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Thomas Harris (1580 - 1658)

Captain Thomas Harris
Born in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, Englandmap
Son of [father unknown] and [mother unknown]
[sibling(s) unknown]
Husband of — married before 1623 (to before 11 Nov 1635) in Neck of Land, Charles Cittie, Colony of Virginiamap
Husband of — married before 11 Nov 1635 in Virginiamap
Descendants descendants
Died at age 77 in Curles Plantation, Henrico, Colony of Virginiamap
Profile last modified | Created 11 Nov 2010
This page has been accessed 20,828 times.
US Southern Colonies.
Thomas Harris resided in the Southern Colonies in North America before 1776.
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Contents

Biography

flag of the Jamestowne Society
Flag of Virginia
Thomas Harris lived in Virginia.

Thomas Harris[1] of Aylesbury Parish, Buckinghamshire County, England was born December 19, 1585.[citation needed][2] He arrived in Virginia aboard the Prosperous and gave his age as 38 in the 1624/5 Jamestown Muster:

Thomas Harris, Head. Arrived Prosperous, May (year not given). Age 38. Location: Neck of Land, Charles Cittie corporation. Muster Date 24 January 1624/5.[3]
The Prosperous sailed March 1610 (old style) and arrived in May. It appears May 1610 was given in some records, but was probably 1611.[4]

Ten years later, in November 1621, his future first wife arrived in Virginia: the HMS Marmaduke landed from England with "one widow and 11 maids," destined to be brides of early settlers. Among them was "Audry Hoare, mayd, aged 19: borne att Alesburie in Buckenham sheir, her ffather and Mother are alive, her father a shoemaker..."[5]

It is not known if Thomas Harris, like many English planters in those early colonial days, kept a Native American mistress in the intervening years.[citation needed][6] One theory speculates that he took up with Ann, his neighbor's widow — Edward Gurganey died before his wife, who did not mention Edward in her February 1619/20 will, but did leave her land to Thomas.[4][7]

Thomas Harris was married to his first wife Adria by 1624, when the February 1623 (1624, new style) muster lists him and his wife (not named) at Neck of Land.[8][9] Neck of Land, in Charles Cittie, is "upriver a bit from Jamestown."[10] The Jamestown muster of January 1624/25 included his wife:

Adria Harris, wife of Thomas Harris. Arrived Marmaduke, November 1621. Age 23. Location: Neck of Land, Charles Cittie corporation. Muster Date: 24 January 1624/5[11]
Household, 1624/25 Jamestown Muster
Thomas Harris (38 years) and Adria, his wife (23 years).
Ann Woodliffe (7 years), their kinswoman.
Servants: Elizabeth (15 years, arrived in the Margaret and John in 1620)[12]

Adria gave her age as 23 in the muster, and 19 when she immigrated in 1621, which would put her birth year about 1602, but she may have have been born later.

Audry Hoare, daughter of Thomas Hoare, was christened 25 August 1604, Saint Mary, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England.[13][14]

His wife "Awadrye" was named in the 31 January 1627 will of Thomas Hoare (proved 5 April 1627 in Buckingham, England), as was her daughter. "This confirms that Audrey Hoare was still alive in Virginia as late as 1627 and that Mary Harris had been born by 1626 and was acknowledged by her grandfather in England."[4] She died before November 11, 1635, when a land patent shows Thomas's wife as Joane. This was the first of four land patents (Nov. 11, 1635; May 2, 1636; July 1637; Feb. 25, 1638) for a parcel of land "comonly known by the name of the Long feild".[4][15]

"It would appear that all four of these describe the same parcel of land. In each one, the acreage varies slightly and the justifications seem to change. It's like he was searching for the right combination that would make everything legal. We don't know what prompted Thomas Harris to repatent land that had already been in his control for almost 20 years. Perhaps there was some dispute with neighbors or perhaps it was prompted by his marriage to Joane Vincent which probably took place in 1635. That event may have required him to document the ownership of the various parcels he had amassed through the years. Notice that the parcel being patented does not include the land belonging to Joane Vincent. Perhaps there were possible heirs from the marriage of Joane and William Vincent and Thomas Harris felt it would be best to establish the identity of his personal land in case of conflicts or challenges."[4]

