8514 Rockmoor, San Antonio, Texas 78230
© 1997 Charles W. Johnson, M.D.
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ROWAN COUNTY REGISTER, May 1994. Pg. 2023. 1761 Rowan County Tax Lists by the editor, Jo White Linn. This list transcribed from NC Archives original file CRX244. Comment that they are very incomplete. This list is broken down as to area of then hugh Rowan County. Future Wilkes, Catawba, Southern Guilford/ Northern Randolph, and Iredell.
Wilkes County area. Only 38 names appear and 4 of these are scratched from the list.
These are not in alphabetical order, but John Stewart, Joseph and ISAIAH are adjacent on the list and THOMAS is separated from them by 11 places. These lists are a continuation of an article in November 1992, pg.1629, which included what is later: southern Rowan about what is now Granite Quarry, and that part that became Davis County. Comment is also made about a 1759 tax list which I presume has also been published, but I have not seen that list.
Of course, the main item of interest is Isaiah and Thomas, with Joseph here in 1761, in the Wilkes County care. Is this Isaiah, Junior and his son Joseph who died early? Is Thomas a son of Isaiah, Junior and the Thomas we have in the 1800 Buncombe county Fed. census? Does the presence of John Stewart indicate a relationship of the above to the Nathaniel Harrison who married Jemima Stewart, with the disapproval of her parents? Is this Joseph Harrison the ancestor of the Watauga County, NC, Harrisons?
SETTLERS BY THE LONG GREY TRAIL, pg. 154, has little to say about Isaiah Junior. He was born in 1689. He was the eldest son and was the last of them to arrive in Augusta County, Virginia, since he left West Jersey in 1739. In 1748 he was administrator of the estate of Joseph Harrison, with Jeremiah Harrison and William White as sureties. A "vendue" (sale) of the goods was held at the house of SAMUEL STEWART, by Jeremiah Harrison. On 23 May, 1750, it is recorded that Isaiah Harrison administrator of Joseph Harrison (has) removed to Carolina......Later, Isaiah Harrison, Junior’s brother Samuel also removed to Carolina in Craven County, where he remained for a short time and then returned to Augusta. Hence, it is presumed that Isaiah Junior had also located in Old Carven County, SC Nothing more is known of Isaiah Junior. It is presumed that Joseph Harrison was probably his son.
There are two presumptions above: Joseph was the son of Isaiah Junior. And that Samuel and Isaiah Junior were in Craven County, SC together. Neither assumption is necessarily valid. Yet, here we have John Stewart, Isaiah, Joseph, and Thomas in Wilkes County area together in 1761. Joseph, the assumed son (but he could be another relative?) was long dead in 1761. In 1761 Isaiah Junior was 73 years old, if indeed this was Isaiah Junior (or was he Isaiah III?). Was Joseph of Wilkes area a grandson, perhaps the son of Joseph? Was Thomas a son or grandson of Isaiah Junior?
This is not a new area of thought about Isaiah junior. Betty Jo Hulse has delved into all this and what follows is mostly from past material I have received from her.
Ezaiah Harrison had a Rowan County, NC Land entry for 15 March 1753, of 640 acres in Anson County, on the South side of Yadkin River, known by he Swan Ponds......If this is Isaiah Junior, he would be about 64, and this would be three years after he had left Augusta County, Virginia.
In the 1790 census of Mecklenburg, 18th District was an Isaiah Harrison with 1 male over 16, 3 males under 16, 3 females, and 2 slaves. If this were Isaiah Junior, he would have been 101 years old.-----Essentially impossible! But likely a descendant or else Isaiah, the son of Jeremiah, who went to Greene County, Tennessee; a Quaker and then a Methodist Preacher. (There were other children of Jeremiah in Mecklenburg). This was on McAlpin’s Creek, where other Long Grey Trail Harrisons were, and close to the Harrison Methodist Church. In 1850 he was 88 years old. He was born c 1762, so he would have been 28 years old at the time of the 1790 census.
There was an Isaiah Harrison in Polk County, Tennessee, and as I recall, on the 1850 census, with a daughter named Mary, who married a Hood, who was probably a descendant from Lucas Hood, the brother of Tunis Hood. I have also run into a Yankee Isaiah Harrison (pg.9 of my March 8, 1994 Harrison notes) who married Julia Ann Hill in 1828, in Fai. Co., Ohio. These are all suspected of being descended from Isaiah Junior, since they are not accounted for otherwise.
