Genealogy Report: Descendants of Thomas Harris
Descendants of Thomas Harris
1.Ancient Planter Thomas1 Harris1,2,3,4 was born 1583 in Creeksea, Essex County, England5,6,7, and died 1658 in Longfield later Curles Plantation, Henrico County, Virginia8,9,10,11.He married (1) Ancient Planter Adria Gurganey12,13,14 Abt. 1624 in Virginia15,16.She was born 159817,18, and died Bef. September 11, 1626 in Henrico County, VirginiaFormed 163419,20.He married (2) Joan Osborne21,22,23 September 11, 1626 in Woodham Mortimer, Southminster, Creeksea , Essex County, England24,25,26,27.She was born January 28, 1597/98 in Little Hadham, Hertford, England28,29,30, and died Bet. 1635 - 1638 in Jamestown, James City County, VirginiaFormed 160731,32.
Notes for Ancient Planter Thomas Harris:
[Harris Family of England.FTW]
[jmljr.ged]
More About THOMAS HARRIS, CAPT.:
1: 1616, Mentioned in father's will
Deed: 11 November 1635, Land grant from Capt. John West, Go vernor of 750 Acres in Henrico Co., VA
Immigrated: May 1611, The ship "Prosperous" (departed Land' s End, County Cornwall on 10 Mar 1611
Lived location: 1623, Muster lists him at "Ye Neck O'Land " in Charles City Co., VA
Moved: 1626, To Longfield, later Curles
Occupation: Investor in Virginia Company; member House of B urgess
THE MUSTER OF THOMAS HARRIS
Thomas Harris aged 38 yeares in the PROSPEROUS in May
Adria his wife aged 23 yeares in the MARMADUKE in NOvembe r 1621
Ann Woodlase theire kinswoman aged 7 yeares
My mother was Hazel (Harris) Gohr.We have our line trace d back to Capt.
Thomas Harris of Jamestown, Virginia who immigrated from Wa les on the ship
"Prosperous" in 1611.Before that the Harrises tie into ro yalty in
England (including another Neville line that I descend fro m also).
I also am tracing Turners in Spartanburg County , SC and Vi rginia
Thought you might be interested.Glenn [email protected] orion.org
___________________________________________________________ ___
MUSTER OF THE INHABITANTS OF NECK OF LAND (?) IN THE CORPOR ATION OF CHALES CITTIE, IN VIRGINIA, TAKEN THE 24TH FEBRUAR Y, 1624
THE MUSTER OF THOMAS HARRIS
THOMAS HARRIS, AGE 38 YRS, IN THE "PROSPERDUS" IN MAY
ADRIA, HIS WIFE,AGE 23 YRS., IN THE "MAMELIKE" NOV. 1621
ANN WOODLAST, THEIR KINSWOMAN, AGE 7 YRS
ELIZABETH ---- (SERVANT) AGE 15 YRS. IN THE "MARGARET AND J OHN", 1620
=========================================================== ========
Many Harris researchers have held the oft-printed view tha t Thomas Harris,
who arrived in 1611 on the Prosperous, was the third son o f Sir William and
Alice (Smith) Harris of Creeksea, Essex.
Brice McAdoo Clagett, "The Will of Thomas Harris, of Creeks ea, County
Essex", in a recent issue of the Virginia Genealogist [whos e precise
citation I have stupidly misplaced at the moment], prints t he will of
Thomas Harris, third son of Sir William and Alice (Smith) H arris of
Creeksea, who died unmarried and without issue in 1617.Ac cordingly,
Thomas Harris of Virginia cannot be the son of Sir Willia m and Alice
(Smith) Harris.Best wishes,Scott Swanson <[email protected] edu>9/19/97
___________________________________________________________ __
I'm struggling with this family.John A. BRAYTON, in The F ive Thomas
Harrises ofIsle of Wight County, Virginia (Winston-Salem : 1995) has
attempted to debunk earlier published accounts.I was misl ed by From Essex
England to the Sunny Southern USA: A HARRIS FAMILY JOURNE Y (Atlanta: 1994),
by Robert E. HARRIS, who had relied on John Bennett BODDIE' s Virginia
Historical Genealogies & Historical Southern Families, v. 4 .The error was
first published in William D. LIGON's The Ligon Family an d Connections, I
(n.p., 1947), pp. 839-44.