Thomas Harris died March 30, 1658[citation needed] at Curles Plantation, Henrico County, Virginia. Boddie (1958) says that he died on March 30, 1682, on the Curles Plantation, "at the impressive age of 96."[16][17] He apparently prepared a will in 1649, since lost, that left 200 acres to the male heirs of his daughter, Mary, who married Col. Thomas Ligon, and the remainder to his son, William.[18] Another death date given: March 30, 1652.[19]

"Neck of Land" was later called "Curles Neck" / "Long feild" or "Longfield" was later named "Curles"[20][21]

Vitals

Born: Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England c1580-1590 [citation needed]
Parents: not known; a Thomas Harris, son of Francis Harris, was christened 21 May 1580, St. Mary, Aylesbury, Buckingham (Donna Warner Lehman)
Wives:
  1. Adria Hoare, by February 1623/24[22]
  2. Joane, widow of William Vincent, by Nov. 11, 1635[22]
Children:[21]
Died: Longfield, Henrico County, Virginia[21][22]
date: after 1649,[18] March 30, 1658 or 1682[22]

Notes on Capt. Thomas Harris

  1. He is not the son of Sir William Harris of Creeksea, Essex, as shown by the will of a Thomas Harris in England in 1617 who died unmarried.[24][25]
  2. He was married first to Adria Hoare and second to Joane (last name unknown). He only had 2 children--Mary Harris md. Thomas Ligon, and William Harris.
    1. Another comment includes a daughter Elizabeth.[26]
    2. He did not have a son named Thomas, although this article lists Thomas d1729 as his son.[15]
Above notes courtesy of Tom King, a Harris DNA researcher, who also notes that the work of J. Philip Harris of Richmond, VA "is pretty reliable."[26]
Wives of Thomas Harris
  • (common law) Ann, widow of Edward Gurgaynie (before 1619/20)[4]
  • 1st wife Adry Hoare, widow of George Grymes (died 1623)[4]
  • 2nd wife Joanne, widow of William Vincent[4]

Ancient Planter

An accepted member of the "Ancient Planter" Association.[27] The term "Ancient Planter" is applied to those persons who arrived in Virginia before 1616, remained for a period of three years, and paid their passage. They received the first patents of land in the new world as authorized by Sir Thomas Dale in 1618 for their personal adventure.[28]

18 November 1618: 100 acres granted to Thomas Harris at Neck of Land.[4]

Community Leader

Thomas Harris was elected to the House of Burgesses in 1623-24, 1639 and 1647.[29]

He marched as a Captain of his militia against the Indians:

"4 July 1627. A concerted strike is ordered against the Indians throughout various sections of the colonies. Thomas Osborne, 1st in Command and Thomas Harris, 2nd in Command are appointed to lead a group in the upper parts against the Tanx Powhatan and destroy their corn."[4]

Thomas was Burgess for the Neck of Land in 1624 and for Henrico County in 1640 and 1647-48.[8] In August 1626, he was appointed "as one of the 'Commissioners for the Upper Parts," which included Henrico, and in Dec. 1640 was Commander of Henrico County.[9] His will, now lost, was made about 1649.[10]"[21]

In 1640 he was made commander of the Henrico County militia. In 1644-45 3 forts were ordered erected: one at Pamunkey, to be called Fort Royal; one at the Falls of the James River, called Fort Charles; and one on the Ridge of the Chickahominy, to be called Fort James. In October 1646, the General Assembly gave these forts, with adjoining tracts of land, to various prominent settlers on the condition of maintenance, at their expense, of proper forces. Of the three, Fort Charles was given to Captain Thomas Harris.[30][31][32][33][34]

Curles Neck Farm

"Of particular interest are the ruins found during the excavations at Curles Neck in eastern Henrico along the James. Archaeologists uncovered the Thomas Harris house foundation, one of the oldest homes found in Virginia dating between 1635-1654. Thomas Harris served as Burgess for Curles Neck. The archaeologists noted that the framing posts of this house sat in the full basement and some were enclosed by bricks which was unique in the Chesapeake area. A large centrally located chimney suggests that there was a lobby entrance. Built later in the early 1700’s, adjacent to this structure, was the home of Nathaniel Bacon, the leader of the rebellion against the English authorities. Landscape features include intricate terraces and traces of underground tunnels down to the James River which could be used as an escape route from potential Indian invasions."[35][36][37]
See the Historic Marker for Captain Thomas Harris (1586-1658), which is on "Route 5_.5 miles East of Entrance to Curles Neck Farm Henrico, Virginia"

