1961 -26.9.1961
Hitched with Renate and found to our surprise on 13.8.61 the night we arrived that the Berlin Wall had gone up. Then hitched to Yugoslavia
26.9.1961 - 14.12.1961
Worked for Committee of 100 in London then organising demonstrations in Oxford and Manchester
A warrant was issued for arrest of me and 4 or 5 others for “inciting” people to break the law. We were released on bail for ages. I wrote to the Met Police telling them I was going abroad (ie, in fact, that I was jumping bail although a date for the trial had not then been set). The others came up for trial while I was in Moscow and they were jailed for ?3 or 6 months. On my return from Moscow where I was at a huge so called Peace Conference, I contacted the Met and was tried and of course expected the same treatment as the others. However, perhaps because the Chairman of Sessions (judge) was much criticised in the press for letting some demonstrating League of Empire Loyalists off with a fine shortly after the others I was arrested with had come before him, I was only fined.
1.1.1962 -28.6.1962
Accountant at Corgi Books, Ruislip
29.6.1962 -30.7.1962
Hitched London to Helsinki, train to Moscow, conference in Moscow. Heard Khrushchev speak in the Palace of the Soviets, Met Yuri Gagarin. Expelled with free train ticket provided by Soviet Union, to Helsinki. Hitched from Helsinki via Germany to Calais where I was met by police who said I was not obliged to go with them although there was a warrant out for my arrest. Rang Met police from Jordans. They welcomed my offer to report to them the next day otherwise they would be obliged to send a police car immediately to collect me!
30.7.1962 - 9.8.1962
Jordans, court hearing 9th, postponed with a date fixed
9.8.1962 - 27.8.1962
To Spain with a friend, Sally. Stayed in Tarragona. Started to hitch back to London to meet date for case. Lift out of Barcelona was with wealthy air force general and Belgian Count. The air force general turned round and put us up at the best hotel in Barcelona saying he would provide free air tickets from Barcelona to UK He said he would take us both to Majorca but it seemed the flight there didn’t have room for me when the time came so Sally went alone with him..
27.8.1962 -.9.1962
Court hearing when I expected to be given the same sentence (6 months?) as the other 2 or 3 who had been jailed even though they had not jumped bail as I had in going to Moscow. Unexpectedly I was fined so went immediately to Paris with Sally
11.9.1962 - 14.9.1962
Hitched on own from Paris to Berne
14.9.1962 - 5.10.1962
Job. washing up in Hotel National, Berne
5.10.1962 - 7.10.1962
Hitched to Amsterdam where I was to help organise an anti-nuclear demonstration, Stayed in a hostel on the Kloveniersburgwal
7.10.1962 - 8.11.1962
Job, stacking up bottles in Lucas Bols Distillery, Amsterdam,
9.11.1962 -28.11.1962
Job, washing large dishes, Hotel Krasnnapolski, Amsterdam
1.12.1962 -19.12.1962
Hitched with Jenifer to Berlin, Then to Paris where she was taken off train at Gare du Nord by police to the US Embassy on suspicion that she had been kidnapped by me, then released when the embassy telephoned her mother in Pennsylvania and she told them I has ok, Ferry to UK
19.12.1962 -30.12.1962
Jordans, Xmas with Jenifer who then returned to US
Jan to March.1963
Broad Services Ltd in City of London
March1963
Skiing Austria, then failed to find work in Munich
April 1963
Wrapping books with Sally at Calder & Boyars who had just succeeded in winning case to publish a US book previously banned in UK (Last Exit to Brooklyn)
May 1963
US visa delayed due to my criminal history but it was eventually issued. Flew Canada, NYC, Philadelphia (staying with Jenifer), Job, Manpower
6.June to 22 Aug 1963
Sold ice cream from van for Jack & Jill Ice cream Co.
28.8.1963
Busses to March on Washington, where I heard Martin Luther King speak, then to New York City
Flat with Franc Babsek on 99th St West side.
Maine Lafrenze, insolvent client on Long Island. Bad reference from Spicer & Pegler
1963/4. Met and then stayed with Jane, Maxine and Richard on 83rd St on East side.
April.1964
Drove "Driveaway" car New Orleans to San Diego, S Cal with Richard and Paul . Stayed in motel courtesy of Paul’s gay friends then bus? to Los Angeles with Richard then bus to San Francisco
May 1964
Drove “Driveaway” pick-up truck San Francisco to Fairbanks, Alaska with Richard and Sarah Newton whom Richard had met the previous day and who had said she wanted to come along. This was when N first met her. On first day, Sue came along. Met Albert on his scooter in Yukon. We met Albert on several occasions later, including staying in his NYC flat on way to Florida and UK
C Sept 1964
College (just outside Fairbanks) worked for Nadco, Tanana Trailer Sales (Alaska Airlines) living in trailer (large caravan) with Richard and Sarah. Bought Ford Anglia, drove it to Arctic Circle. Bought shares in Alaska Airlines
C Sept 1964 to 1965
Drove Ford Anglia with Sarah from Fairbanks to California, then north to Canada, Saw Queen on her visit to Ottawa, then NYC staying in Albert's flat with his "sex worker" girlfriend. Worked Hermitage Knitwear, Sarah with lawyers Revis & McGrath. Then drove Ford Anglia to Tampa Florida to seek route over Atlantic, sold car. Cargo boat Tampa to Holland with Sarah
Dec 1964 to May 1965
Xmas in Jordans
8 May1965
Married Chelsea Old Church
July 1965
Queen Mary to NYC, also on board, Maxine’s mother Virginia,
July to Nov 1965
Rented appt on 11th St Lower East Side, NYC, Sarah worked for lawyers Revis & McGrath. N mainly in the Bronx incl 9.11.1965 when there was a famous black-out in NYC and beyond
2 Dec 1965 to 4 Feb 1968
US round the world to England, covered in Sarah’s diaries here.
15 Dec 1968
Jessica Zoe Harding born, lived in Oakley Sq, Camden, London
15 Mar 1970
Moved to 5 Belmont St which we bought for £5.500
30 Mar 1970
Clarissa Julia Harding born
22 Aug 1972
Alexandra Kate (Sasha) Harding born
Feb 1973
Moved to 1 St Ann’s Gardens bt for £29,500 from Forbes, like us a Rhyll St school parent, 5 Belmont St sold for £22,500
29.7.1974
Samuel Richard Harding born
C1975 to C1988
Worked for South bank subsidiary to George Wimpey then George Wimpey Treasury and Project Finance Dept. Many visits re Bonds etc to Nigeria (2 buyer credits). Chair of CB1 bonds group publication. Many visits to China following its opening up for business with the west. Objective was to sign barter agreements. All without success for Wimpey.
C1988 to 2002
Worked for Sir Wm Halcrow and Partners Ltd. Arranged Joint Venture with Israeli co, Merhav owned by Yossi Maiman, arranging UK and US govt guaranteed loans for projects in 3rd world
2002
Retired