One of the sources BRAYTON cites is from the Virginia Genea logist, v.38,
#2,
pp. 129-30, "The Will of Thomas Harris of Creeksea, Count y Essex",
contributed by Brice McAdoo CLAGETT, of Friendship, Marylan d.
"Unfortunately, a search at the Essex County Records Offic e in Chelmsford
quickly unearthed the will of Thomas Harris, made and prove d in 1617, which
shows that Sir William Harris' third son died unmarried an d was not the man
who came to Virginia.Thomas' legatees included six of th e seven other
children of Sir William and Alice (Smith) Harris, as well a s his sister
Mary's husband Giles Browne, so there is no doubt whateve r of the
identification.The original will is on file at Chelmsford , with the
signature of the testator and witnesses, and is classifie d as Essex
Archdeaconry Wills D/ABW20/299."An exact transcript follo ws CLAGETT's
intro.
Another citation from the Virginia Genealogist appears in v . 37, #1, which
my library doesn't have- "Sergeant John Harris of Charles C ity County, VA: A
Reappraisal", by Dr. Claiborn T. SMITH.
Matt HARRIS
[email protected]
___________________________________________________________ __
CAPTAIN THOMAS HARRIS; 1576-1658; came from Wales; was a me mber of
the VBA Company, 1609; came to the Colony in 1611; was a me mber of the
House of Burgesses, 1623, 1639 and 1646; (Brown, in this "G enesis",
states that he may have been a son of Sir William Harris o f Crixith,
and Woodham-Moretmar, Essex, England); m. Adria Osborne; m . (2) Joane
-----.
Thomas Harris, aged 38, May, 1611, came to Virginia in th e "Prosperous".His
wife, Adria Osborne, came to Virginia Nov, 1621, in the "Ma rmaduke."
Capt, Thomas was a member of the Virginis Company.He cam e to
Virginiain the Prosperous in May 1611, during the time of S ir Thomas
Dale.
He was the patantee of lands in Henrico, "Neck of Land", a s Curles was
once called, or "Long Field".He was in the Indian War o f 1622 (The
massacre at Martin's Hundred is told quite well in the "Nat ional
Geographic", some time in the 1970's.There is alot of arc healogical
sites there today.I'll come back later withe exact issu e of the
article.), Burgess for Henrico, 1623, '39, '47.He took hi s first
patent 1635, later 1655-58. He married his second wife, Joa ne (Gurgarny)
supposedly from the fact that Edward Gurgany owned land nex t to Joane in
1635, and his wife bequeathed land to Capt. Thomas Harris.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Capt. Thomas Harris I was born in 1587 in Crixe, Essex, ENG LAND.13
He was subscribed and paid 25 pounds to the Second Virgini a Company in 1609.14
He was witnessed the will of Folk Lee, mariner, and was giv en a small
legacy in the will on 26 Feb 1611 in Stepney, London, Engla nd.He
emigrated in May 1611 from Henrico County, Virginia15He i mmigrated during the
second Virginia Charter.He came on the ship "Prosperous, " during the government
of Sir Thomas Dale, and settled at the "Neck of Land," in H enrico County.
Sir Thomas Dale, with his charter as Governor of VA, sail d from Land's End
in England 27 March 1611, with three ships, The Star, Prosp erous, and
Elizabeth, carrying 300 people.His fleet anchored at For t Algerian, now
Old Point Comfort, 22 May 1611, making the crossing in les s than 60 days.