The William Harris Connection

Cpt. Thomas Harris was an Investor in the Virginia Company.[38]

following biographical information contributed by Chet Snow
That Thoma Harris was a gentleman and likely a kinsman of Sir William Harris' wealthy Essex family is attested by his subscribing to the London Virginia Company, which was formed on May 23, 1609. Sir. William Harris, his son Arthur, and Sir. Thomas Smythe, whose sister Alice was William Harris' wife, were also subscribers, at 75 Pounds apiece. Thomas Harris was most likely a nephew of Sir William Harris but this is still unproven at present.[39]
Before joining the London Virginia Company in 1609 at age 23, little is known of Thomas Harris' life. He may have been a seaman and/or involved in the Essex Harris family's merchant activities. After joining the Company, it is said he sailed to Virginia and back on the 3rd Expedition in 1609-10, aboard the ill-fated ship "Sea Adventure" that foundered off the island of Bermuda in a hurricane. Eventually, the 150 survivors, including Harris, made their way to Jamestown and from there he returned to London where his stories of shipwreck and survival in a hostile natural world inspired William Shakespeare's 1611 play, "The Tempest".[40]
It appears that perhaps the preceding observations pertain to a different Thomas Harris than the Thomas of Aylesbury who was aboard the Prosperous and is listed in both the February 1623/4 and January 1624/5 Jamestown musters. ~ Liz Shifflett
The experience did not daunt Thomas Harris personally for in March 1611, he left Great Britain aboard the HMS Prosperous, returning to Virginia, this time to establish himself as a planter there. Robert [Thomas?] was part of Sir Thomas Dale's second Virginia supply (the 5th British expedition to Virginia since December 1606). Dale, with his charter as Virginia's new Governor, sailed from Land's End, Cornwall, England, on March 27, 1611, with three ships, the Star, the Prosperous, and the Elizabeth, carrying 300 people. Dale's fleet anchored at Fort Algerian, now called Old Point Comfort, on May 22, 1611, having crossed the Atlantic in less than 60 days. It was a very different experience than that of just 2 years earlier.[citation needed]

Wales Connection

Cpt. Thomas Harris immigrated from Wales on the immigrant ship "Prosperous" on May 22, 1611.[16]

Following was from another profile, citing (Brenda's online tree, which is possibly the same source as the preceding section. Portions known to be incorrect have been struck through and portions probably not him have been bracketed. The passage may still hold inaccuracies. ~ Noland-165 21:56, 14 December 2016 (EST)
"CAPTAIN THOMAS HARRIS; 1576-1658; came from Wales; [_was a member of the VBA Company, 1609; _] came to the Colony in 1611; was a member of the House of Burgesses, 1623, 1639 and 1646; (Brown, in this "Genesis", states that he may have been a son of Sir William Harris of Crixith, and Woodham-Moretmar, Essex, England); m. Adria Osborne; m. (2) Joane -----. Thomas Harris, aged 38, May, 1611, came to Virginia in the "Prosperous". His wife, Adria Osborne, came to Virginia Nov, 1621, in the "Marmaduke." Capt, Thomas was [_a member of the Virginis Company._] He came to Virginiain the Prosperous in May 1611, during the time of Sir Thomas Dale. He was the patantee of lands in Henrico, "Neck of Land", as Curles was once called, or "Long Field". He was in the Indian War of 1622 (The massacre at Martin's Hundred is told quite well in the "National Geographic", some time in the 1970's. There is alot of archealogical sites there today. I'll come back later withe exact issue of the article.), Burgess for Henrico, 1623, '39, '47. He took his first patent 1635, later 1655-58. see information on his patents (above) He married his second wife, Joane (Gurgarny) supposedly from the fact that Edward Gurgany owned land next to Joane in 1635, and his wife bequeathed land to Capt. Thomas Harris.

