Michael Harness Jr. (bef. 1726 - 1763)

Born before 1726 in Tulpehocken Township, Chester County, PA or Schoharie Valley, NY settlements [uncertain]

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 20 Aug 1763 after age 37 in Welton's Meadow, Hampshire, Virginia

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Biography

[Organization Needed]

Michael Harness Jr Though there is no documented birth date for Michael Harness jr. , he was born sometime before 1726 as he is mentioned in a court case in Virginia as early as 1747 and would have had to have been of legal age (21) The family at that time was either in Schoharie, NY or the Tulpehocken area of PA.

Michael jr. appears to have been a co-defendant along with several other young men in a 1747 trespass and assault court case (His father would have been about age 45, and is unlikely to be involved with a group of wild young men.) Further young Michael Harness, jr administered an estate in 1750.^[1]When this will was copied into the formal will book, the clerk wrote young Michael's name as "Michael M Harness, Junior," his first recorded signature mark. The "M" and the "Junior," and a "Jr.," would appear from time to time as part of his mark until shortly before his death. These often were in some combination with the "+" he used on Hampshire County documents.

Michael Harness Jr. died in 1763, killed by Indians in Welton's Meadow, now known as Luney's Field, near Moorefield, Hampshire County, Virginia. ^[2]

Birth

Michael was born no later than 1726, at Tulpehocken Creek Settlement, Tulpehocken Township, Chester County, PA, or possibly even earlier at the Schoharie Valley, NY settlements. Also found Born about 1728 in Tulpehocken, Lancaster Co., PAmap

Parents

• Father: Michgael Ernst Herner
• Mother: Maria Elisabetha Dieffenbach (Elizabeth)

Michael Harness jrs. father Michael Ernst (aka. "Michgael Ernst Herner" or Michael Harness Sr.) had relocated from the Schoharie Valley settlements of New York to Tupehocken Creek Settlement sometime before 10 January 1725 where he appeared on the tax assessments for landowners in Tulpehocken Township, Chester County. His name on the September 1727 petition by Tulpehocken settlers for a road to be established to Oley, in the next township, was a more full "Michgael" Ernst Herner^[3]

The spelling of his name on the Oley Road petition varies slightly with each researcher who reads the original names written in old German script; see Walter A. Knittle, Early Eighteenth Century Palatine Emigration; A British Government Redemptioner Project to Manufacture Naval Stores (Philadelphia, 1937; Baltimore, 1970), p. 300; and compare with Annette K. Burgert, comp., A Research Guide to the Tulpehocken Region: Lancaster (Now Berks and Lebanon Counties, PA (c. 1994, Myerstown, PA), p. 9.

The Diffenbach family came from the same area of Germany and settled temporarily in the same areas along the Hudson River including West Camp and the Schoharie Valley settlements, before migrating to Tulpehocken Twp. Chester, County, PA.

Michael Ernst Herner (Michael Sr.) may have married Elizabeth prior to arrival at Tuloehocken Twp^[4].

Michael Ernst Herner and Elizabeth Diffenbach may have married by 1723, prior to arrival at Tulpehocken Twp. Pa, for perhaps as many as 4 or 5 of their children were born in the 1720s.

Marriage

Michael Harness Jr married Catrina|Catherine Westphael|Westfael about 1752, at Augusta County, Virginia colony (now West Virginia).

Children

Known children were:

• Adam HARNESS, b. abt 1756, Hampshire County, Virginia colony; d. 7 Oct 1819, Knox County, Indiana, age: 63.

• Isaac HARNESS, b. abt 1758, Hampshire County, Virginia colony; d. 27 Sep 1777, Virginia colony, age: 19. Death occurred after step father Abraham Kuykendall prepared his will.

• Sarah HARNESS, b. abt 1762, Hampshire County, Virginia colony; d. abt 1806, Knox County, Indiana territory, age: 44. Sarah m. Luke Decker, abt 1784. Luke was a famous Militia Col. during the Revolution^[5] clarifies the Sarah Harness-Luke Decker connection.

For Adam's family see ^[6] and Hampshire County, Virginia, Personal Property Tax Books 1782-1784, in State Archives, Library of Virginia, Richmond. In the last, Catharine, listed as Widow Kuykendall, was listed in 1782 and 1783, but not thereafter; a sound reason to support their leaving the following year. Hampshire County Will Book 2, pp. 31, 83, show that Catharine also made the division of land called for in Abraham's will, and settled his estate in November, 1783. There are no later entries found for her in Virginia.

