Person:John Harper (63)

Records

From Revolutionary War Pension file of John Hudson, father of John Irby Hudson:

The deposition of Matthew Manning Esq (of lawful age) who being first duly sworn upon the Holy Evangelist of Almighty God deposeth and saith that he knew Capt. John Hudson. That Capt. John Hudson was always considered an Officer in the Revolutionary war. That said Capt Hudson married Mary Smith and had several children by her, and died sometime about the year 1790 leaving his widow Mary Hudson and three children, to wit: Wm. Smith Hudson, Elizabeth Bressie Hudson and Jno Irby Hudson. This deponent further deposes that the said Wm. Smith Hudson and Elizabeth Bressie Hudson died many years ago without issue, leaving their mother Mary Hudson and their brother John Irby Hudson. This deponent further saith that the said John I. Hudson married Catharine Lanier and had a child called Wm. Smith Hudson Jr, and died leaving is mother Mary Hudson and his widow Catharine Hudson, and his son Wm. Smith Hudson Jr. That said Catharine Hudson, and his son Wm. Smith Hudson Jr. that said Catharine Hudson afterwards married John Harper and had two children, to wit: Marshall Harper and Emaline Harper. this deponent further saith that Mary Hudson the widow of Capt. John Hudson departed this life leaving her grandson Wm. Smith Hudson Jr. her sole heir at law, and that said Wm. Smith Hudson Jr. died in the your 1824 leaving his mother Catharine Harper, and Marshall and Emaline Harper, the brother & sister of the half blood, his heirs at law. That said Marshall Harper in the year 1825 died leaving his mother Catharine Harper and his sister Emmaline Harper and his father the said John Harper. That in the year 1827 the said Catharine Harper died leaving her husband the said John Harper & her daughter the said Emmaline Harper. Further this deponent saith not.

M. Manning [8 Jan 1830]

From Senate Documents, Volume 252, United States Senate, Feb. 12, 1868:

Mr. Grimes presented the etitiou of Cincinnatus W. Harper and Clarence C. Harper, heirs-at-law of John Harper, praying compensation for the use and occupation of their land, in the county of Norfolk, Virginia, by the United States for hospital and navy yard purposes; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

1.   United States. 1850 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication M432).

   1850 U.S. Census Population Schedule
   Name: John Harper
   Age: 63
   Birth Year: abt 1787
   Home in 1850: Portsmouth, Norfolk, Virginia, USA
   Gender: Male
   Family Number: 29
   Household Members: Name Age
   Wm Williams 57 [s/b omitted, there is no Wm. Williams living in this household on the actual Census record]
   John Harper 63
   Emeline Harper 27
   Jno O Harper 17
   Concenatus Harper 14
   Clara Harper 15
   Mary Brown 18

2.   Stewart, William H. History of Norfolk County, Virginia, and representative citizens. (Tucson, Arizona: W.C. Cox Co., 1974)
   pg. 438.

   In 1832 a correspondence was commenced by John Harper, who had obtained from the State of Virginia, under date of November 13, 1832, a grant of such portions of Second, Fayette, Nelson and Jefferson streets as were included in the newly added portions of the yard, and were described as "waste and abandoned lands", and which he had caused to be surveyed after it was not only in the possession of the government of the United States, but actually enclosed, as was certified to be the surveyor himself. Mr. Harper now desired the Navy Department to purchase the title.
   
   The Department, of course, declined to consider the proposal on the 27th of February, 1833, an Act was passed by the General Assembly of Virginia authorizing the trustees of the town or Portsmouth to convey the title of the property in question to the United States upon payment of its value, and also ceding to the United States the jurisdiction of all lands recently purchased. The ground contained in the streets was assessed at $4,779, and was duly conveyed to the government in 1833, by the trustees of Portsmouth, on the payment of that sum: there being some informality in the deed, however, a new conveyance was made in May, 1837.
   
   In accordance with the further provisions of the Act of the 27th of February 1833, above referred to, Governor Littleton W. Tazewell, by deed of April 1, 1835, conveyed to the United States the jurisdiction of all lands recently added to the Navy Yard as well of that purchased in 1826 near Fort Nelson, and upon which the Naval Hospital was afterward erected, under conditions that should the government at any time, for the space of five years, fail to use the property for the purpose specified, the jurisdiction should revert to the State of Virginia, and also providing that the officers of the State should at no time be prevented from executing within the limits of the property any process whatsoever.
   
   Mr. Harper continued to press his claim until 1839, when the last of his letters is dated.