Disputed Wives

The only profiles that should be attached as this Thomas's wives are Adria Hoare and Joane Unknown.
Thomas's wives were (1) Adria and (2) Joane. Latest research shows that Adria's maiden name was Hoare and that Joane was the widow of his neighbor William Vincent. Dorman's had Gurganey as Adria's maiden name (since corrected); one theory had them both as Osborne (sisters). Only Adria Hoare and Joane (Unknown) are currently attached as his wives. Profiles removed from duplicate profiles for Thomas prior to merging have included

Disputed Children

Mary and William are known to be the children of Thomas and Adria. William was once thought to have been the son of Joane, because a misinterpretation of testimony at a witch trial had put Adria death prior to September 1626.[41] However, "Awadrye" was named in the 31 January 1627 will of Thomas Hoare (proved 5 April 1627 in Buckingham, England), which also named her daughter. So we know both she and daughter were alive at the time. (William's birth is given as 1629.)
One profile cites a reference to his five children, but additional details are needed.
Merged profiles have attached as children the following profiles, which need to be "re-homed"
Merged profiles also bring in duplicates:

M. Stanhope Research, Genealogical Notes

Following commentary & summary provided by Chet Snow of M. Stanhope's research, which is online (links below).

Just to add to the confusion and controversy over the Harris family pedigrees, another researcher, "M. Stanhope," has published a researched theory that the Thomas Harris who emigrated to Virginia in 1611 and was on the February 1624 muster at Charles City was NOT the same person as the "Captain Thomas Harris" who was a political leader in Henrico County, in Virginia, in the 1630-50s. This Thomas Harris was born in 1586 and married Adria (Audrey) Hoare, of Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. They lived in "Neck of Land" plantation along the James River in Charles City "shire" (later county).
According to Mr. Stanhope, Captain Thomas Harris was born in Shropshire in 1603 and emigrated to Virginia after 1624.

Links


Research Notes

Information about Thomas's wives that is outdated considering consensus that his first wife's maiden name was Hoare (but may be relevant to Joane, widow of William Vincent):

"There are considerable differences in accounts of the death of the first wife of Capt. Thomas HARRIS and of his second marriage. Tentatively, this narrative follows the claims that his second wife was married about 1624/5 and was the sister of his first wife. However, some sources state that Joane was the daughter of Lt. Col. Thomas OSBORNE, a 1611 immigrant to VA. There is also a question as to whether Mary, daughter of Capt. Thomas HARRIS, was of his first or second marriage. This narrative follows the approved lineages of the Order of the Crown of Charlemagne, and found in Volume II of Pedigrees of Some of the Emperor Charlemagne's Descendants (Baltimore 1974) for Maj. Robert HARRIS and for Mary (HARRIS) LIGON. It seems likely, though unproved, that son Maj. William HARISS was born to the second marriage."[42]

Information included in this profile that is probably for another Thomas Harris.

  • Birth 10 Jun 1585 Crixse, Essex, England
  • Christening 1611
  • Marriage 1626 VA
[still probably a different Thomas Harris] Captain Thomas Harris was a nephew of Sir Thomas Smith, Treasurer of the Virginia Company and Governor of the East India Company, and was grandson of "Customer" Smith who rose from obscurity in Queen Elizabeth's time by marrying the daughter of Sir Andrew Judd, the Lord Mayor, of humble origin himself. Sir William Harris, father of Capitan Thomas, was descended from Sir Thomas Percy, executed in Aske's Rebellion; five Percy Earls of Northumberland, the Spencers, Calthorpes, Drury's, Howards, Wentworth's and Waldegraves."[43]
Information copied in from somewhere (Ancestry?) that appears to include outdated information as well as information on more than one Thomas Harris:
•Name: CAPT. THOMAS HARRIS (THE IMMIGRANT)
•Sex: M
•Birth: 1586 in ENGLAND/WALES
•Death: 1658 in HENRICO COUNTY, VA
•NOTE ARRIVED: IN VA IN 1611 AT AGE 24. IN JAN 1624 HE WAS LIVING WITH HIS WIFE, ADRIA GURGANEY. RECEIVED 400 ACRES FROM HIS MOTHER IN LAW. RENEWED PATENT OF "LONGFIELD" IN 1639, WITH 100 ACRES FROM ADRIA (DIED 1626). NATHANIEL BACON'S ESTATE "BACON'S CURLES) WAS FORMERLY "LONGFEILD". PER MARY UNDERWOOD - COULD THIS BE THE THOMAS HARRIS 1587-1654 VA, + ADRIA GURGANEY IN 1619: + JOANE _____ IN 1626/39.
PLANTATION - LONGFIELD.
SEE MARSHALL SHORE PACKET: THIRD CHILD
SEE NOTES FROM KAY STONE - NAMED IN WILL OF GRANDMOTHER - ALICE JUDDE SMYTHE.
1586-1658 MARRIED JOANE OSBORNE.
Father: SIR WILLIAM HARRIS
Mother: ALICE SMITH
Marriage 1 ADRIA OSBORNE b: c1601(1600) in CRIXEE, EXXEX CO.,ENGLAND
•Married: 1619 in Henrico Co., Va
  • Source: U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s (Ancestry Online Publication)
  • Source: Ancestry Family Trees (Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members).

