Person:George Harrison (48)

George Harrison's origins have yet to be established.^[4] His first confirmed sighting is on 5th November 1694, when he married Sarah Wood at Flintham in Nottinghamshire. They appear to have had a daughter called Elizabeth shortly after their marriage (probably at Flintham, where both the parish registers and Bishop's Transcripts have a gap in the mid 1690s) before moving a few miles south to the parish of Granby, where they went on to have another eight children baptised between 1697 and 1713.

George worked as a cordwainer (shoemaker). In 1717 he took on an apprentice named Edward Hardall who was from Flintham.

George's wife Sarah and daughter Sarah both died at around the same time, being buried on consecutive days in June 1728.

On 29th November 1731 George married again. His second wife was Elizabeth Wright. They were married for just under two years. She died in 1733.

George appears to have outlived six of his nine children as well as both his wives. He wrote his will on 15th September 1744. He left bequests to his children, and for the children of his daughters Catherine and Sarah who had died. He also left money to his nephew Thomas Harrison and a 'kinsman' John Harrison. In his will George described himself as "sick and weak in body", and indeed he appears to have died soon afterwards; he was buried at Granby ten days later on 25th September 1744.

1. ↑ Nottinghamshire Family History Society. Nottinghamshire Burials Database.

   bur. 25 Sep 1744, Granby: George Harrison

2.   Will of George Harrison, cordwainer of Granby, written 15 Sep 1744, proved 18 Feb 1744/5, in Nottinghamshire, England. Nottingham Deanery Wills
   PR/NW.
   Will
   In the Name of God Amen I George Harrison of Granby in the County of Nottingham Cordwainer being Sick and Weak in body but of Sound and Disboseing Mind and Memory Praise be Almighty God for the Same Do make and ordain This my Last Will and Testament in manner Following First of all I Will that all my Just Debts and Funeral Expences be fully paid of and Discharged Also I Give and Bequeath to My Daughter Elisabeth's Children which she had by Henry Bonsall the sum of Eight Pounds of Lawful Money of Great Brittain to be Equally Divided amongst them I Give and Bequeath also to my Daughter Hannah Hopewells Children the sum of eight Pounds of Lawful Money of Great Brittain to be Equally Divided amongst them I Also Give and Bequeath to the Children of my Late Deceased Daughter Catherine Tales the Sum of Five Pounds to be Equally Divided amongst them when they shall severally attain the age of Fourteen Years I also Give and bequeath to my Grandson George Town the sum of Five Pounds of Lawful Money of Great Brittain to be paid him when he shall Attain the Age of Eighteen Years I Also Give and Bequeath to my Kinsman John Harrison the sum of Two Pounds Two shillings I Also Give and Bequeath to my Nephew Thomas Harrison the sum of One Guinea I Also Give and Bequeath to My Two Daughters Elisabeth Brittain and Hannah Hopewell Each of them the sum of One shilling All the Rest of my Goods Chattles Money Securities for Money and Personal Estate whatsoever I Give and bequeath to my Son George Harrison his Heirs and Assigns for Ever And I Do hereby Constitute and Appoint my said son George ["sworn" written above "George"] Sole Executor of this my last Will and Testament hereby Revoking all former Wills and Testaments by me at any Time heretofore made Declaring this only to be my last will and Testament
   In Wittness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this fifteenth Day of September in the Year of Our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Fourty Four George Harrison H his mark [seal]
   Signed Sealed and Declared by the Testator to be his Last Will and Testament in the Presence of us who signed our Names in his presence
   William Flower ["sworn" written above]
   Matthew Hall
   
   Inventory
   an Inventory of the Goods & Chattells of George Harrison
   late of Granby in the County of Nottingham
   Cordwainder deceased as the same was taken &
   appraised by us whose names are hereunto
   subscribed this twenty ninth day of Setpember 1744
   

   	Li	s	d
   Purse & apparrell	05	00	00
   Five Irons Hooks two tables & other Utensills in the house	01	10	00
   In the First Parlor a table Couches a Cuchett	00	06	06
   Pewter Dishes & Plates	01	01	00
   Brass Potts Pans & brewing Copper	03	00	00
   In the Second Parlor one bed with Furniture & Chairs	01	16	06
   In the best Chamber two beds & Furniture Chests Chairs and a table	03	00	00
   Three Cows	10	10	00
   The Sheep	13	00	00
   Hay & Corn	03	00	00
   Coals	01	10	00
   Things unseen & Forgott	00	10	00
   	53	12	6

   
   William Flower
   John Marriott
   Matth[ew] Hall
   
   [The table does not appear to total the sum at the bottom - the amounts listed actually total £44.4s.0d]
3.   Britain, country apprentices 1710-1808 Transcription.

   Apprentice: Edward Hardall of Flintham, Nottinghamshire, son of Joseph
   Indenture year: 1717
   Registration year: 1717
   Premium: £2 0s 0d
   Master: George Harrison, cordwainer of Granby, Nottinghamshire
   National Archives Reference: IR1 45f21

4. ↑ One possibility is that he was the George Harrison baptised at Granby on 6th November 1667, but the Granby registers in the mid 1600s are deficient with many gaps, making this hard to confirm. In particular, it is not clear how the George baptised in 1667 could be said to have a nephew called Thomas Harrison or a kinsman called John Harrison, both of whom are referred to in the adult George Harrison's will.