In LGT, pg. 331 in 1783 Ezekiel Harrison (later of Sangamon County, Springfield, IL.), his brother Reuben and Isaiah Harrison, evidently their Cousin, appear to have made a trip to Georgia, seemingly with the intention of settling there. They appeared in Rockingham Court to obtain a certificate of their character and conduct, to which the court attested. On the same date (pg. 275) Samuel Harrison obtained such a certificate, as he was leaving the County, thought to where he was going was not stated. Their stay in the south was of a short duration. Ezekiel moved to Christian County, Kentucky near Hopkinsville in 1815, then in 1822 he moved to Sangamon County, IL. It is suspected by Mrs.. Hulse that when Isaiah Junior moved away in 1750, he either left some children behind or they returned to August County, Virginia and that some of the unassigned Harrisons of LGT in August were descended from him, such as the Isaiah of this paragraph, and Nathaniel who ends up later in York County, SC and father of Joseph, who married Margaret Hill, and moved to Buncombe County, and is buried in Newfound Baptist Churchyard (with erroneous DAR markers).
Let me go back to Isaiah’s (Ezaiah) 1753, and the 640 acres at Swan Ponds on the South side of the Yadkin. I am familiar with three Swan Ponds, One in Eastern Tennessee, another on the French Broad River and the rather famous one on the South side of Yadkin in present day Burke County, NC, near Morgantown. But, in reviewing maps, it appears to me that the Yadkin River does NOT go into Burke County, NC. Burke County is supplied by the Catawba River.....So, maybe there was/is a 4th Swan Ponds! I notice that the Yadkin does go into Wilkes County, (and numerous other counties). One of its origins is in Caldwell County, but it does not reach Burke County, though not far from there. Of Course, all of this was Anson County, then Rowan county, and then broken up to smaller counties.
The Swan Ponds of Burke County was the home of Waigtstill Avery, a very wealthy and well known man who owned and dealer in real estate besides being the Attorney General for the state of NC. He also owned another Swan Ponds. This was on the French Broad River in what is now Buncombe County, It was 600 acres in 1783, above Cain Creek and below Davidson’s Creek. He sold this about 1790 to Benjamin Hawkins, one of the leaders of Buncombe county. This property is now part of the famous Biltmore Estate just outside of Asheville. The Vanderbilts, in building this estate filled in the Swan Ponds.
Iredell, Wilkes and BUrke counties were adjacent in 1800, so I will go into the Harrisons in those areas, considering the possibility that they too were descended from Isaiah Jr.
In my March 8, 1994 report on the page labeled "F", a copy from Helen Niewendorp, is a query Jan. 1986 from a LOT OF BUNKUM January 1986. pg. 86-89: Seek info on Samuel
Stewart, who lived in NC 1700’s. When did he come to NC? Who was his father? Samuel probably born in Scotland ca 1685, married Lydia Harrison. They had a son Joseph b ca 1725, Yadkin County, NC, but Samuel was buried in Rowan.....Alma G. Green, ....Interesting in view of the Samuel Stewart on pg. 1, who was involved with Isaiah Junior. Since Isaiah Junior was born 1689 and Samuel Stewart was born 4 years earlier, it would seem that Lydia would be of the same generation of Isaiah Junior. (Lydia a common name among our Harrisons). Though this query is 8 years old, I will write Alma Green---maybe she knows more now.
LGT has many references to the Stewarts in the index. On pg. 262, "On 11 August 1766, William Cravens, Robert Black, and Magey Black (probably all had Harrison ancestories) witnessed a deed of Samuel Stewart & Lydia, of NC, yeoman to Jacob Calpin of Augusta, conveying 153 acres on the South Fork of Linville’s Creek, patented to Samuel, 5th September, 1749".... (by Sept. 3, 1766 Robert and Magey (Cravens) Black were in Mecklenburg NC)......In 1766 the Samuel Stewart of the query above would have been 81 years old...I would bet that this Samuel Stewart moving to NC, perhaps with the Blacks was NOT that old, but perhaps a Junior, who was married to Lydia Harrison, and then more likely a daughter of Isaiah Junior (or some other Harrison)...pg. 257 shows Samuel Stewart with Robert Cravens and the whole Harrison Family in Delaware before moving to Augusta. This was Newcastle County. There were also John, Thomas, and several David Stewarts. Samuel was a son of David Stewart. Robert Cravens bought land in Delaware from Samuel Stewart.....pg. 273. Stewarts lived at Linville Creek and adjacent to Jeremiah and Samuel (and Isaiah Junior?...I do not find any property in Augusta owned by Isaiah Junior)....pg. 289, A William Harrison was moving out of Augusta County in 1747, according to a suit "David Stewart vs William Harrison." This William Harrison was not a member of the LGT Harrisons (but is suspected of being the William Harrison, that was a lawyer, and Innkeeper of Salisburg, NC, as written up in CAROLINA CRADLE)....There are many other references to the Stewarts which I have looked up in LGT, but I will not detail others. A John Stewart was heir ( or payee) of Robert Cravens’ Will of 1776. Stewarts went to church with the Harrisons, who were Baptists at Alderson’s/Linville Creek/Smith’s Creek.