Sources

  1. Jamestowne Society: Harris, Thomas - A3504; born 1586/7, died ca. 1649, (Ancient Planter); (Muster of 1624/5); Neck of Land, 1624, Henrico Co.: 1640, 1647-48 (Burgess).] accessed 25 September 2021
  2. a possibility for birth/father, from the entry for Thomas Harris, Rootsweb online tree by Donna Warner Lehman:
    • this Thomas? — "Thomas HARRIS, son of Francis, christened 21 May 1580, St. Mary, Aylesbury, Buckingham"
    note - see this page, J. Phillip Harris's article, "Solving Capt. Thomas Harris - The Aylesbury Connection," March 24, 2002 (seems to be source for most of the info on Donna's entry for Thomas)
  3. Thomas Harris, 1624/5 Muster
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 J. Phillip Harris, "Captain Thomas Harris: Establishing a True History," posted by Glenn Gohr in Rootsweb
  5. Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol 34, Winter 1996, No 1, pg. 51ff, article by Lydon Hart; cited on Adria Hoare, entry in family tree posted in Rootsweb by Donna Warner Lehman
  6. commentary apparently from Chet Snow
  7. For another theory (that Ann was a Harris), see the FabPedigree entry for Edward. For more scholarly discussion of wife Adria, see the footnotes on page 265 (Purse & Person).
  8. 1623 Living and Dead
  9. "Although his wife is not named, we have to draw the conclusion that she is the 'Adry' he later names as his 'first wife' in the patent of 25 February 1638." (J. Phillip Harris)
  10. this map, a graphic to illustrate an Encyclopedia of Virginia article on Bermuda Hundred, shows Neck of Land and Curles.
  11. Adria Harris, Jamestown Muster, January 1624/5
  12. Booth online tree
  13. "A search of records listed in the International Genealogical Index on LDS yielded these two recorded events. [The other was the 30 Nov 1581 marriage of "Drewe Woodliffe to Katherine Duncombe, parents of John Woodliffe, father of Anne Woodliffe."] Both records are in the same church.... In the muster, Adria Harris is listed as being 23 and arriving on the Marmaduke in November 1621 meaning she was about 20 when she arrived. The muster was taken in February on 24 January 1624/25. The christening date for Audry Hoare was August 1604. Giving up to a year's delay from the birth would put the difference between those dates at 21 to 22 years. If the Audrey Hoare in the christening and the Adria Hoare on the Marmaduke are the same, then she would be 17 or 18 years old when she made the voyage. Perhaps she stretched the age a bit to qualify to come to Virginia. This wouldn't be the first time a 17 year old has tried to pass herself off as 19."
    • Cover Letter for "The First Four Generations of Captain Thomas Harris b. 1585/6" (Rootsweb post, 2002, by Chuck Harris)
  14. Note: There is no Adria Gurganey on the passenger ship record of the "Marmaduke". There is one for an Adria Hoare who is widely accepted by professional genealogists now as the 1st wife of Capt Thomas Harris. Edward and Anne Gurganey died childless (see Edward's profile).
  15. 15.0 15.1 see also "Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 4, No. 1 (Jul., 1896; published by Virginia Historical Society), pp. 75-85, see p 79.
    • Thomas Harris: 750 acres in Henrico county on Nov. 11, 1635 (100 acres "due him as 'an anchent planter...'" and 650 acres for transportation of 13 persons [12 named in article]) adjoining land of Edward Virgany and Joane Harris his wife.
    "Captain Thomas Harris, born 1586, came to Virginia during the government of Sir Thomas Dale, and settled at the 'Neck of land,' in Henrico. He was a member of the House of Burgesses in 1623-4, and again for Henrico county in 1647. He married, 1st, Adria ______ (born 1601, came to Virginia 1621), and 2d Joanne _____, and had issue:
    1. Major William, of Henrico, died 1678; many years justice of Henrico and Burgess 1652, 1653, 1656 and 1657-8; married Lucy _____
    2. Thomas, of Henrico, died September, 1679[citation needed]
    3. Mary, married Colonel Thomas Lygon, of Henrico."
  16. 16.0 16.1 Historical Southern Families, Vol.1 by John Bennett Boddie 1958D, Page 293.
