He was educated initially at Westminster School, before undertaking further study in France and Germany.
[3] In 1876, Hartshorne was appointed secretary of the Royal Archaeological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, a post in which he served two terms, from 1876 to 1883 and 1886 to 1894.
In 1882, he was made a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London, serving on its council, as well as acting as the local secretary for Derbyshire.
[3] Hartshorne married Constance Amelia in 1872, the youngest daughter of an Irish cleric.
[3]Kelly's Directory notes Hartshorne as the resident of Bradbourne Hall, in Derbyshire in 1891.