The purpose of this web site is to aid my research into the paternity of Harry Fisher. The earlist records of him list him as Harry Reynolds. I can only remember being told that his natural father's surname was Alexander.
This picture of the Harry Fisher family was taken in 1946.
Front row: Sylvia, Harry, Barbara, Doris
Back row: Howard, Harry Jr.
Harry was raised by his grandparents in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, USA. His grandparents were Win Hand and Catherine Bradley. His mother, Ann Jane Hand was born in Orangeville, Ontario, Canada. The Hand family emigrated from Gorteen, Castlecomer, County Kilkenny, Ireland to York (Toronto), Canada in 1825 or 1826. In the winter of 1829/1830 William Hand moved to Mulmur Township, Ontario, Canada because he had a land grant of 200 acres. The original Hand family farm is now the village of Stanton in Dufferin County, Ontario. Win Hand moved to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan in October 1878.
The earliest record of Harry is an artical that appeared in the Sault Ste Marie Evening News on 3 August 1895. He is referred to as Win Hand's 3 year old grandson - Harry Reynolds. The 1900 Federal U.S. census for Chippewa County, Michigan has Harry listed as Harry Hand and living with his grandparents, Win and Catherine Hand. Harry's mother was married to Andrew Reynolds of Ottawa, Canada at the time of Harry's birth. My grandmother, Sylvia, told me that his natural father's surname was Alexander.
In the 1910 U.S. Federal census for Chippewa County, Michigan, Harry is listed as Harry Fisher. Harry told me that of his mother's 8 husbands Mr. Fisher was the only one that was nice to him and therefore he used that name.
On 21 August 1921, Harry Fisher married Sylvia Hoyt. They were married in Battle Creek, Michigan and moved to Detroit, Michigan. They had two children, Harry Jr and Howard. The above picture was taken during their honeymoon in Niagara Falls.
In both pictures, Harry Jr is on the left and Howard is on the right.
Anne & Howard
Harry about 1897
Sylvia about 1902
Harry in WWI about 1919
Thomas Hand, brother of Win Hand, from an article in the Shelburne Free Press ( Ontario) dated 26 May 1892.
When you click on the link to Howard you will find a link to his brother - Harry & a link to their ancestry. The ancestry data is very out of date. I no longer believe that William R. Alexander was Harry's father.
I had my brother's YDNA tested. Harry's father was Irish or from Southern, England. The only match we have had is to a man whose surname is Andrews. He lives in Cornwall, England and said that his family originally came from Ireland.
The YDNA has matched another man whose surname is Andrews. He was born in London, England. Both men claim the surname was originally Andrew and the S was added by recent generations. Since Alexander & Andrew are both common men's first names I now believe our correct surname should be Andrews. My memory may be faulty and/or my grandmother may have gotten the name wrong.