  17. Died 1682 also in the FindaGrave memorial for Cpt Thomas Harris (1586-1682), which names him son of William and Alice (Smythe) Harris. See also the FindaGrave memorial for Capt Thomas Harris (1585-1658), which includes links to memorials for wife Joane (but with incorrect maiden name of Osborne) and children William and Mary Ligon.
  18. 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 from Facebook's Harris Part II
  19. from merged profile, Harris-2901 created through the import of Shurtliff Family.ged on Jun 20, 2011 by Mark Shurtliff. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Mark and others.
    Harris-2901 included a note that Harris-2886 has a death date of 1663.
  20. Wikipedia: Curles Neck Plantation
  21. 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 John Frederick Dorman, Adventurers of Purse and Person, Virginia, 1607-1624/5: Families G-P (page 265). See the Google book for additional information.
    [10] Waverly K. Winfree, The Laws of Virginia (Richmond, 1971), pp. 344-47. This Act of Assembly passed at the session of 21 May-9 July 1730 to break the entail on part of the land "formerly called Longfield but lately called and known by the Name of Curles," states that Thomas Harris left an only daughter, Mary, wife of Thomas Ligon, and an only son, William Harris, and details the Ligon descendants.
  22. 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 various sources, as discussed above
  23. January 1627 will of Adria's father
  24. "New research in England has definitely proven that he was NOT the third son, Thomas, of Sir. William Harris, MP (aka 'Herries') of Crixie (Creeksea), County of Essex, England. ~ Chet Snow
  25. "The Will of Thomas Harris of Creeksea, County Essex", Bryce M. Clagett, Virginia Genealogist, v.38, #2, 1994, pp. 129-30. ... a search at the Essex County Records Office in Chelmsford (Essex Archdeaconry Wills D/ABW20/299) quickly unearthed the will of Thomas Harris, made and proved in 1617, which shows that Sir William Harris' third son died unmarried and was not the man who came to Virginia, [naming] six of the seven other children of Sir William and Alice (Smith) Harris, [and a brother-in-law].
  26. 26.0 26.1 Comment by Tom King, lead researcher, Harris DNA Group 4 line.
  27. Order of Descendants of Ancient Planters
  28. Nugent, Nell Marion, Abstracted and Indexed by. Cavaliers and Pioneers: Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants, 1623-1800. In Five Volumes. Richmond, VA.: Press of the Dietz Printing Co., 1935, Page xxxiv
  29. see his entry in Tyler's Encyclopedia of Virginia Biographies
  30. Wikipedia: Curles Neck Plantation
  31. Curles Neck, Henrico Historical Socitey
  32. Archaeology link
  33. Brenda
  34. The William and Mary Quarterly, Volume 7 (Google Book, page 127)
  35. Inventory of Early Architecture County of Henrico, Virginia
  36. Ancestry link (Could not access on 27 Jul 2021)
  37. see illustration on page 19 of this article, "The Birds are Coming Home to Roost: Re-Evaluating the Architectural History of Turkey Island Plantation," by Douglas Ross
  38. Blood Royal (Website no longer exists. 27 Jul 2021)
  39. Source #Brenda. NOTE by Chet Snow: This webpage has a thorough discussion of the controversy over Thomas Harris' pedigree, including primary sources. It also includes an excellent resume of the English politics behind the forming of the Virginia Companies and the key role the Essex Harris family, including Thomas Harris, played in the early 1600s when they helped James VI of Scotland succeed England's virgin Queen Elizabeth I who died in March 1603.
  40. "The Virginia Company of London, 1606-1624," by Wesley F. Craven, [pp 20-22]
  41. See this Encyclopedia Virginia article for details about the witch trial.
  42. This paragraph was introduced with "Lawson", but no additional mention of "Lawson" was included.
  43. Samuel Taylor Geer in 2010 Geer Family Master File, at Ancestry.com

See also:

  • Hotten, John Camden, (1874) The Original Lists of Persons of Quality; Emigrants ... London: Hotten, Archive.org (Pages 170, 203).




