Person:Robert Harris (62)

Information on Robert Harris

From Genforum.com posts:

COME TO U.S. One branch of the Harris family came to Pennsylvania. Edward had two sons and a daughter. Robert had seven sons and a daughter; James had four sons. All immigrated to Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania, early in the eighteenth century. Robert, whose wife was Dorothy Wylie died in sight of land, and was buried in Philadelphia, Pa. His seven sons settled in Lancaster, and bought land from Thomas Penn in 1737 and subsequently. Thomas had married Mary McKinney and remained in Pennsylvania. He was a captain in a militia company in 1748, died in 1801. aged 106. William had married Elizabeth Glen and moved to Creil(?) County Maryland, with family of 14 children. The other five sons of Robert--John, James, Robert, Charles and Samuel--about 1750 to 1755, moved to Mecklenburg county, North Carolina (now Cabarrus County) and settled on Rocky River. John later moved to Blount County, Tenn., with eight children. His brothers remained in Mecklenburg and reared large families. From them are descended the Harrieses known throughout the South as the Scotch-Irish Harrises of Mecklenburg, and who scattered throughout the land, pioneering as each generation pushed out into the wilderness, looking for new fields to develop.

Re: Old Harris History found! Posted by: Dorothy Boyle Date: March 24, 1998 at 23:03:53 In Reply to: Re: Old Harris History found! by Sharon of 21920

There is more information on the Robert Harris-Dorothy Wiley family in the book "Mecklenburg The Life & Times of a Proud People" by Howard & Ruth White. (Someone sent me a copy of several pages from this book.) p. 398 Robert Harris b. ca. 1660 Donegal, Ire. d. ca. 1727 m. 1680 Dorothy Wiley (Wylie) (1660-1715). Robert and famly sailed for America in the 18th Century about 1750. However, Robert died in sight of land and was probably bur. ashore. You could also check information on the Mecklenburg Signers of Virginia. Also mentioned- Harris History by Calista V. Leonard, Ph.D