On 13 November 1611, the Prosperous arrived in England on i ts return trip
from VirginiaHe appeared on the census in 1624/25 in Virg inia16He made a muster
roll of his own family and gave his age as 38, and the nam e of the vessel
he cam on as the Prosperous.He died in 1658 in Henrico Co unty, VirginiaRecords
show that in 1765 Elijah Harris was living in Pitt County a nd sold land in
Perquimans County, North Carolina that had descended to hi m from his father, John Harris,
in 1695.He was married to Diana Manners in Perquimans Cou nty, North Carolina.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Captain Thomas Harris b 1585 EnglandSubscribed to the 2n d Virginia County, issued 23 May 1609 He came to the Virgin ia colony on the ship "Prosperous " in May 1611. On the fir st Virginia muster dated 16 February1623 as Thomas Harri s 38 wife Adria Harris age 23- PASSENGER LIST Thomas Harr ris and wife #3283 pp 170 also #1272 pp38.PASSENGER LIS Tto Virginia #1524 Thomas Harris 38 Adria 23list 3283 p p203MUSTER OF 1624 Neck of Land ,Charles City County, Vir ginia Thomas Harris, wife Adria, kinswoman Anne Woodlase ag e 7 ,(my note this Anne Woodlase was undoubtedly misrea d I believe she was Anne Woodliffe daughter of John Woodlif fe an early settler and also supposedly related to Thomas H arris above) 11 Nov 1635 of record land originally in Digg s Hundred which became Bermuda Hundred750 acres lying sou thward upon Edward Gurganey extending Northward upon Joan e his second wife , 100 acres due him asancient planter o n order of the late Treasurer and County,18 Nov 1615 an d 650 acres due him for the transportation of 13 persons Ca pt Thomas Harriscame into possession of the Gurganey lan d by 2 May 1636 and repatented the 700 acres . included i n this tract in Henrico 12 July 1637 , called "Longfield" w ith swamp and marshesSE toward Bremos dividend,400 acre s granted Edward Gurganey by order of the court 1 October 1 617 and bequethed by him to Anne Gurganey his widow , and g ranted to Thomas Harris by her last will dated 11 Novembe r 1619
Captain Thomas Harriswas a Burgess from Henrico. 1623-4,1 639,1546,1652-3
and 1656-57CAPTAIN THOMAS HARRISDIED IN 1657 leavin g a will which has
since been destroyed or lost.However the will is referre d to in his
daughter
Mary Harris Ligonswill
Captain Thomas was COMMANDEROF HENRICO in 1640.His firs t wife ADRIA was born c 1601 and came to the Virginia colon y on the ship "Marmaduke" in November of 1621 Their daughte r Mary Harris was born in 1625 in VirginiaShe Marylan d c 1648 becoming the second wife of Col Thomas Ligonwh o had migrated to Virginia in 1641/2. He had become the sur veyor for Henrico by the time of their marriage. The childr en of this marriage were:1. William Ligon b c 1650 Maryl and 1679 Henrico County, Virginia Mary Tanner d of Joseph T annerof Henrico and his wife Mary Browne Tanner (note con nection to early Browne family of Virginia ) William Ligo n was a Major in the Virginia MilitiaMajor Wm and His wif e hadA Wm Ligon Jr 1682-by 176r md Elizabeth Batte d of h enry Batte. Captain Wm Ligon Jr died by 1764 and his wido w Maryland Alexander Marshall. B.Thomas Ligon b c 1680 Mary land 15 March 1697 Elizabeth Worsham d of John Worsham CMar y Phoebe Ligonb c 1685 not traced D.Joseph Ligon c1687 -1 7 Nov 1751 Chesterfield County, Virginia Maryland Judith--- ------
and E Lucretia Ligon known as Lucywho was born after he r fathers w.p. l August
1689b I'm struggling with this family.John A. BRAYTON, i n The Five Thomas
Harrises ofIsle of Wight County, Virginia (Winston-Salem : 1995) has
attempted to debunk earlier published accounts.I was misl ed by From Essex
England to the Sunny Southern USA: A HARRIS FAMILY JOURNE Y (Atlanta: 1994),
by Robert E. HARRIS, who had relied on John Bennett BODDIE' s Virginia
Historical Genealogies & Historical Southern Families, v. 4 .The error was
first published in William D. LIGON's The Ligon Family an d Connections, I
(n.p., 1947), pp. 839-44.
One of the sources BRAYTON cites is from the Virginia Genea logist, v.38,
#2,
pp. 129-30, "The Will of Thomas Harris of Creeksea, Count y Essex",
contributed by Brice McAdoo CLAGETT, of Friendship, Marylan d.
"Unfortunately, a search at the Essex County Records Offic e in Chelmsford
quickly unearthed the will of Thomas Harris, made and prove d in 1617, which
shows that Sir William Harris' third son died unmarried an d was not the man
who came to Virginia.Thomas' legatees included six of th e seven other
children of Sir William and Alice (Smith) Harris, as well a s his sister
Mary's husband Giles Browne, so there is no doubt whateve r of the
identification.The original will is on file at Chelmsford , with the
signature of the testator and witnesses, and is classifie d as Essex
Archdeaconry Wills D/ABW20/299."An exact transcript follo ws CLAGETT's
intro.