Michael Harness jr. administered the estates of his father-in-law, Jurian Westphael, and his mother-in- law, Blandina de Wit Westphael who died in 1753. He had only handled one estate previously. Were it not for an almost incidental comment in the Court Order Book, [associated with this estate] we might never have known of his relationship with that family. When naming the Administrator of Eurie's will, it reads: "Michael Harness (soninlaw of Eurie Westfall) moved according to law to be named Admr of the Estate. Court granted him Certificate for letters of Admin". ^[7] This statement was crucial to validate the full identification of Michael's wife and children later.

Death

Michael Harness, Jr. was killed by Indians in 1763 in Welton’s Meadow on Looney’s Creek in colonial Hampshire County, VA colony.

It was the practice of the settlers on the Wappatomaka (Potomoc) in times of danger to leave the forts in numbers and assist each other in harvest. Such was the case on Aug. 20, 1763 as nine men had left the safety of the fort to help Job Welton cut his father’s meadow and round up his cattle^[8][9]

Family tradition says that Michael was buried in the family cemetery on a hill just above Fort Harness, but no trace of that cemetery has ever been found. Michael’s widow, Catherine Westphael Harness, later married Abraham Kuykendall Stevens-2498 17:59, 11 July 2015 (EDT)

THE DEATH OF MICHAEL HARNESS [called Jr.] by John L. Tevebaugh May, 2001
[Michael Harness, Jr., was reported to have been killed by Indians in a place called Welton’s Meadow, on “Loony’s” Creek (now Lunice Creek), about 11:00 p.m. on 20 August 1763. He was one of 6 men attacked, and one of 3 killed; the other casualties were Jonathan Welton and one of the Delea (or Delay, or other spellings) brothers. This account of Michael’s death, and of the whole incident was written in Williamsburg (Gazette), Colony of Virginia, dated 16 September 1763, and sent to at least two prominent newspapers, one in Philadelphia and the other in New York City. The Philadelphia account appeared in Ben Franklin’s Pennsylvania Gazette, while the other appeared in the New-York Gazette, or The Weekly Post-Boy. Both accounts were published the same day, October 6, 1763; both had exactly the same content. The only differences between the two were in matters of capitalization of initial letters of many words. The New York paper used a more antique approach, capitalizing many more than the Franklin paper; and, it misspelled an occasional word as well. Because of the same dispatch being dated the same day, being sent to two different contemporary newspapers with matching content, and being printed the same day, there is no reason to question that Michael was killed on that date, nor at that location nor in those circumstances. What follows is an exact copy of the report from the Pennsylvania Gazette, No. 1815, October 6, 1763, p. 2, cols. 1 & 2]

[col. 1] WILLIAMSBURGH, September 16.

An express arrived in town yesterday, with letters to his Honour

the Governor from Col. Stephen, by which we have the following

advices, viz. That a Party of Indians attacked 6 men in Welton’s

meadow, on Loony’s creek, the 20th of August, about XI at night;

when they killed Michael Harness and Jonathan Welton, wound-

ed Joab[Job] Welton, and took one Delea Prisoner. The Indian that

wounded Joab Welton was upon the point of repeating the stroke

with the tomahawk, and killing him, when the savage was shot by

one Delea, brother to the prisoner of that name; on his discharg-

ing his piece, he was attacked by several Indians at once; the first

that made up to him he knocked down with his gun, but the sa-

vages wresting it out of his hand, he knocked down another with

a tomahawk, which he carried under his belt. By this time the

Indians had jostled him to a place where his brother lay tied:

upon seeing him taken prisoner, he immediately dropt all thoughts

of further resistance, and gave himself up, expecting likewise to

be taken prisoner; but they hurried him away to the Indian that

was shot, tomahawked him, scalped him, and wounded him with

a knife, leaving him for dead, but the poor man crawled to some

hay, and covered himself up, where he was found next morning

perfectly in his senses, told the whole affair circumstantially, and

lived two days afterwards. On receiving this intelligence, Col.

Stephen ordered Major Wilson and Captain Collins of the Hamp-

shire militia to raise two companies of voluntiers, and pursue the

enemy, as soon as they could possibly provide themselves with Pro-

[col. 2]

visions. Major Wilson took the rout[e] of Loony’s creek; and Capt.