In my Jan. 12, 1994 Harrison Report, on pg. 11, I give the Revolutionary War Pension record of Nathaniel Harrison of Stokes County, NC (earlier Surry county, and before that Rowan county) who married Jemima Stewart, daughter of David and Mary Stewart. Her parents did not approve of this marriage because he was allegedly of mixed blood. They eloped in 1794. After leaving Surry county, he lived in Blount County, Tennessee for 12 years, but before that in Washington and Greene counties, of Tennessee. His ancestry is not given.......on pg 13 of that report, I show a Gideon Harrison born 1762 in Augusta County, Virginia. He too lived for a time in Washington County, Tennessee and I asked then if he was a son od Isaiah Jr.
On pg 2 of my Feb. 4, 1994 report, telling of information from Betty Jo Hulse, she told about Joseph Harrison of early Rowan County. He married Ann Bowles 1762. Bondsmen were Joseph Harrison, David Stewart and Samuel Stewart. But Mrs. Hulse pointed out that there were two Nathaniel Harrisons, one of whom died in 1820, too early to make that 1832 pension application..... Was they then descendants of Isaiah Jr?
In a letter of May 30, 1993, Mrs. Hulse comments that in Iredell county, NC there were at least two Joseph Harrisons, a Sr. and Jr. These are the ancestors of the Watauga County, NC Harrisons. Joseph Junior Harrison was Rev. Joseph, long time Registrar of Watauga County and pastor of the historic Three Forks Baptist, amomg other churches he started. He was a "Red String" Baptist- pro Union during the Civil War, and removed from office during the war, but returned afterwards. Joseph Senior is supposed to be the son of John Harrison, but that could be wrong. Supposed to have come from England and had a brother named Benjamin, who went to Indiana. Though this family is minutely worked out, the ancestry is
questionable. Their pictures look, to Frances, virtually identical to the Harrisons of her family.....could they be the descendant of Isaiah Jr?
In this same letter she mentions some more about these Harrisons and Stewarts. Nathaniel Harrison of the alleged mixed race, who married Jemima Stewart in 1797, Surry NC. She had a brother Samuel Stewart, who was age 76 in 1842. Also: from ABSTRACTS OF THE MINUTES OF COURT OF PLEAS AND QUARTERS SESSIONS, ROWAN COUNTY, N.C. 1763-1774.....1773, Josiah Steward(t), Samuel Steward(t), David Steward(t), Joseph Harrison and others to lay out a road from Joseph Gentry’s Ferry on the South side of River to Fox Knobbs leading to Allen’s Iron Works and on North side to Salem etc......Joseph Harrison lived near Jacob Lash and adjoining David Stewart....In 1783 Nathaniel Harrison got a land grant of 400 acres on the West side of Parker’s Creek, adjoining to Lash, Lineback, Joseph Harrison, Briggs and Muddy Creek. In 1784, he sold that land to David Owens, and the day before Joseph Harrison bought land from Anthony Funderburg 1758.....This is 5 years after Isaiah bought the property on Swan Ponds, and 3 years before Isaiah, Thomas, and Joseph are listed in Wilkes County Tax list(pg. 1). (Wilkes is west of Surry county, but adjacent and both are on the Yadkin. Surry had two Rivers: The Yadkin and the Dan, but that part of Surry county that became Stokes was on the Yadkin.....I don't know just which River Parker’s Creek, or Allen’s Iron Works were a part of).
There is a Revolutionary War Pension record for Joseph Harrison of Surry County, NC, though place of birth and names of parents are not given. Born 1765. In 1836 he stated that he had lived in Surry Co. for 40 years (since 1796), so this must be a different Joseph from the one from Funderburg in 1758. He married in Bedford County, of Virginia, in 1791, to Mary Ann Gregory, who was born in 1772. But, he enlisted in Surry 1781, so he was there longer than 40 years, in 1836. Unless, he had gone elsewhere for a while, and was not counting that time. He must have gone back to Virginia to marry. The Bible they left records their children were: Nancy, Frankey, Salley, Udoshea, William M., Betsey, Matilda, Marianne (?), Joel, Sophia, Mary An, and John, in that order from 1792 to 1817. In a affadavit for the pension he had a letter from James Harrison in Ohio, who said that Joseph had served in the war as a substitute for William Harrison. In another affidavit from Ann_____? ,of Ohio it says the same thing. It also states that William Harrison was his father. (Bedford, Virginia is down from the Shenandoah Valley, from Old Augusta County.)