Another citation from the Virginia Genealogist appears in v . 37, #1, which
my
library doesn't have- "Sergeant John Harris of Charles Cit y County, VA: A
Reappraisal", by Dr. Claiborn T. SMITH.
Matt HARRIS
[email protected]
___________________________________________________________ __
Many Harris researchers have held the oft-printed view tha t Thomas Harris,
who arrived in 1611 on the Prosperous, was the third son o f Sir William and
Alice (Smith) Harris of Creeksea, Essex.
Brice McAdoo Clagett, "The Will of Thomas Harris, of Creeks ea, County
Essex", in a recent issue of the Virginia Genealogist [whos e precise
citation I have stupidly misplaced at the moment], prints t he will of
Thomas Harris, third son of Sir William and Alice (Smith) H arris of
Creeksea, who died unmarried and without issue in 1617.Ac cordingly,
Thomas Harris of Virginia cannot be the son of Sir Willia m and Alice
(Smith) Harris.Best wishes,Scott Swanson <[email protected] edu>9/19/97
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Recognizing that there has been some controversy as t o the parentage of
Captain Thomas Harris of Virginia, I took the opportunity t o visit the
Essex
County Records Office at Chelmsford, Essex, England on Octo ber 15, 1998. I
viewed the original will of Thomas Herris of Crixsea, Essex , dated 10 March
1616.It was apparent that this will named these siblings , Arthur Herris
Knight, Brethren Mr William Herris and Mr John Herris, thre e sisters Mhs
Marie Browne Mhs FrancisHerris and Mhs Elizabeth (Herris).
This accords with the names of the children listed in t he will of Sir
William Herris Als Harris of Crixsey in the County of Esse x dated 21
December 1615 and probated in 1616.
At the lower left hand corner of the will of Thomas Her ris appeared the
notation "prob. 8 July 1617"I showed this notation to th e attendant at
the
Records Office and asked if this indeed showed that the per son named in the
will had died prior to that date.She assured me that suc h was the case.
It thus appears that Captain Thomas Harris of Virginia , who lived far
past 1617, was not the Thomas Herris named as a child in th e will of Sir
William Herris.Therefore it appears to me that at this po int we do not
know the parentage of Captain Thomas Harris of Virginia.P robably the best
one could hope for is that he might be a nephew or simila r relationship.
Ken Schwarzburg" Ken Schwarzburg" <[email protected]>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I don't think the 1617 Creeksea will of Thomas Harris can
be denied.This man was not the son of Sir William Harri s of Creeksea.
His connection with Sir Thomas Dale, however, puts him righ t back in
there with Sir Thomas Smythe and the Virginia Company.Dal e, Gates,
Wyatt, and Smythe were all part of that little military fra ternity that
was put together by the Earl of Essex in the late 1500s.T hey were all
knighted at Cadiz, and they were all involved in the Esse x Revolt that
led to James I coming to power after Elizabeth.Sir Willia m Harris of
Creeksea and his second cousin, the other Sir William Harri s, who both
served in Ireland under Essex, were both knighted on the sa me day, the
day of James I coronation.Dale administered Smythe's wil l in 1615.The
Virginia Company was the payoff for their efforts to brin g James I to
power.Their presence in Virginia was to get them out of E ngland so they
wouldn't cause him any problems.Thomas Harris most likel y had some
association with Sir Thomas Smythe but it was something oth er than
through Sir William Harris. The descendants of Thomas Harri s spread
throughout southwest Virginia and into Tennessee.
[email protected]
J. Phillip Harris
603 Wexwood Court
Richmond, Virginia23236-4138
Phone: Home (804) 794-1084Office (804) 323-3100
E-Mail: [email protected]: (804) 330-7198
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I agree wholeheartedly with what Phil Harris has said.Cap t. Thomas Harris
was NOT the son of Sir William Harris of Creeksea, Essex, E ngland.
Also, Capt. Thomas only had 2 wives, Adria Gurgany, and Joa n (possibly
Osborne).
Also, Robert Harris of the Forks who married Mary Claiborn e Rice is NOT a
son of Capt. Thomas Harris by any wife.
