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Facts and Events
Every family tree I've seen has this Samuel Harris as the son of Lt. Arthur Harris of the Maryland Continental Line. This is not correct.
Lt. Arthur Harris of the Maryland Line was not married and had no children, according to a pension application of Arthur's sister, Rebecca Ireland Harris Murray Ward. A transcription of this pension application can be seen here: http://tinyurl.com/bkz85c
These same trees have Arthur Harris, alleged father of Samuel as dying in 1800. Lt. Arthur Harris of the Maryland Line died in 1788.
Perhaps Samuel's father was named Arthur Harris -- and descendants merely assumed that he was Lt. Arthur Harris.
I've yet to find any proof of Samuel's father.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Marriages and Deaths, 1820 to 1830, Abstracted from Extant Georgia Newspapers.
Mary Bondurant Warren, with Sarah Fleming White, Marriages and Deaths, 1820 to 1830, Abstracted from Extant Georgia Newspapers, Heritage Papers, Danielsville, GA, ® 1972 by Mary Bondurant Warren.
- Hancock Co., GA, Will & Estate Records
Vol. M, 4 Jan 1830.
Will of Samuel Harris. Hancock County, GA, Will & Estate Records, Vol. M (1827-1831), pp. 518-520. Photocopied from microfilm (Drawer 108, Box 20), Georgia Department of Archives.
- The will of Samuel Harris (written 8 September 1829; recorded 4 Jan 1830, Hancock Co., GA) names:
my son Myles G. Harris -- all my land lying east of the Sparta (road?) on which he now lives running north to the mill tract and bounding on Smith’s (?) land, the mills (My note -- to Myles and son in law Wm. P. Ford)
the orphans of my son Peterson Harris decd -- the mill tract of land, 96 acres in the fork of the creek bought of Wilkins Smith as the dower of Rebecca Smith his wife, $5,000. [My note - all the children of Peterson Harris were underage and/or unmarried.]
my son in law Wm P Ford -- the mills (My note - to Wm. P. Ford and Myles Harris)
my grand daughter Mary Ann Harris -- slaves and furniture. He also wants her to be sent to school next year at his expense. [My note - Mary Ann Harris is the daughter of Henry Harris & Samuel Harris’ daughter, Mary Elizabeth Harris.]
my daughter Sarah Rosser -- slave. “I also give her two notes of one thousand __ each made by her decd husband David Rosser which I now hold."
my grand son Benjamin Tarpley Harris -- slave. [My note - Benjamin Tarpley Harris is the son of Henry Harris & Samuel Harris’ daughter, Mary Elizabeth Harris.]
my grand son Samuel Harris -- slave. [My note - grandson Samuel Harris is the son of Henry Harris & Samuel Harris’ daughter, Mary Elizabeth Harris.]
John Slaton [no relationship given] -- slave, $100 [My note - John Slaton married Nancy Harris, daughter of Henry Harris & Samuel Harris’ daughter, Mary Elizabeth Harris.]
Dixon Hall junr of Alabama [no relationship given] -- $400 [My note - Dixon Hall married Elizabeth Harris, daughter of Henry Harris & Samuel Harris’ daughter, Mary Elizabeth Harris.]
my grand son Harris Rosser -- all the Hargroves tract of land and that part of __ tract adj. the other beginning at a gate and __ __ on to Absalom Harris place.
"I wish the Abercrombie tract of land to be sold and the money to be equally divided between my children Sarah Rosser, Myles G. Harris and Julia Ann Ford." They also receive the residue.
Executors: "my sons Myles G. Harris and William P. Ford"
Witnesses: David ___, Alexander Harwell, David Lilly
- Samuel Harris supposedly married Julia Peterson, Nancy Evans and Elizabeth Miles (according to legend). Based on obituaries, it appears Samuel married Nancy UNKNOWN when he was about 27 (so it’s entirely possible he could have had previous wife/wives) and Nancy was the mother of 4 (if not all) of the children named in his will.