In a letter of February 10, 1990, Mrs. Hulse refers to page 183 of LGT. This is a listing of men who furnished provisions to the militia in 1758. Nathaniel and Gideon Harrison, were both on this list, as well as Robert Patterson and Matthew Black. These are all men who were neighbors of the Nathaniel Harrison who received land in York County, of SC about 1765. In 1775, Nathaniel Harrison witnessed the will of Robert Patterson and in 1786 Joseph Harrison and his mother Rachel Harrison, of Rutherford County, NC, sold the same land in York County, SC. Nathaniel Harrison received the land in 1765-67. Joseph and Rachel sold the land to Matthew Blackin 1786. (The border of York, SC. and Rutherford, NC were indefinite at that time.). This Nathaniel Harrison is the father of the Joseph Harrison that married Margaret Hill and moved to Buncombe County, around 1801. He is NOT listed in the census for Buncombe County, in 1800. Mrs. Hulse suspects that these are descendants of Isaiah Harrison, Jr.. Nathaniel was on a list of menwho signed an oath of neutrality. His name also appears on a list of Loyalists, who had land confiscated by the government, however, in 1786 the land was in the name of his wife and son, Joseph. So, if his land had been confiscated, it was returned. He had probably died in the meantime. Thomas Harrison and Robert Black were chain bearers when Nathaniel’s land was surveyed in 1765. Joseph Harrison was a chain bearer, when the land was surveryed for Robert Swann, in 1771. Joseph must have been about 9 years old, at that time. Thomas Harrison was a chain bearer in 1765, when land was surveyed for Matthew Black. Robert Black also had land in the area. (This area was Clark’s Fork of Bullock’s Creek, just south of the famous Kings Mountain, a battle of the Revolutionary war.) Robert Patterson was an offical of Rutherford County, but he lived in York County. He was related to Old Jeremiah Harrison’s wife, Catherine Adams, through his mother. (From THE TUNIS HOOD FAMILY)
THE IREDELL COUNTY HARRISONS (information also from Mrs. Hulse.) In addition to the "Watauga County Harrisons", already mentioned, and who came from Iredell, there were also Jeremiah and Nathaniel Harrison. They were not sons of Joseph Harrison, Sr. of Iredell, who was born in 1768, and married Drucilla (Bentley?). However, they were likely related, somehow. Jeremiah between 1793 and 1813, had numerous land transactions in Iredell. A deed in 1793 was witnessed by Joseph Harrison (the Senior mentioned above) Jeremiah sold land in 1808 to Nathan Duncan. His last transaction was in 1813, when he sold land again to Nathan Duncan. There are no deeds involving Nathaniel Harrison, in Iredell. Both Jeremiah and Nathaniel were, however, on the 1790 census of Iredell County. (As I recall, each was living alone and marked as being under 16...which seems implausible, a young teenager having their own household--but, these could possibly have been a small separate building next to a parent or such). If we are to consider that these could possibly be, Rev. Nathan Harrison and Rev. Jeremiah Harrison, according to their dates of birth. In 1790, Rev. Nathan would have been 11 years old, and Rev. Jeremiah would have been about 7. Neither appear in the Iredell County census of 1800 or other appropriate counties. Were they in the household of Thomas Harrison, in Buncombe County, that showed 14 people, in the 1800 census? In 1800, Rev. Nathan, would have been 21 and Rev. Jeremiah, 14. Rev. Jeremiah’s obituary says he was born in Rutherford County, NC (what part? In the area that is now Buncombe? The part that was debatable as Rutherford County, or York County---Clark’s Fork of Bullock’s Creek?). Rev. Nathan’s obituary says he was born in NC, but family tradition, says Virginia, or Georgia.
Mrs. Hulse says that Nathaniel Harrison of York, SC (father of Joseph, who married Margaret Hill) was almost certainly of the Isaiah Harrison, Junior, line. Since Rev. Nathan and Rev. Jeremiah were evidently related, then they too are likely to be of Isaiah Harrison, Jr. line.
A Jeremiah Harrison was on the deed books of Mecklenburg County, NC, in 1763, as a witness. Old Jeremiah Harrison, son of Isaiah, Senior, was still in Rockingham, Virginia at that time. It is likely that this Jeremiah was of the family of Isaiah Junior. There was another Jeremiah Harrison, brother of Davis Harrison, who died in Kentucky, but he would likely have been too young to be the Jeremiah of 1763 in Mecklenburg.
From a letter of June 11, 1989: In the census of Mecklenburg county, NC was Nehemiah Harrison (LGT) in District 15, near Staurts Fork (so I suppose some Stewart was early in that area where LGT Harrisons congregated.)