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Comments: 59

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Reference "Minutes of the Council and General Court of Colonial Virginia" Edited by H. R. McIlawaine. We find that on 27 Sept 1672 the following, "Ordered that attachment be against the estate of George Woodard in James City County for payment of fifteen thousand pounds of tobacco and casket to Alice Harris the Relict of Tho; Harris in Regard the said Woodar is returned by the Sheriff non est Inventus." The term non est inventus was used when the individual required for arrest was not found within the judicial jurisdiction. Was this Alice Harris' maiden name FITTS?
posted by Brady Fitts Jr
doubtful. No mention of a wife named Alice at all for this Thomas, who died in Henrico County (no mention of James City County).
posted by Liz (Noland) Shifflett
How does Thomas Hoare's will statement: "It'm I give to my daughter Awadrye xij d to be payde her when she doth demande it after my desease and allso to her daughter xij d" prove that this Audry is his daughter? It doesn't give a surname or location. It feels like a big chunk of the evidence isn't here.
posted by Ryan Torchia
All the pieces are easier to follow on her profile - https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Hoare-184
posted by Liz (Noland) Shifflett
That Audrey went to America seems sound. It's the the claim that it's proven she is the Audrey who married Thomas Harris. What proves there's no chance his wife was a different Audrey and she married a different man and had a daughter named Mary? The names are common enough that it's not out of the question. Is there any other correspondence? If not, this seems 'probable' rather than 'proven'.
posted by Ryan Torchia
update: merge completed

Harris-30731 and Harris-751 appear to represent the same person because: Harris-30731 was apparently created as a misguided duplicate of Harris-751 but morphed into a "why he's not Thomas Harris, son of Sir William. I've cleaned up the profile a lot. This duplicate profile needs to be merged away & most of the comments pertain to incorrectly attributed wives of Harris-751, so I'm proposing that this profile be merged with his. Thanks!

posted by Liz (Noland) Shifflett
edited by Liz (Noland) Shifflett
There appears to be conflicting or conflated information between Harris-751 and Harris-14041. I plan to inspect the profiles for broken links and repair or replace any that I can, but I do not plan to make other changes. For future reference, I will leave a source that may shed light on these two individuals:

McCartney, Martha W. Virginia Immigrants and Adventurers 1607-1635: A Biographical Dictionary; Genealogical Publishing Company, Baltimore, MD, 2007, pp. 367, 368. (I find Ms. McCartney to be consistently accurate, although not infallible. She says these are two different people.)

posted by Betty (Skelton) Norman
oy. Looking for a home for Robert... see https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Harris-2634#matches
posted on Harris-30731 (merged) by Liz (Noland) Shifflett
update - proposed a merge for Osborne-7549 & merged Harris-30735

I've rejected the proposed merge with Harris-751 & detached the other wife/son (Osborne-7549/Harris-30735 - I'll work on "re-homing" them later today).

I found the profile for the Thomas Harris who left a 1617 will (who died unmarried): Harris-14136.

So, should this profile be merged away into Harris-14136 (died childless, 1617) or Harris-7891... I'd posted the following to Harris-751:

the Christening "fact" in Harris-30731 appears to make him a duplicate of Harris-7891:
  • Fact: Christening (4 February 1598) All Saints, Malden, Essex, England
Please see Thomas Harris-7891's profile. It includes a summary of his will, proved 1658/9.
P.S. Thomas Harris-7891 didn't marry Joane Osborne or Adria Gurguney either.
posted on Harris-30731 (merged) by Liz (Noland) Shifflett
edited by Liz (Noland) Shifflett
update - found the 1617 Thomas (Harris-14136) & posted a comment on Harris-30731

Harris-30731 and Harris-751 do not represent the same person because: Rather than merge with Harris-751, since the text for this profile (Harris-30731) is mostly about the Thomas who left a 1617 will, I think he should be kept as that Thomas (I'll look to see if that Thomas already has a profile).

