Captain John Harrison

Memorial Of Captain John Harrison Loyalist Claims -
Public Records Office - London, England

Note: A verbatim transcript, with added information for clarification appearing in [brackets].

Page numbers appear in (parentheses).

(459) To the Commissioners appointed by Act of Parliament for inquiring into the Losses and Services of the American Loyalists.

The Memorial of John Harrison, late Capt. in the South Carolina Provincial Regiment -- Sheweth --

• That your Memorialist activated by Principles of Loyalty and attachment to His Majesty^–s Person and Government and of abhorrence to the unnatural Rebellion took up Arms in the defense of that Royal Cause
• That his Conduct in the discharge of his duty as a Loyal Man rendered him obnoxious to the Rebels and in consequence thereof your Memorialist suffered a Loss of Property (as stated in the annexed schedule) in the Province of South Carolina. To the Amount of £1770 Stg. [1770 Pounds Sterling].
• Your Memorialist therefore prays that his Case may be taken into your Consideration in Order that your Memorialist may be inabled (sic, enabled) under your Report to receive such Aid or Relief as his Losses&Services may be found to deserve.
• And your Memst. will ever pray.

St. Augustine [British East Florida], 3d Octr. 1783

(460) East Florida Valuation and Appraisement of the Property of John Harrison, Capt. of the South Carolina Royalists now residg. [residing] in East Florida late of Craven County, South Carolina lost by Part he took to support the British Government in the late War with the revolted Colonies in North America, vitz:

• 200 Acres of Land on which he resided with Buildings, Orchards and otherwise well improved in Saint Charles Parish on Lynches Creek [valued at] 200 £ [Pounds].
• 150 Acres of Land on said Creek 50 of which is Cleared -- 225 £.
• 250 Acres of Land on said Creek uncultivated -- 125 £.
• 250 Acres of Land in St. David^–s Parish on the Great Cypress 40 of which has been cultivated -- 125 £.
• 250 Acres of Land in said Parish uncultivated -- 125 £.
• 2 Lots of Land in the Village of Camden -- 80 £.
• 7 Grown Negroes, young and likely @ 50 £[each] -- 350 £.
• 150 head of Neat Cattle -- 300 £.
• 7 head of Horses @ 15 £[each] -- 105 £.
• 200 head of Hogs -- 100
• 1 Eighty-Gallon Still -- 20 £.
• 200 Bushells of Indian Corn -- 15 £.

(461) May 11th 1786 - Evidence on the foregoing Memorial of John Harrison The Claimant Sworn

A Native of Virginia resided in the District of Camden, when the Troubles commenced, as a planter upon his own Estate soon after the Declaration of Independence he was called upon to take the State Oath, but did not do it, says in the year 1775 he had the Assocn. [Association] tendered to him and he signed it because he understood that it was for nothing more than to establish a Correspondence at home for the repeal of [long blank space, nothing written] he used to muster with the Americans and bore arms but was never with any party in Opposition to the King^–s Troops. On (462) his refusing to take the Oath he was obliged to quit his Plantation and secret himself.

Says he joined the British Troops at Savannah in January 1779, in the course of a few days he was employed by Genl. Patterson to carry Intelligence to the Loyalists in the Country and to hold himself in readiness to join the King^–s Army. In June 1780 Lord Cornwallis gave him a Commission as Major Commandant of the South Carolina Rangers - He says his Men were drafted from him in Octr. 1781 into a Troop of Dragoons of which he had the Command - was given to him by Gl. [General] Leslie.

He continued serving with this Troop during the War, on the Evacuation of Charles Town [South Carolina], he went down to St. Augustine [British East Florida]. He receives half pay as a Captain and he is in hopes of getting half pay as a Major - He raised from the 4th June 1780 to Octr. 1783 full 300 Men. The remains of them were drafted into the South Carolina Loyalists - Says he had two Brothers murdered by the Rebels while they were under the small pox on the 14th Decr. 1780 on Account of the part Claimant took they were at a (463) Gentleman^–s House near Camden.

He has no allowance from the Treasury. Means to go to the Bahama Islands with his Family now with him in England.

Property - Says his Deeds were burnt by the Enemy - they set fire to his house in Octr. 1780 - he had left them there to the Care of his family.