Query from a LOT OF BUNKUM, May 1994. Tressie Nealy is hunting for Thomas Harrison and wife Margaret Gilbreath, who married c 1801, in Buncombe County and moved to St. Clair County, Ill. .....Well, we know about them. This is Rev. Thomas Harrison, Junior, out of the 1800 household of Thomas Harrison, Senior, and wife Eleanor. I have responded.
LETTER FROM MRS. TOMMY SHERMAN: This was sent to Betty Jo Hulse, who answered it, but, also sent the information to me. She is a descendant from Elizabeth Harrison, born 1812, in Georgia or North Carolina, and died 1861/69, and married James M. McFarland. They married in Carroll County, Georgia, in 1834, but, lived in Murray County, Georgia, where at least 7 of their children were born. The two youngest were born in Georgia, but not necessarily in Murray County. They lived there at the same time as did Rev. Nathan Thomas and Rev. Jeremiah Harrison, and they were strict church going Methodists. I do not have an Elizabeth listed as a daughter of either Rev. Harrison or Murray county, but that does NOT mean much, because we do not know who all their children were. I wonder why they were married in Carroll County? That is where Abel Hill Harrison was (no children) and close by in Campbell County, was his brother Nathaniel Harrison, after both had left Buncombe County. It is possible that we do not know all the children of Nathaniel, but in Murray County, they certainly knew the two Rev. Harrisons. They also knew Rev. Joab Humphries who married Lydia Harrison. Answered.
THE TUNIS HOOD FAMILY by Dellman O. Hood, page 104 has a reference to Tressie Nealy’s Gilbreath/Galbreaths. "Later on March 20, 1783, JOSEPH GALBREATH conveyed 53 acres on Goose Creek, described as a tributary of Rocky River of John and Tunis Hood." (Goose Creek is a stone’s throw from McAlpin’s Creek). No other references to the Galbreaths are in the book.
Page 92. A footnote: It refers to Augusta County, Virginia Court minutes of September 1, 1748, in regards to the estate sale of Joseph Harrison, (mentioned earlier, Isaiah Harrison, Junior exec). It says that the estate sale was held at the house of Samuel Stewart of goods of Joseph Harrison, deceased, sold by Jeremiah Harrison. (We knew about this). It adds: Among the purchasers were Timothy Convey, Samuel Harrison, Samuel Monsey, Arthur Johnson (he lived on Linville Creek, as did Samuel Harrison), Abraham Smith, Samuel Hull, Edward McGinnes, TUNIS HOOD, and others....There are other references to the Stewarts in this book, but they are all too late to be of significance.
BACK TO A LOT OF BUNKUM, May 1994. On page 29, there is an article on the records of the early court of Buncombe County, including the first session held in April of 1792. At this first session, JAMES CRAVENS was named to the jury for the next term. JOHN BLACK was named to a road jury to view and to lay off a road from Col. William Davidson’s on the Swannano, to Benjamin David’s Creek.....At the second session in July of 1792, Col. John Earle was given permission to erect a grist mill on the middle fork of Mud Creek on his own land (I knew Wade Hampton had property there and his br-in-law James Harrison had property and surveyed there - now, here is another relative of the Hampton/Harrisons). Robert Orr was named to the next jury (he was from Mecklenburg County, and lived in that area of the Walton County War over a dispute over borders of North Carolina/South Carolina and Georgia.)....The October Court session of 1792: Ordered by the Court that a jury be appointed to view a piece of land entered by Robert Love and William Tredway (ancestor of my wife, Frances) to erect an Iron Works and report. The entry officers appointed included JAMES CRAVENS. (I understand that Iron Works were in big demand and people could get considerable free land to build one. It took several hundred acres of land to operate one, because they had to have a lager supply of timber to burn for fuel). The Bill of slae from John Partin to JOHN HIGHTOWER for 4 negroes....JOHN HIGHTOWER and JAMES CRAVENS NAMED TO THE JURY FOR THE NEXT SESSION....MATTHEW PATTERSON named to lay off a road from the fork at Benjamin Davidson’s Creek across the mountain to the head of the Saluda, keeping as near to the path as practicable for waggons to run...January Court session of 1793, JOHN HIGHTOWER on grand jury.
Interesting that Cravens and Pattersons were here. Both suggestive of LGT Harrisons. (Hightowers married Granthams.)
On page 52: Query of Sarah J. Moore: She is seeking information on families of Anky Case and Chesley Davis, who married in Henderson County on May 10, 1854. Is Anky the same as Anthroit, daughter of Thomas Bosier and Winnie Justice Case?....I mentioned because Helen Niewendorp is after Davises of Buncombe County, in her John Harrison family. Though this would not likely be the same one, perhaps named for a whole string of Chesley Davises, including a Rev. Chesley Davis, Baptist of Newberry and Edgefield Counties of South Carolina. But, before there, in Culpepper County, Virginia and other counties.
