BIO: Richard Hiorns, Wyoming Conference, Methodist Episcopal Church, PA & NY Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Judy Banja & Denise Phillips Copyright 2007. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ________________________________________________ Chaffee, Amasa Franklin. History of the Wyoming Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. New York: Eaton & Mains, 1904, pages 197-198. ________________________________________________ HIORNS, RICHARD, was born on July 27, 1831, at Edmonton County of Middlesex, England, and was the eleventh of fourteen children born to William and Sarah Hiorns. From four until fourteen he attended the National School at Lower Edmonton, which was under the control of the Church of England. After the death of his father his school work was interrupted for a while. He, however, studied at home. In July, 1850, he entered the British and Foreign Normal School, a nonsectarian school situated at Boro Road, London, where he spent one year, after which he was eight months in a branch of this school situated in Bristol. In June, 1852, he was sent to Paris as teacher in the Boys' British Free School, which position he retained until some time in 1858. From this time until he came to the United States, in 1865, he was employed as salesman, clerk in a bank, and running a private school. He was baptized in infancy, and confirmed in the Church of England in his fifteenth year. About the time of his confirmation he was converted, largely through the influence of his mother and a faithful Sunday school teacher. In the fall of 1861 he joined the Wesleyan Church of Paris. For a season he was organist in this church and had charge of the music. Shortly after joining the Church he was given a local preacher's license. Early in his religious life he felt called to the ministry, but satisfied himself with the thought that the missionary work he was doing in Paris ought to satisfy divine command. The persistency of the Spirit's call ultimately overcame all obstacles, and he decided to give himself wholly to the ministry. When he came to this country he settled in Newark Valle. In June of this year the Quarterly Conference gave him a local preacher's license. During the summer months he preached occasionally, worked in the Sunday school, acted as organist in the church during the sickness of the regular organist, and during the week worked in the store of his brother. In the fall of 1865 he served three months as assistant superintendent of the Five Points House of Industry, in New York. In 1866 he served Flemingville, N.Y., as supply, and in 1867 united with the Wyoming Conference. Failing health made it necessary for him to superannuate in 1886. Since which time, and until his death, on October 24, 1901, he resided in Scranton. He found ample opportunity to preach as his strength would permit, and taught French to a number of classes, being a fluent and accurate speaker of that language. He is buried in the Dunmore Cemetery. In 1861 he married Miss Clarisse Leontine Laurent, of Paris, who died in November, 1864, leaving a little son two years and three months old, who now lives in Scranton. A second child by this wife, Albert W., lived but a few months. On April 8, 1866, he married Miss Emily Frances Beecher, of Newark Valley, N.Y. The following children were born to them: Emile E. B., born November 19, 1868, and died April 23, 1900; Jessie C., born July 2, 1870, now the wife of Charles S. Edwards; Harold F., born May 15, 1881, and died September 26, 1881. His pastoral record is as follows: 1867, Flemingville; 1868, Newport; 1869, Barton; 1870-71, Plymouth, N.Y.; 1872-73, Danby; 1874- 75, Jermyn; 1876-77, Narrowsburg; 1878, Thompson; 1879-81, Berkshire; 1882-84, Peckville; 1885, Yatesville; 1886-1901, sd.