I am very interested now in knowing who the parents of Capt . Thomas Harris
of Jamestown were.One note said he was a cousin of John H arris of Charles
City County , Virginia that married Dorothy (Calcott).D o we know FOR SURE that John
of Charles City County , Virginia is a son of Sir William H arris of Creeksea, Essex,
England?
Also, if Capt. Thomas Harris and this John Harris are cousi ns, has anyone
worked out the relationship?
In one enumeration at Jamestown, living with Capt. Thomas H arris and his
1st wife, Adria, is a kinsman, Ann Woodlast or Ann Woodliff .John Bennett
Boddie in Historic Southern Families shows how this Ann i s related to the
Harrises of Creeksea, Essex.This should be a clue to find ing the true
parents of Capt. Thomas Harris of Jamestown.
Glenn Gohr
[email protected]
It appears that the Ship's Captain Thomas Osborne had 2 dau ghters by hiswife Anne.One was Adria Osborne and the ot her was Joane Osborne (they had a brother namedEdward) .Anne the widow married 2nd to Edward GURGANEY that owne d land next to ThomasHARRIS.
Later Thomas HARRIS claimed an inheritance from Edward GURG ANEY's estate inthe name of his wife Joan or Adria.
THIS WOULD EXPLAIN THE CONFUSION AS THE 3 OSBORNE CHILDRE N WOULD BESTEP-CHILDREN OF EDWARD's and would appear to b e his own children toresearchers.
Paul & Dorothy Tobler <[email protected]>
Till Later, Paul =================== From :The book, "Harris - A genealogical Family History by J . Ralph Dickeyand Elizabeth (Dickey) Trower (1980)
Thomas Captain Thomas HARRIS, was not child of Sir Willia m HARRIS of Crixie, Essex, was the 1st of the Harris famil y to come to America.The whole family of SirWilliam HAR RIS were not only "adventurers", ie: investors of risk capi tal, in the LondonCompany, later called the Virginia Comp any, but also were active in promoting and operating theC ompany. Thomas' maternal uncle, whose name he bore, Thoma s SMYTHE, served theCompany in the office of Treasurer an d helped in the procurement of ships, men and supplies.
The First Expedition, consisting of 3 ships, the "Susan Con stant", the"Godspeed" and the "Discovery", with 120 men , sailed for the New World the 20th of Dec1606.The Capt ain of the expedition was one Christopher NEWPORT (the pres ent day city of Newport News, VA, bears his name) and the m anchosen to be the 1st gov. of the Colony was Captain Joh n SMITH. The expedition landed on the northern bank of th e James River at a placethey called "Jamestowne", for th e new King, James I, crowned only 3 yrs before the expediti on sailed.
The 2nd Expedition sailed in 1608 and was barely able to pu mp the breath oflife back into the hopeless situation the y found in Jamestowne.3 Yrs after its founding, The VIRGI NIA COMPANY had not earned a penny.The adventurers had ex pectedto reap quick profits, for they had heard about inv estments in the older East IndiaCompany which had paid a s much as 3,000 % on it's stock.No doubt there were meeti ngs of theadventurers where they voiced their opinions an d made suggestions.Thomas HARRIS had contendedthat me n would never remain happy and efficient without women.Si nce nogold had been found, he thought they should produc e something to sell, ifthey were to expand and prosper.
He also held that a quarantine camp should be established t o acclimate and
condition newly arrived persons in Virginia.He recommende d a study of
crops they might grow to produce a staple, salable product.
Finally, a number of healthy, young maidens should be sen t over to be wivesfor the settlers already there.In Ma y of 1609, the 3rd Expediton,consisting of 9 ships, comma nded by Capt. Christopher NEWPORT and SirGeorge SOMMERS s ailed from Plymouth, in Devonshire, bound for the Virgini aColony.His was by far the most elaborate expedition s o far sent. In addition to the customary supplies, it carri ed 500 male immigrants and90 husky English maidens to b e wives for the men already there.It carried as passenger s,Sir Thomas GATES and Thomas HARRIS.GATES was going t o replace Capt JohnSMITH as Governor of the Colony. SMIT H had been seriously injured in a gunpowder explosion.Tho mas HARRISwas making a round trip to Virginia as a repres entative of the "Company" no doubtarranged by his Uncle , Thomas SMYTHE.One of the ships, "Discovery" , was a flo ating managerie,having aboard about every kind of domesti c animal known to man, including 2 peafowls. The flagship a lso carried the charter of the VIRGINIA COMPANY which was t obe kept in Jamestowne.