HISTORY OF BRISTOL PARISH: By Rev. Phillip Slaughter, 2nd Edition, written in 1879, (first Edition was written in 1846). He had this Parish in his career, but also others and he wrote HISTORY OF ST. GEORGE’S PARISH and HISTORY OF ST. MARK’S PARISH; other parishes of his as an Episcopal Minister. This is history, but also genealogy of the parishers. This is not the Bristol Parish Register, which was published separately. The parish was instituted in 1642, and prior to that there was in Charles City County, Henrico Parish. But, little in the way of records are left from those parishes. By 1724, the parish was 40 miles long and 25 miles wide. This parish was on the north side of the James River, and in 1724, it contained 430 families. Of course, at that time, church membership was mandatory, under the Church of England.
As population grew, new parishes were taken out of Bristol, the focus of the history is narrowed and remains in Bristol (Though he published histories of the other two parishes). The history begins with Captain John Smith and Pocahontas in 1610. There are many references to the Harrisons, but not an organized genealogy (probably because it is too difficult to understand!) and presumably, most of these are James River Harrisons. But I will show a few that I think are of interest.
Page 22: An article on Rev. William Harrison. He was Rector from about 1763-1780, when he resigned, but he continued to live in Petersburg, where the Church was until his death in 1814, at the age of 84. He had a daughter Mrs. Fabian Armistead. Other descendants were John Armistead (clerk) of Petersburg and Mrs. John Banister.
Page 140 & 217: John M. P. Atkinson was the son of Robert and Mary Tabb (Mayo) Atkinson (I am related to them). He was a D. D. and President of the Hampden Sydney College and he married ELIZABETH HARRISON, the daughter of REV. PEYTON HARRISON, as his first marriage. Peyton Harrison was the son of Carter Harrison, of "Clifton". Carter Harrison married Susan Pleasants, who was sister of James Pleasants, the Governor of Virginia, and daughter of James Pleasants, Senior, and Anne Randolph. Anne had a sister Dorothy, who was my ancestor (married Col. John Woodson). Another sister was Jane, who married Peter Jefferson, father of Thomas Jefferson.......These sisters had a uncle, Richard Randolph of "Curles", who had a son Richard, who had a daughter Susan, who married Benjamin Harrison, of "Berkeley". (I do not know which Benjamin Harrison of Berkeley county).......So....if this is accurate, all of these Harrisons are James River Harrisons. However, much of this took place at Goochland County, where Col. John Woodson, Jeffersons, Randolphs, Paynes, and Benjamin Harrison were all neighbors. I have read an article which questions just who this Benjamin Harrison of Goochland was---maybe not James River Harriosns as the ancestor of Peyton Harrison. Also, there was a Peyton Harrison of Christian County, Kentucky, later, whom, I was convinced, was a LGT Harrison......so???
Pages 167 & 171: Mary Claiborn was born 1744/5--and married General Charles Harrison of the Revolution, in 1763, son of Benjamin Harrison of "Berkeley", and Uncle of President William Henry Harrison. Mary Claiborn was the daughter of Augustine Claiborn, eminent lawyer and Mary Herbert. General Charles Harrison and Mary had children: Charles, killed in a duel; Augustine, died young; Benjamin and Henry, twins born in 1775; Mary Herbert, who married her cousin John Herbert Peterson; ______? (a female), who married Mathew Maury Claiborn and moved to Baltimore; Elizabeth, who married General Daniel Claiborne Butts; Susan, who married _____? Withers.......(I have previously written of General Charles Harrison with the story that he moved to South Carolina and later to Georgia. I do not know (without checking) if there might be a contradiction here).
Page 187: John Fitzhugh married Elizabeth Harrison. They had a daughter Ann Fitzhugh, who married in 1783, George May (1756-1805). He was the son of John May, a clerk of the vestry 1740, and Agnes Smith. .....John and Elizabeth (Harrison) Fitzhugh also had a son named Benjamin Harrison Fitzhugh, M. D. (1788-1857), who never married...Elizabeth (Harrison) Fitzhugh was the daughter of Nathaniel Harrison and Mary Digges of "Brandon". Her sister, Lucy was the second wife of William Mayo, of "Powhatan"....In my HARRISON NOTES of April 2, 1994, on page 1, I reported on the book, TWO MAY FAMILIES OF HOLLOW SQUARE, GREENE COUNTY, ALABAMA, which had a good run down on the Burr Harrison genealogy. A Mary (Polly) Harrison, daughter of Burr, married Benjamin May, an ancestor of the writer of this book......So Mays married into both the Burr Harrison family, and the James River Harrison family.
