Harris Family of Lunenburg, Massachusetts
Some Descendants of William and Elizabeth (Longford) Harris of Lunenburg, Massachusetts

The following information was copied from a manuscript at the former Public Library in Lunenburg, Massachusetts, entitled History of Lunenburg, Massachusetts, Vol. II, p. 351, by Mr. Cunningham, dated 1898.  My connection to this line was through Mary Harris, my great-great grandmother, who married Leonard Cole.  The man who sent me this information found no table which explained Cunninham’s code for the foot­note notations, but he believed the “(S)” after some of the dates indicated that the person died in the “same place” mentioned earlier in the paragraph, and the “numbers followed by a letter refer to other people listed in his manuscript of three volumes.”  He also found some conflicting information as to the name of the wife of Daniel Harris, Sr. in a book entitled The White Family Genealogy, Vol. III, p. 553, 1905.  It says, among other things, that Daniel Harris' wife was Nancy Thurston, not Nancy Elder, and this could be true as there were several men named Daniel Harris living the Lancaster-Lunenburg area about the same time.  Also the number of children attributed to Lyman and Theresa (Smith) Harris below appears to be wrong based on this same White Genealogy because it states he and Theresa Smith had 11 children, not just 8.
Note:  The aforementioned book, “The White Family Genealogy,” has the complete title of:  Genealogy of the Descendants of John White of Wenham and Lancaster, Massachusetts by Almira Larkin White (1839-  ), published in Haverhill, Mass., Chase Brothers, Printers, 1900-09, in 4 volumes.
Updated:  6 June 2016.
HARRIS FAMILY

(62) William Harris

Born in England 1747, married Elizabeth Longford born in England 1750. They were married in England and came to this country and to this town in 1776 or '77. They lived on the southern slope of Flat Hill, near the head of the present Shirley Reservoir. He died 10 October 1800, 53 (S). She died at her daughter's in South Reading 4 Jan 1819, 70 (S). Children born in Lunenburg:
  1. Daniel born (See 63).

  2. Elizabeth born, married 21 June 1798 (Z.A.) Aaron Coudry of Reading a brother of Ezra Coudry (195C). They lived in South Reading where she died. He died in S.R. Children:

    1. James
    2. Harris, a physician
    3. Aaron, Jr.
    4. Eliza
    5. Sarah
    6. Almira
    7. Henrietta

  3. William, Jr. born (See 67)

  4. Mary born, married John Henry, Jr. (See 174H)

  5. Thomas born, died 19 June 1791 (S)

(63) Daniel Harris

(Son of 62) born, married (Intent published 7 Nov 1800) Nancy Elder of Lancaster. They lived on Flat Hill. Both O.B.C. and she was baptized 3 June 1804. They removed to Leominster, where he died 1854. She died in Leominster 1853. [Note:  There is also a record of their intent to marry and date of marriage in the book, Birth, Marriage and Death Register, Church Records and Epitaphs of Lancaster, Massachusetts 1643-1850, published 1890, pp. 151, 164, where it says the intent was dated “November 2, 1800” and they were married on “1801 Jany. 1” by Nathaniel Thayer.]  Children:

  1. Daniel, Jr. born 20 March 1801 baptized 13 Sept. 1813 married in Worcester. They went to the West where he died. One child.

  2. Nancy, born 1 March 1802, bapt. 3 June 1804, married 2 Jan 1827 (D.D.) Elijah Knowles of Worcester. He died. She m. (2d) homas Snow and was living in 1867 in Leominster. No children by either.

  3. James, b. 20 March 1805, bapt. 13 Sept. 1813 (See 64).

  4. Thomas, b. Nov. 18, 1803 (?) bapt. 3 June 1804, d. 21 May 1807, 3 (S).

  5. Son, b. Mar. 21, 1807.

  6. Sarah, b. 27 Oct. 1809, bapt. 13 Sept. 1815, m. Sawyer Carter of Fitchburg. Living in 1867 in Rutland. One daughter:

    1. Elvira, b. m. Skinner, lives in Leominster.

  7. Lyman, b. 17 Dec. 1810, bapt. 13 Sept. 1813, m. Theresa Smith. Living in 1870 in Leominster. 8 children. [Their names were not given in record I received from the Leominister Historical Society, but got them from a book.  See below.]

    The following was copied from the book Genealogy of the Descendants of John White of Wenham and Lancaster, Massachusetts 1638-1905 by Almira Larkin White of Haverhill, Mass., published in 1905, Vol. III, pp. 553 and 556-58:

    “THERESA A. Smith (26083) b. in Leominster, Mass., Mar. 7, 1825; m. in Leominster, Nov. 17, 1844, Lyman, son of Daniel and Nancy (Thurston) Harris, b. in Lunenburg, Jan. 7, 1811.  They lived in Leominster, where he d. Jan. 11, 1892. Children:

    26120.  Helen Maria Harris,8 b. Mar. 21, 1845; d. May 3, 1847.

    26121.  Theresa A. Harris,8 b. Leominster, Nov. 26, 1846; m. Oliver J. Putnam in Leominster, Apr. 8, 1872, 1 ch.

    26122.  Lucia Ann Harris,8 b. Sept. 30, 1848; d. Oct. 29, 1869.

    26123.  Leonard M. Harris,8 b. Oct. 30, 1850; m. Sarah Foskett in Fitchburg, Sep. 27, 1871; 4 ch.

    26124.  Martha E. Harris,8 b. Jan. 3, 1852; d. Oct. 23, 1869.

    26125.  Francis A. Harris,8 b. Nov. 23, 1854, m. Ella Ballou, Apr. 5, 1876, in Lunenburg; 6 ch.

    26126.  Lyman C. Harris,8 b. Apr. 5, 1857.

    26127.  Ada A. Harris,8 b. Oct. 3, 1859; m. Walter J. Metcalf, Nov. 15, 1879 in Fitchburg; 2 ch.

    26128.  Nancy E. Harris,8 b. Feb. 3, 1862; m. George E. Bearce, Dec. 3, 1883, in Leominster; 1 ch.

    26129.  Clinton A. Harris,8 b. May 28, 1864; m. Eva A. Rice, June 1, 1887 in Leominster, 2 ch.; m. (2) Isabelle Hayes, Oct. 11, 1896, 1 ch.

    26130.  Charles W. Harris,8 b. Nov. 23, 1866; m. Hattie McKenney, Jan. 30, 1890, in Leominster, 7 ch.

  8. Thomas Gates, b. 29 May 1812, bapt. 13 Sept. 1813, m. 27 Nov. 1832 (S.B.) his cousin, Pamelia Harkness Henry (174H) b. 30 August 1812. She died in Fitchburg. He m. (2d) Mary Pierce of Leominster, where he was living in 1868. 8 children.

  9. Mary, b. 29 Feb. 1815, as recorded, but 1815 was not a leap year, m. 12 Sept. 1836 (C.V.) Leonard Cole of Milbury. She d. in Leominster. 4 children.

    [Note:  Leonard and Mary (Harris) Cole had 7 children, but 2 of them died young, so the 4 children mentioned here is in error.]

  10. Jonas C. b. 14 May 1817, m. Ingalls. She d. 1 son. He m. (2d) He obtained a divorce from her and m. (3d) in Fitchburg, 5 Nov. 1868 Emma M. Willis, b. in Fitchburg, dau. of Samuel and Cynthia (Hudson) Willis. He is a physician living in 1874 in Cambridge. Children:

    1. ______ [Harris], grad. Harvard College.”

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