• 200 Acres of Land in Saint Charles Parish on Lynches Creek - He purchased this Land in 1774 from one Wm. Jones, he gave about 7 £ pr. Acre Str. [Sterling] - in Goods and Cash there was no Improvement on it when he purchased it was half a Mile from Lynches Creek. He built a Log House in the year and afterwards he built another it was a Plank House - there were about 40 or 50 Acres Cleared when he left his house - he thinks the Buildings&Improvements cost him £100 Str. [100 Pounds Sterling] - believes he could have sold it for that -
• 150 Acres on the same Creek - Says his father gave it to him about (464) the year 1772 - he had a regular conveyance from his Father who is now living in South Carolina, abt [about] 70 years old, his Father took no part on Account of his Age - he is sure his Father have not saved any part of his Property from him - This Tract was about 2 Miles from the other, twas rich Indigo Land - he cleared about 50 Acres - says his Father took this Land not long before he gave it to Claimant -
• The whole of the 50 Acres was planted with Indigo. He values this Tract at 30 £ pr. Acre Sterling - He was offered 20 £ pr. Acre for it before the War and before they were Cleared.
• 250 Acres on same Creek - He purchased this from James McMannos in 1773 - gave what he thinks stood him in 5/6 pr. Acre for them - he laid out nothing on this Land, no Improvemt. [Improvement].
• 250 Acres in St. David^–s Parish - He purchased this from Charles McCaul in Decr. 1774 they were near his own Lands, there were about 40 Acres Cultivated before he bought it, he made no Improvements himself - He gave (465) McCaul the Amount of £100 [100 Pounds, English Currency] in Horses, gave 10 Horses worth £70 and the rest in Money. Value this at 10 £ pr. Acre.
• 250 Acres in the same Parish - He purchased this at the time he bought McCaul^–s from one William Jones, stood him in about 3 £ pr. Acre Str. [Sterling], they are uncultivated, he had been at no Expense, Value them at what they cost - tho^–s Charges them at 10 £ in the Schedule.
• 2 Lots of Land in the Village of Camden - He purchased them of the Proprietor about the year 1773, paid £170 Currency [Colonial Paper Money] for one Lot and £190 Currency for the other - They are valued at £80 Sterling - Very good Building Lots.
• 7 Negroes - 5 Men and two Women, they were all working Negroes, when the Americans burnt his House, some were carried off by them, he sent others to work in the River [St. John^–s at St. Augustine], who were afterwards taken by the Americans, they are totally lost to him.
• Says he had 150 head of Cattle he left (466) then on his Plantn. [Plantation] they were taken by the Americans - values them at 40 £ pr. head. Before the War he thinks they would have sold for about 23 or 24 £ pr. Head.
• He had 7 Horses - values them at £15 pr. Head - He paid 70 Guineas for one of them.
• Says he had 200 Hogs - values them at 10 £ Sterling.
• An 80 Gallon Still which he values at £20 Str. [20 Pounds Sterling].
• Says the 200 Bushells of Corn was in the Ground - values it at 2/6 pr. Bushell.

Says he has no proofs of the Confiscation or Sale of his Property - he thinks it has been Confiscated and he has heard twas in the possession of sevl. [several] people who have suffered by the British Army. Says there was no Incumbrance on his Property - Has no Debts to State - He is desired to procure Proofs of the Confiscation of his Property.

Coll. [Colonel] John Hamilton sworn - Says the first time he saw Claimant was immediately after the Siege of Savannah in 1779 - he came with Intelligence to Genl. [General] Prevost and brot. [brought] (467) about 200 Men to Cambden [sic, Camden] to the Army in June 1780 - Confirms the Claimant having got the Commn. [Commission] from Lord Cornwallis - Says the Claimant from his joining the Army behaved in a very proper Manner and as a spirited Loyalist.

Says he was on the Land on which Claimt. [Claimant] lived in the year 1780 there was a good Crop of Corn - it appeared to be much Cultivated - there was a frame House&Buildgs. [Buildings] thinks the Charge of 20 £ an Acre a moderate one - Says he saw Negroes on the Plantation but can^–t say how many there were Cattle and Swine - a good deal of Indian Corn growing on the Plantation.

Says the Claimant was always deemed a very Loyal Man and useful keeping the Country quiet - that he had great influence with the People and a Man of very good Character - Lord Cornwallis had a very high opinion of Claimant.

Nichs. [Nicholas] Welsh sworn - Says Claimant was first acquainted with him in Georgia after the Siege of Savannah - believes from the time he knew him he was very useful and a very Loyal Man - Knew the Plantation (468) Claimant lived on - was on it several Times - There was good Cultivation on it - thinks it was worth 20 or 20 £ pr. Acre.

He saw Negroes and Stock of every kind on the Plantation - can^–t say how many Negroes there were.

Claimant again - Says that he don^–t know of any person in England from the same part of the Country that can speak to his Property.

James Carey sworn - Knows nothing of the Claimants Property, but believes he cannot return to America with safety.

Wm. Moore sworn - Knows nothing of the Claimants Property, nor whether it had been confiscated.

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