LETTER FROM HELEN NIEWENDORP: She points out that on the A. I. S. list that she sent me earlier, there is ESSIJAH HARRISON in Surry County, North Carolina, in 1772! See page 1 of this report. Isaiah Jr. was born in 1689, would then be age 83. This could be an Isaiah III. I note that when Surry was created, it was taken out of Rowan County. When Wilkes was created, it was on the border of Surry County but, apparently, no part of Surry was taken to create Wilkes County. But on page 1, when Jo White Linn made the statement that Isaiah, Joseph, Thomas, and John Stewart were in that part of Rowan, that was to become Wilkes County, she may have meant the general area, as judged by whoever was taking the tax list at that time.
She points out that in CAROLINA CRADLE, it told about William Harrison, lawyer of the Trading Camp Settlement (mentioned on the middle of page 3.) by April of 1752. She also noted at the same time there were John and David Hampton, both from Maryland and New Jersey, and that it tells about a Joseph Harrison, who married on June 30, 1762----presumably the son of William. I saw an original deed, framed and on display in a museum in Salisburg of Joseph Harrison’s. Presumably, this same Joseph Harrison (who died long before there was a Joseph Harrison in Buncombe county).
THE WALTON WAR by Cal Carpenter , 1979. This is about the fracas in the area of the NC/SC/GA border area. Apparently, no state wanted to claim this forsaken bit of land, at least not until 1811. The fight was between North Carolina and Georgia. At that time the office holders of Walton County, were Georgia officials and it was reluctantly considered to be a part of Georgia. This was near what is now Brevard in Transylvania County, North Carolina. The area had been called the "orphan strip", along the upper French Broad River, in the Smoky Mountains. Since this area had no government for some time (and no one to tax them), it became a haven for outlaws and refugees from the law, in addition to the settlers. South Carolina refused to take them in 1800. They had earlier ceded this to the US in 1787, along with other land. A petition about 1799, about this land, said that there was 50 families living permanently in the area, most without title to their land. This was signed by Matthew Patterson (see p. 6), among others. This petition was to the Federal Government, and sought annexation by SC. Very shortly there was a population of about 800 (refugees and outlaws swarmed into the area, but, they came and went since there was little for them to prey on except each other). This was a strip was 12 miles wide. Many of those who had land grants got them from NC. In 1802, as part of the ceding by Ga. of what was to become Alabama to the Federal Government for $1,2500,000. GA agreed to take the orphan strip. They instituted some government and the settlers were happy. In 1805 NC decided that the original survey had been flawed and that the Federals had no right to give it to GA.NC was right, but, they did not attempt to prove their case. Committees, bureaus, etc. got into the act. A committee met in Asheville in 1807, and decided to resurvey the line. They did so and decided that the land in question was within Buncombe County, of NC. GA refused to vacate their officials. In 1810 NC sent in their militia to remove the GA office holders and arrest them. NC won that one. GA supporters gathered together and fought another engagement. Some were killed. About 25 GA officials and their supporters were taken as prisoners and hauled to Morgantown, the closest jail, about 80 miles away in Burke County. Perhaps there were other skirmishes and sniping going on, but so few records exist that most information is lost. This area became part of Henderson County, when it was formed in 1838, and then it was part of Jackson County, when it was formed in 1851, and then Transylvania County, when it was created in 1861.....This is of interest to me since the Allersons/Orrs were there from Mecklenburg, and there is the report that Rev. Nathan Thomas Harrison reared his family in Walton County, GA. But there were two Walton Counties. This "orphan strip" was the first Walton County, of GA, but later, considerably to the east, was created the 2nd Walton County. There are many descendants of Rev. Nathan in the 2nd Walton County, but we have found no evidence that he was ever there, though there are a number of statements of family that they were born in GA and/or NC. ??.
I have a book somewhere, but I cannot find it. It is about Macon County, NC and was written by Rev. C. D. Smith of Buncombe County, who had rather wide ranging interests in the mountains, because he was also a Ginseng buyer and seller. This very little book written long ago has its central theme a border dispute, and if I remember correctly, Rev. Smith demonstrated that a part of Macon County as it is now, was never a part of Buncombe County or NC. I do not know whether this is involved with the same "orphan strip".