On the way to America the fleet met up with the 1st West In dies tropicalhurricane ever seen and reported on by Engli shmen.The flagship withGovernor GATES and, no doubt, Th omas HARRIS aboard was cast up on the Island of Bermuda an d did not reachVirginia until the Spring of 1610.The st orm was, no doubt, discussed at length atthe meetings o f the VIRGINIA COMPANY in London with Thomas HARRIS takin g a large part.WilliamSHAKESPEARE listened in wide-eye d amazement and was so impressed that heused the inciden t in writing "The Tempest" with Bermuda as the locale.
Among those on board for the return voyage were Mr. & Mrs . John ROLFE.Itwill be remembered that Mrs. ROLFE, re-n amed "Rebecca", was actually POCAHONTAS who would makea b ig splash in English high society before succumbing to tube rculosis.The 4thExpedition came and went in 1610 and st ill the Colony barely held on.
The 5th Expedition sailed from Landsend, Cornwall, 10 Marc h 1611, andarriving in Virginia 10 May 1611.One of th e ships, the "Prosperous", had Thomas HARRIS and SirThoma s DALE aboard.DALE was sent to replace GATES as Governo r of the Colony andHARRIS, then aged 25 yrs, was going t o make Virginia his home.As the new Governor,Tomas DAL E seems to have started Virginia on the road to permanenc e and prosperity. In 1612, John ROLFE, who was studying th e raising of tobacco as a staplecrop, purloined the see d of a strain of sweet tobacco from the Spanish West Indie s and this wasthe real beginning of the tobacco industr y that made Virginia.It literally became the mediumof e xchange as planters shipped tobacco to England with order s for goodsand supplies in return. There was little curre ncy in circulation in the Colony.In 1613, GovernorDAL E instituted the concept of private ownership of land in th e Colony and began the system of"head rights" where eac h settler was given 50 acres of land plus 50 more for eac h person hebrought over with him. In 1619 the first negr o slaves were brought over.
The 1st meeting of the House of BURGESSES convened 9 Aug 16 19. In Nov. 1619 Thomas OSBORNE arrived in the Colony on th e "Bona Nova". We do not know whether OSBORNE and HARRIS we re acquainted in England ornot, but their lives were to b e closely entwined in Virginia.Then, in Nov 1621, Adri aOSBORNE arrived in Virginia on the ship, "Marmaduke".I t is believed that she was a relationof Thomas OSBORNE, b ut again, we do not know.At any rate, Thomas HARRIS and A dria OSBORNEwere married. Thomas was a good catch.Age d 35, he had not arrived in Virginia emptyhanded.In add ition to his own 25 lbs investment in the Virginia Company , his father hadadvanced him 1500 lbs and his brother Wil liam, the lawyer of Lincoln's Inn, Essex, had come upwit h another 400 lbs. In Virginia he received "100 acres due h im as being an 'Ancient Planter' onthe order of the lat e Treasurer & Co."(Thomas SMYTHE, his Uncle)
He also received 650 acres for transporting 13 persons to t he Colony.Heeventually owned 3520 acres.After the aff air involving Powhatan and Pocahontas with Capt.John SMIT H in Dec 1607, there existed a detente' of sorts.Relation s with the Indiansbecame so cordial that the Indians cam e freely into the houses of settlers and even sat down a tthe table with them. It was on Good Friday, 22 Mar 1622 , that all the local Indians, underWarrier Chief OPECHANC ANOUGH, rose against the white intruders and nearlywipe d out the Virginia settlements.
Thomas HARRIS and his good friend, Thomas OSBORNE, played k ey roles in thedefense of their new home.As a result, O SBORNE was made Major of the Militia andHARRIS was made C aptain.It is all but impossible for people of our time t o imagine howhard life was in Virginia in the 1620's.No t only were there Indians, they had to contend withflies , mosquitos, chiggers, ticks, malaria, typhoid and more.A ccording to contemporary estimates,between 1619 and 162 1 some 3,560 persons were brought to Virginia and 300 die d there in the sameperiod.