Collins being ordered to reconnoiter the head branches of Patterson’s

creek, he fell in with the Major’s party at the foot of the Allegheny

mountains. After communicating intelligence, they thought it

adviseable to pursue the Indians over the mountains; accordingly,

on the 30th of August, after a pursuit of 120 miles, over as rugged

mountains as can be found, they came up with them on a branch

of the Monongahela. Being on fresh tracks in the evening,

Major Wilson was certain that their encampment was at no great

distance; he therefore detached parties different ways in the night,

to listen for horse bells, or see if they could discover fire: the noise

of the bells directed them to the encampment, and before day they

had crept within 30 paces of the enemy, and surrounded them.

The orders were not to fire until it was light enough to see all the

births where the Indians lay; but a big fellow rising to make

up the fire, one of the party fired at him a little too soon, which

brought on the engagement. This is to be attributed to the young

man’s eagerness to revenge the death of his father, who had been

killed and scalped by the savages. Major Wilson, however, rout-

ed the party, took 3 Indian scalps, wounded many more, and took

11 rifles and 2 smooth barrel guns from them, with all their war

equipage, and retook a number of horses. They likewise released

Delea the prisoner, and got back the three scalps taken in Welton’s

meadow.

[The Pennsylvania Gazette, especially, printed one or more dispatches like this one almost every week throughout the period of the French and Indian War. Lancaster and Bedford Counties and “Virginia” or “South Branch” frequently were the locations.]

Estate of Michael Harness

The Michael Harness, Jr., estate took a long time to be settled. The years before 1765 had been ones of frequent Indian raids in the South Branch Valley. Because these raids severely interrupted normal routine, estate bonds and appraisements often occurred long after life had ended for the deceased person.

It was not until 25 February 1764 that Catharine Harness had her Administratrix's Bond secured by John Harness and Nathaniel Kuykendall, and accepted by the Hampshire County Court^[10] Although this is the only such document found, it seems Michael's wife actually wrote her name as "Catrina herniss" on this bond.

It was not until January, 1765 that Michael’s estate was appraised, and not until 11 June that year that it was returned to the Hampshire County Court for recording. It was an extensive inventory, including livestock, two slaves, clothing, household goods and farm implements. It was appraised at about £575. For whatever reason, the final settlement with Catharine was not made until 1782, and accepted by her shortly thereafter. The settlement may have been concluded as part of her preparation for leaving for the Vincennes area of the Indiana Territory with her new husband, Abraham Kuykendall. ^[11] Another theory is that the estate could not be settled until daughter Sarah reached majority or was married. This second theory requires further investigation.

History: Note

"Harnesses came from Germany..." The family referred to did not come from anywhere else, at least with that surname. Instead, the head of the eventual family arrived in New York as Johann Michael Ernst (or Ernst-Hoerner, or vise-versa). Extant records indicate that he seldom, if ever, personally used the name Harness during his lifetime, even marking his name on his 1779 will (proved 1785) as ME. Incidentally, whoever wrote the will spelled the surname Ernest/Ernesst, which suggests that he didn't know German well either. In that will, only the names of his acknowledged sons were given as Harness. Others referred to him as Harness, but not Michael himself that we know of. (Henry Z. Jones, Jr., The Palatine Families of New York (2 vols., Picton Press, 1985), Vol. 1, p. 378; Jones, More Palatine Families (Universal City, CA, 1991), p. 342; Will of Michael "Ernest," Estates File, Hampshire Co., VA; and Hampshire Co., VA, Will Book 2 (1780-1794), pp. 111-113.)

Birth Abt 1728 Tulpehocken, Lancaster Co., PA

Death 20 Aug 1763 Welton's Meadow, Lunice Creek, Grant Co., WV^[12][13]

Lists Michael's wife as Elizabeth WESTVAAL, daughter of Jurian WESTVAAL and Styntjen van KUYKENDALL. ^[14][15][16] Killed by Indians. ^[17]

Burial Ft. Harness, Hampshire Co., VA^[12][14]

PPEXCLUDE

PPEXCLUDE

[This data needs organized]

Birth 1735 Hardy Co, Virgina, now WV

Event:

Type: Birth

Date: 1741

Place: Berks Co., PA^[13][18]

Event:

Type: Bond

Date: 14 Dec 1757

Place: Hampshire Co., VA

Note: Bond of Michael HARNESS and William CUNNINGHAM in the estate of Conrad HARNESS, dec.^[19]