LETTER FROM JULIA GARLAND of Otto, NC. She has innumerable relationships with my wife, Frances.....it seems that she has just about all the same ancestors as Frances does---except the Harrisons. When she finds a Harrison ancestor, we will have a very talented genealogist working with us! She does have Hampton ancestry and has recently been accumulating much
about the Hamptons of Buncombe County. I am amazed how many there are, but she has not made a connection with the Hamptons of THE VENTURERS, nor of the Hamptons of General Hampton of Rutherford and Watauga Counties of NC, who are supposed to be a different line.
She sent an article from HENDERSON COUNTY HERITAGE about George Bingham Greer. (I mentioned because the Griers/Greers of Mecklenburg had LGT Harrison and Hood ancestry. He was the progenitor of the Greers of Henderson County. He was born in 1755 in Ireland and came to PA and then to NC. They lived on Mud Creek of Henderson by 1794, not far from Flat Rock. He was a 25% owner of the Buncombe Turnpike from Buncombe Courthouse to Saluda Gap (on the border of SC). The other owners were Samuel Murry, Jr., James Kuykendall and Amos Justice, and their charter was granted in 1809. He died in 1814. One of his descendants married into the James Johnson family (who is likely a relative of mine) and another married into the family of the famous Waightstill Avery, Attorney General of NC and large property owner of Buncombe when it was still Burke County. He lived at Swan Ponds, Burke County. A later descendant married into the Orr family. (Incidentally, Amos Justice, above, was involved with the Walton County War, as one of the arbiters, and mentioned in the book above).
At the bottom of page 2, I mentioned the 8 year old query about Samuel Stewart who married Lydia Harrison. I wrote and received an answer, though from Leva Kempton, instead of Alma Green. Eight years ago Mrs. Green put in the query, but did it for Leva Kempton. She says that this is the only answer she has received in that 8 years! They are close friends. She also says that she has done little genealogy in those 8 years, but she is familiar with the book SETTLERS BY THE LONG GREY TRAIL. And she is resuming genealogy now that she has ordered a computer. She does have a little on her Stewart line. Samuel is evidently the grandson of John Stewart of New York, and he was married to an Italian. Elizabeth Alburtis, daughter of an Italian sea merchant. One problem is that John Stewart died young and Elizabeth remarried and the connection cannot be made as to which son was Samuel’s father. No one seems to have any proof that Lydia was Isaiah Harrison’s daughter, but they assume that to be true. I suspect the question should also include the possibility that Lydia may have married Samuel Stewart Jr., instead of Samuel Sr., and would therefore, be of a later age group more suitable to be the daughter of Isaiah Harrison Jr., instead of Isaiah Sr.
On page 5, next to the last paragraph, I referred to Tressie Nealy, hunting for Thomas Harrison and his wife Margaret Gilbreath, who married around 1801, in Buncombe County, and moved to St. Clair County, Ill. I wrote her and she has responded. She knows little about the Harrisons, but has referred me to Gail Shanta of Sioux Falls, who is also descended from Rev. Thomas Harrison, Jr. and Margaret Gilbreath. I will write....Mrs. Nealy says that she suspects, but can not prove that Joseph Gilbreath, father of Margaret, was from PA., through VA to NC. There was another Joseph Gilbreath who made his will in Mecklenburg, NC in 1795. He owned considerable land, but none on Long Creek. "There is surely a connection between these two Josephs, but I haven’t found it yet." Her Joseph died by October the 4th, of 1787, intestate in Mecklenburg amd married to Martha _____?, who remarried John Walker 29 June 1793, in Mecklenburg. Parents of Martha_______? and Joseph are unknown. Their Children:
Ms. Nealy also sent several deeds of Mecklenburg and of Buncombe, though not particularly important to us. One shows the properity of Hugh Gilbreath, and that he sold it in 1804 to John Harris, on the south fork of Turkey Creek, Valentine Thrash’s corner Buncomb. (Rev. Nathan Thomas Harrison was a witness to Col. Valentine Thrash’s Revolutionary War Pension application. Col. Thrash was a member of Newfound Baptist Church and from the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia). In her article she has more details of these land transactions. These Galbraiths, then living in Buncombe County, sold their Mecklenburg land on Long Creek in 1803. That land had been purchased in 1779. They were in St. Clair, Ill. by 1810, but by 1820, James had moved to Lawrence County, in the Arkansas Territory (parent County of Independence County and was a Justice of the Peace. By 1850, he was living in Hunt County, Texas, then by 1856 he died in Hopkins County, of Texas. Where he was living in the home of his children.
I am enclosing FANTASY FAMILY GROUP SHEET on Thomas Harrison and Eleanor______?. Though this material is hardly ready for making a real family group sheet, I thought it would be good to have, as a brief summary for new correspondents, such as Tressie Nealy and Gail Shanta--so labeled "Fantasy" to decry its accuracy.
Transcribed by Ellen Robertson - many thanks to Ellen!
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