At a muster held 24 Jan 1624 Thomas HARRIS stated that he w as then aged 38yrs., that he came to Virginia on the "Pro sperous" in May 1611, and that his wife, Adria,was aged 2 3 yrs., and came over on the "Marmaduke" in Nov 1621.Whil e other registrants atthe 1624 Muster listed children, Th omas and Adria HARRIS did not.At the muster, otherfamil ies listed children by ages; as well as domestic animals, h ousehold items, food, gunpowder,lead and suits of armor . Thus, we are justified in the conclusion that Thomas an d Adria had nochildren at the time of the muster.Durin g the time of Thomas HARRIS' engagement to Adria OSBORNE , a Mrs. Joan WRIGHT told him that he would "bury his wif e at the birth oftheir child."This came to pass.Ther e were other strange events relating to Mrs. WRIGHT, and sh e wasbrought to trial for witchcraft in Sep 1626.Mrs. R ebecca GRAY testifiedagainst her in the Adria HARRIS matt er, she was found guilty and fined 100 lbs of tobacco.Thi s trial establishedthe fact that Adria HARRIS died prio r to Sep 1626.Thus, the first child, Robert HARRIS, was b ornbetween 24 Jan 1624 & Sep 1626, probably late in 1625.
In Feb., 1625, Thomas HARRIS was living at the Neck-of-la nd, Charles CityCounty, aged 38, with his wife, aged 23 .Thomas HARRIS remarried, Joan GURGANEY, in 1626 or1628 , which placed Robert in the uneasy position of step-son .There were (3) THREEmore children by t he 2nd wife.T homas HARRIS made his home on a plantation, 1st called"Lo ngfield," later "Curles."It was situated in the Bermuda H UNDRED near Charles City on anarrow peninsula which jut s out from the north bank of the James River about 60 mile s aboveJamestowne. It was in what is now Henrico County.
He was a member of the House of Burgesses in 1623, 1639 an d 1647. He served as Commissioner for Upper Henrico Count y in 1626. n 1640 he was made commander of the Henrico Coun ty militia. In 1644-45 3 forts were ordered erected; (1) ON E at Pamunkey, to be calledFort Royal; (1) ONE at the Fal ls of the James River, called Fort Charles; and (1) ONEo n the Ridge of the Chickahominy, to be called Fort James .In October1646, the General Assembly gave these forts , with adjoining tracts of land, to various prominent settl ers on thecondition of maintenance, at their expense, o f proper forces. Of the (3) THREE, Fort Charles was given t o Captain Thomas HARRIS.
Thomas HARRIS made his will in 1649 in which he named Willi am HARRIS, a
child by his 2nd
marriage, as his "only son" and Mary as his only daughter .He died in 1650.
It is most likely that he was buried on his plantation as w as the custom in
those days."
Parents of the 2nd wife Joan GURGNEY were Edward (Step fath er?) & Anne GURGNEY.
===================================
Also it is found that the 1st wife of Thomas HARRIS was Adr ia GURGANEY
b. about 1598 d/o Edward and Anne GURGANEY
married 2nd Joane OSBORNE after 1626, d/o Capt. Thomas OSBO RNE who was
born in England about 1580 coming to colony of Virginia i n 1619 on the Bona Nova.
According to Robert B. MOSELEY, author of the "MOSELEY Line "Capt. HARRIS'
2nd wife is listed as Joane, no maiden name given.
The will of Anne GURGANCY dated 1619, widow of Edward GURGA NEY, bequeathed land to Thomas HARRIS.
----------------------------------------------
The fact of Thomas wife coming in the Marmaduke in Nov 162 1 is verified in
the "Complete Book of Emigrants" 1607-1776 and that her nam e was "Adria"
and age 23.Therefore his first wife was named this not h is later wife.
------------------------
Came to Virginia before 1616, believed to have arrived in 1 611 aboard
the "Prosperous." Subscriber to the second charte r 23 May1609. His
Muster in 1624 listed him as age 38. His first wif e Adria aged 23 came
to America on the "Marmaduke" Nov. 1621. They sett led with his wife at
Neck of Land, Charles City. Biography in book (M . Mexer & John F.
Dorman,
"Adventurers of Purse and Person, 1607-1624", Virg inia Ref. 929.3755 ADVE).
============
om the book Harris-a Genealogical Family History by J. Ralp h Dickey and
Elizabeth (Dickey) Trower, (1980):
Robert HARRIS was the FIRST child of Thomas HARRIS and hi s first wife,
Adria OSBORNE.