Event:

Type: Land

Date: 23 Mar 1761

Place: Lunince Creek, Grant Co., WV

Note: Michael surveyed 125 acres along Lunice Creek, between Allegania and New Creek Mountain.^[14]

Event:

Type: Land

Date: Abt 1762

Place: Lunince Creek, Grant Co., WV

Note: Purchased 143 acres from David CRAIGE, for whom it had been surveyed in 1761. Also obtained an additional 202 1/2 acres located Walker Ridge, Lick Meadow, the "drains of Luneys Creek" and Clover Lick, "adjoining Gacoby WELTONS horse pond".^[14]

Event:

Type: Death

Date: 11 Jun 1765

Place: Hardy Co, WV^[20]

Probate

Probate:

Date: 7 Jan 1750

Place: South Branch, Hampshire Co., VA

Note: Witnessed the will of Jacob WAVEBOUGHT (uncle).^[14]

Probate:

Date: 22 Mar 1753

Note: Administered the estate of his father-in-law, Jurian WESTFALL.^[14]

Probate:

Date: 21 Nov 1753

Note: Administered the estate of his mother-in-law, Blandina (deWITT) WESTFALL.^[14]

Probate:

Date: 1758

Place: South Branch, Hampshire Co., VA

Note: Gave his bond for the estate of Adam HARNESS, his brother.^[14]

Probate:

Date: 14 Feb 1759

Place: South Branch, Hampshire Co., VA

Note: Gave his bond for the estate of Jacob HARNESS, his brother.^[14]

Probate:

Date: 21 Jan 1765

Place: Grant Co., WV

Note: 11-Jun-1765 is the date Michael's estate was appraised.^[12][13][14]

Probate:

Date: 12 Feb 1782

Place: Grant Co., WV

Note: Final settlement of Michael's estate.^[14]

Testimony of George YOCUM in the DRAPER Papers. ^[12][14]

Marriage

Husband: Michael Harness

PREF Y

Wife: @I1128@

PREF Y

Marriage:

Date: Bef 1753

Place: South Branch, Hampshire Co., VA^[14][21]

Data Changed:

Date: 4 Oct 1998

Time: 14:48

Husband: @I634@

PREF Y

Wife: @I633@

PREF Y

Marriage:

Date: Abt 1723

Place: Lancaster Co., PA^[22][23][24]

Child: Conrad Harness

Child: @I636@

Child: Adam Harness

Child: Michael Harness

Child: Jacob Harness

Child: @I639@

Child: John Harness

Child: @I644@

Child: George Harness

Child: Dorothea Harness

PREF Y

Child: @I645@

Child: @I646@

Child: Margaretha Katherine Harness

Data Changed:

Date: 13 Oct 2005

Time: 13:05

Sources

1. ↑ "Will of Jacob Wevebaught", 7 January 1750/1, Frederick County, Virginia, Will Book I, pp. 472-473.
2. ↑ Entered by Dee Christophel D'Errico, Feb 24, 2012, amended by ~~~~
3. ↑ Tax Assessments, Tulpehocken Twp., Chester County, Pennsylvania, microfilm at the Pennsylvania State Archives, courtesy of Sara Stevens Patton.
4. ↑ Henry Z. Jones, Jr., The Palatine Families of New York; A Study of the German Immigrants Who Arrived in Colonial New York in 1710 (2 vols., Universal City, CA, 1985), I, pp. xiv, xvi, 158, 439-440.
5. ↑ "Deed, Catharine Kuykendall to Luke Decker, 9 May 1804," Knox County, Indiana Territory, Deed Record A, pp. 244-245
6. ↑ "Sarah Harness [Adam's wife, a Sarah Kuykendall], et al., vs. James Purcell" and others, in Chancery, 8 September 1823, Knox County, Indiana, Circuit Court, Complete Record E, March 1824-March 1825, pp. 117-128
7. ↑ Augusta County Court Order Book 3, n.p. [p. 424].
8. ↑ New York Post Boy (newspaper), 06 Oct 1763
9. ↑ Kenneth Scott, "Genealogical Data from the New York Post Boy, 1743-1773," National Genealogical Society, Special Publications, No. 35 (1970), p. 95.
10. ↑ "Administratrix's Bond, Estate of Michael Harness, jnr., dec'd," 25 February 1764, Hampshire County, Virginia, Court Records, 1736-1785, Box 1, Envelope 6 [LDS microfilm # 0186352].
11. ↑ Hardy County West Virginia GenWeb project - The son: Michael Harness jr.
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3} "The HARNESS Family" Author: Chloe PATTON Publication: 12345 Lake City Way NE, Suite 206, Seattle, WA 98125, 1998.
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1 13.2} "Lexington Genealogical & Historical Society, Inc." The HARNESS Family Author: Martin L. YOKUM Publication: 318 W. Main St., Lexington, IL 61753, vol 8, #2, May-1982, pg 29-35.
14. ↑ ^{14.00 14.01 14.02 14.03 14.04 14.05 14.06 14.07 14.08 14.09 14.10 14.11 14.12} "HARNESS lineage - THOMPSON Author: Tim THOMPSON Publication: 113 Normandy Dr., Belleville, IL 62223, 21-Aug-1997.
15. ↑ Source: #S297
16. ↑ Source: #S299 Page: pg 2 Quality or Certainty of Data: 3
17. ↑ Source: Helen Harness, p. 36.
18. ↑ Source: Helen Harness, p. 34 Quality or Certainty of Data: 3 Data: Text: Killed by Indians. Text: YES
19. ↑ Source: #S289
20. ↑ Source: #S304
21. ↑ Source: #S299 Page: pg 2 Quality or Certainty of Data: 3 Data: Text: Lists date of marriage as ca 1750. Text: YES
22. ↑ Source: #S210 Quality or Certainty of Data: 3 Data: Text: States marriage probably in the Schoharie Valley, New Ansburg, NY. Text: YES
23. ↑ Source: #S212
24. ↑ Source: #S304 Quality or Certainty of Data: 3 Data: Text: Lists the date of marriage as aft. 1743. Text: YES

• Source: Helen Harness "The HARNESS Heritage, Michael HARNESS 1700-1785 and Descendants through the Direct Line of William HARNESS 3-May-1866 - 10-Dec-1947" Author: Helen L. HARNESS Publication: Jul-1983, 2036 W. Kem Rd., Marion, Grant Co., IN 46952.
• Hardy County West Virginia GenWeb project - The son: Michael Harness jr.
• New York Post Boy (newspaper), 06 Oct 1763
• Johann Michael Ernst Hoerner and His Harness Children: What the Documents Say by John L. Tevebaugh, 2001
• Source: S289 Media: Court Abbreviation: Hampshire Co., VA court records Title: Miscellaneous Hampshire Co., VA Court Records, LDS microfilm #0186352 Publication: Envelope #4, 1759 Italicized: Y Paranthetical: Y
• Source: S297 Media: Genealogy research Abbreviation: HARNESS lineage - HARNESS Title: Direct Descendants of Michael HARNESS Author: Harold D. HARNESS Publication: http://www.familytreemaker.com/users/h/a/r/Harold-D-Harness/, 15-Aug-1997, 1607 Dogwood Ln, Bel Air, MD 21015, (email address removed) Italicized: Y Paranthetical: Y
• Source: S299 Media: Genealogy research Abbreviation: HARNESS-TRUMBO Title: HARNESS-TRUMBO/WIGGINTON-COLWELL-CLARK, 1700-1993 Author: Mae Ross STADTMILLER Publication: Mar-1993, 2173 Newcomer Ln., Beach Grove, IN 46107-1666 Italicized: Y Paranthetical: Y
• Source: S304 Media: Genealogy research Abbreviation: HARNESS family group sheet - McCAWLEY Title: HARNESS family group sheet - McCAWLEY Author: Hal McCAWLEY Publication: 130 Beach Park Blvd., Foster City, CA 94404, (email address removed) , 10-Apr-1997 Italicized: Y Paranthetical: Y

Notes

Note NI637Killed by Indians. Supposed to have been shot on the road while riding a horse from his father's place to Vanmeter's Fort which was located 12 miles north of present Moorefield (PATTON).

Michael moved to what is now Grant Co., WV about 1761, where he soon acquired 470 1/2 acres. In addition to the land he surveyed, he purchased 202 1/2 acres located on Walker Ridge, Lick Meadow, the "drains of Luneys Creek and Clover Lick", "adjoining Gacoby WELTON's horse pond", which had been surveyed for CRAIGE in 1760.

Revolutionary War patriot.