P.S. I've detached one of the wives (and merged the profile away into Gurganey-1).

posted by Liz (Noland) Shifflett
edited by Liz (Noland) Shifflett
update - looking closer, I think merging with a different Thomas Harris than Harris-751 is a better option. I've posted a comment about that.

Jillaine - Please note that the profiles attached as wives are not duplicates of the wives of Thomas Harris-751 (who married 1st Adria Hoare-184 & 2nd Joanne Unknown-261516). See details on the profile for "Disproven Existence" Adria (Osborne-575) Harris.

Also, Thomas Harris-751 and Adria Hoare-184 had no known son named Robert (e.g., Harris-30735 profile attached to this Thomas Harris-30731 as son should also be detached prior to merge). Thanks!

posted on Harris-30731 (merged) by Liz (Noland) Shifflett
edited by Liz (Noland) Shifflett
Harris-30731 and Harris-751 appear to represent the same person because: Same vitals; same wives names (with some discrepancy in maiden names-- they need to be merged, too).
posted by Jillaine Smith
the Christening "fact" in Harris-30731 appears to make him a duplicate of Harris-7891:
  • Fact: Christening (4 February 1598) All Saints, Malden, Essex, England

Please see Thomas Harris-7891's profile. It includes a summary of his will, proved 1658/9.

P.S. Thomas Harris-7891 didn't marry Joane Osborne or Adria Gurguney either.

posted by Liz (Noland) Shifflett
edited by Liz (Noland) Shifflett
I descend from two Robert Harris', DNA proven, and from my own research I find this Thomas Harris to be the son of John Harris lived and is buried in Southwark Parish England a community near London. Many other relatives came to Henrico Co. VA from Southwark and settled in Henrico Co. Can I merge? John had children, Robert who d. in Eng. Thomas and Mary a younger sister.
posted by Edna (Niblett) Wood
It is possible that the Thomas Harris on the Prosperous in 1611 was the son of Sir William Harris of Creeksea. He may have returned to England due to illness. His uncle was Thomas Symthe, treasurer of the Virginia Co.

The St. Dionic Backchurch parish London shows three burials of "virginians" between 1612-1616 attributed to the household of Thomas Smythe. While these burials are presumably native Americans, it does show early and active movement of people out of Virginia. Captain Thomas Harris is likely proven to not be Thomas Harris of Creeksea who died in 1617. But which Thomas Harris was on the Prosperous in 1611 is unproven. John Harris, brother of Thomas of Creeksea, emigrated to Jamestown about 1622.

posted by Don Miller
update - detached Gurgany-3 & merged that profile with Gurganey-1. (1330 ET)

this is a duplicate of an existing profile, attached to a wife who didn't exist. Please detach him from the profile for Gurgany-3.

I don't know who Robert's parents were, but they weren't Thomas & Adria (Hoare) Harris.

posted on Harris-30731 (merged) by Liz (Noland) Shifflett
edited by Liz (Noland) Shifflett
I think maybe so... see #Community_Leader (Fort Charles) & this site
posted by Liz (Noland) Shifflett
Is this the Capt Thomas Harris that own Manchester Virginia?
posted by Craig Fortune
Harris-16530 and Harris-751 appear to represent the same person because: same death date & location
posted by Steve Hunt
Thanks John! The memorial has a lot of incorrect information, but I had not seen it before. I'll add it to footnote 20, where another Find a Grave memorial for his is mentioned: https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=162808951

Cheers, Liz

posted by Liz (Noland) Shifflett
update: merge completed

Harris-11546 and Harris-751 appear to represent the same person because: Hi! These are ready to be merged now (Harris-11546 has been disconnected from parents William & Alice). Thanks!

posted by Liz (Noland) Shifflett
note - although he has no son Thomas, I'm leaving "Sr." because he probably did use it in his lifetime - Sr and Jr at the time were used to distinguish by generation people of the same name living in close proximity (male and female).
posted by Liz (Noland) Shifflett