One might question ho a motherless infant survived in the e xtremely hostile
environment of the Virginia of 1625.We would venture to s uggest an
obliging neighbor woman, who was nursing her own infant, sh ared time at her
breast with the little orphan.Or, perhaps, he had a "Blac k Mammy", a
practice widely used in the Old South.Slavery had been in troduced in
Virginia in 1619.Thomas HARRIS remarried around 1627, giv ing little
Robert a stepmother at tender age.He had a reputation i n later life of
being opinionated and head-strong and these traits must hav e developed
early.Anyway, he never got along well with his step-mothe r, nor with his
father, for that matter.He ran away from home at the earl iest opportunity
and became a seaman.This caused his father to disinherit
him (see Malcolm H. HARRIS, M.D., History of Louisa County .Richmond, VA.
the Dietz Press, 1936, p. 331-A.)About 1650 Robert HARRI S left his
seafaring life and settled in Virginia and establish his ow n plantation
which he called "The Forks".It was at the junction wher e the North Anna
and the South Anna Rivers meet to form the Pamunkey River i n that part of
New Kent County th
More About Ancient Planter Thomas Harris:
Record Change: March 10, 200133,34
Notes for Ancient Planter Adria Gurganey:
[Harris Family of England.FTW]
[jmljr.ged]
Childbirth
THE MUSTER OF THOMAS HARRIS
Thomas Harris aged 38 yeares in the PROSPEROUS in May
Adria his wife aged 23 yeares in the MARMADUKE in NOvembe r 1621
Ann Woodlase theire kinswoman aged 7 yeares
More About Ancient Planter Adria Gurganey:
Record Change: March 09, 200135,36
Notes for Joan Osborne:
[Harris Family of England.FTW]
[jmljr.ged]
More About JOANE OSBORNE:
Aka (Facts Pg): Joane Osborne or Gurganey
More About Joan Osborne:
Alt. Death: Bet. 1635 - 1638, Henrico County, VirginiaFormed 163437,38,39
Record Change: February 23, 200140,41
Marriage Notes for Thomas Harris and Joan Osborne:
[Harris Family of England.FTW]
[jmljr.ged]
Reference Number:84318
Children of Thomas Harris and Adria Gurganey are:
| + | 2 | i. | Mary2 Harris, born 1628 in Henrico County, VirginiaFormed 1634; died February 1703/04 in Henrico County, VirginiaFormed 1634. | |
| + | 3 | ii. | Robert Harris, born 1635 in Henrico County, VirginiaFormed 1634; died 1701 in Blissland Parish, New Kent County, Virginia. |
Children of Thomas Harris and Joan Osborne are:
| 4 | i. | Jr. Thomas2 Harris42,43,44, born Abt. 1627 in Henrico County, VirginiaFormed 163445,46,47,48; died June 02, 1679 in Henrico County, VirginiaFormed 163449,50,51.He married Mary52,53; born Abt. 162754,55; diedin Y56,57. |
| Notes for Jr. Thomas Harris: [Harris Family of England.FTW] [jmljr.ged] The date of THOMAS HARRIS' death is not known as his will h as been destroyed.He had only three children, THOMAS, WILLIAM an d MARY.This is proven by the will of his son, THOMAS, who died unmarried i n Henrico in 1679.His will is as follows: "I give and bequeath unto m y sister in law, LOUE HARRIS, my land at Ware according to the bounds set ou t in MY FATHER'S WILL.I give and bequeath to my cousin (nephew) RICHARD LY GON, all my horses, mares or foals, they not being given by my GRANDFAT HER into the hands of his overseers, Feb. 10, 1678-79.Wits" Alice Harr is, Mary Lygon Jr., Richard Lygon. Proved in Henrico County Court, June 2 , 1679.Mary Lygon the younger. |
| More About Jr. Thomas Harris: Record Change: September 23, 200058,59 |
| More About Mary: Record Change: July 02, 199960,61 |
| Marriage Notes for Thomas Harris and Mary: [Harris Family of England.FTW] [jmljr.ged] Reference Number:84300 |
| + | 5 | ii. | William Harris, born 1629 in Charles City, Henrico County, Virginia; died February 01, 1677/78 in Richmond, Richmond County, Virginia. |