The Hancock Advertiser, Sparta & Mt. Zion, GA, 10 Aug 1829: "Harris, Mrs. Nancy, 56 1/2 y, m. to Samuel Harris Sr. for 38 years, for the last 25 years was a very active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. She d. 8-5-1829." [Source: Mary Bondurant Warren, with Sarah Fleming White, Marriages and Deaths, 1820 to 1830, Abstracted from Extant Georgia Newspapers, ® 1972 by Mary Bondurant Warren, Heritage Papers, Danielsville, GA. P. 56.]
The Hancock Advertiser, Sparta & Mt. Zion, GA, 7 Dec 1829: "Harris, Mr. Samuel, 67 y, d. 11-29-1829 in Hancock Co." [Source: Mary Bondurant Warren, with Sarah Fleming White, Marriages and Deaths, 1820 to 1830, Abstracted from Extant Georgia Newspapers, ® 1972 by Mary Bondurant Warren, Heritage Papers, Danielsville, GA. P. 57.]
Some thoughts:
1. Since Samuel Harris is referred to as "Sr." in Nancy Harris' obit, apparently there was another Samuel Harris in Hancock Co. at the same time. The other Samuel Harris might have been the son of Elisha Harris (Elisha d. c. 1811, Hancock Co., GA). There was also a Samuel Harris whose daughter, Missouri, married Brinkley Babb in 1834, Hancock Co., GA. These last 2 Samuel Harrises might be the same person; I haven’t done the research to know.
2. There was a Samuel Harris, with wife Nancy, in Hancock Co., as early as 1799 -- Hancock Co., GA, DB E, p. 255, 2 Mar 1799: Samuel Harris and Nancy his wife of Hancock Co. to Robert Newsom of same. $560. 150 acres on the waters of Beaverdam, adj. John Swinney’s land and by William Giles. Wit: Nathl. Robertson, John Coulter, JP.
3. Since my Samuel Harris' will was written 8 September 1829 and recorded 4 Jan 1830, Hancock Co., GA, I'm pretty sure the above obit belongs with my Samuel.
4. We have the following time line:
5 Aug 1829 - Nancy Harris dies.
8 Sep 1829 - Samuel Harris writes his will (and doesn't name a wife).
29 Nov 1829 - Samuel Harris dies.
5. I've seen the unsubstantiated secondary sources that have my Samuel married to (1) Julia Peterson, (2) Nancy Evans, (3) Elizabeth Miles. Given the death dates, I can't envision that Samuel Harris had a wife after Nancy, and since Nancy and Samuel married c. 1790, Nancy would have been the mother of:
(a) Mary Elizabeth Harris (b. 18 Feb 1792, per Bible record).
(b) Myles Green Harris (b. 29 Nov 1803, per Bible record).
(c) Julia Harris (b. abt 1810 per obituary)
I don't have birth dates for Samuel Harris’s other children: Peterson Harris and Sarah Harris.
I'm guessing that Peterson Harris was born aft. 1796. He was underage, apparently, when Samuel Harris was appointed guardian for him in 1817 -- Hancock Co., Ga, Court of Ordinary Minutes 1799-1817, p. 736, 6 Jan 1817: “Ordered that Samuel Harris be and he is hereby appointed guardian over the property of his son Peterson Harris a minor .” [My note - I’m inferring from this that someone (a grandfather, perhaps?) died and left Peterson Harris property - so it was necessary that a guardian be appointed for the property’s management.]
Sarah Harris married David Rosser in 1808. Assuming she was at least 13 years when she married, that would give her a birth year of 1795 or earlier.
It appears, based on the above dates, that Nancy was the mother of 4 of the 5 HARRIS children (if not all of them).
Also, Samuel Harris was born about 1763 and married when he was about 27, according to the obituaries. He could easily have had a wife or wives prior to Nancy, but, with the possible exception of Samuel’s daughter, Sarah, I don’t think any such wife (if she exists) could have been the mother of the children named in Samuel’s will.
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