Abner Harris (bef. 1768 - bef. 1826)

Born before 1768 in Halifax County, North Carolina [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Mary (Pritchett) Harris — married 1789 in Halifax County, North Carolina USA

Descendants

Died before Jan 1826 at about age 58 in Montgomery County, Tennessee

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Liz Shifflett [send private message]

Biography

Abner Harris was born before 1768^[1] in Halifax County, North Carolina^[2] to Elias and Silva (Chambliss) Harris.^[3] He married Mary Pritchett in 1789 in Halifax County, North Carolina.^[4][5]

It appears that Abner and his family moved to Tennessee with his mother and step-father around 1797. Abner and Mary's daughter Susannah was born in 1797. The 1850 census shows Susannah as born in North Carolina, although the 1880 census for William Martin, her son, shows Tennessee.^[6]

Abner's mother Silva had re-married after his father's death. In September 1797, Colonel John Hargrove and his wife, formerly widow of Elias Harris, "sold the estate in Halifax Co, NC...the deed states that [they] were preparing to depart for the western country."^[7] John Hargrove's brother, William, had received a land grant in Davidson County, Tennessee for his services in the Revolutionary War. John Hargrove died shortly after the move to Tennessee, as his inventory was returned at Davidson County in January 1799. Both Abner and his Mother Silvah purchased items at the 1801 sale.

In 1807 he was appointed guardian of John Pritchard, which continued for several years.^[8]

Abner Harris is listed as a Montgomery County Justice of the Peace in 1813.^[9]

Daughter Susannah married in Montgomery County, Tennessee in 1818.

Abner was a Presbyterian:

The Chronicle, of May 24, 1819, announced, "The Rev. Wm. Stewart, of the Presbyterian professions, will preach in Clarksville, on Monday, the 31st inst. and at the house of Abner Harris, on M'Adoe [McAdoo], the evening of that day." Stewart was active in Christian County, Kentucky, and would return to Clarksville several times. Harris became a ruling elder when the Presbyterians organized in 1822.^[10]

From "The Montgomery County (Tenn) Genealogical Journal," Volume IX, September 1979, No 1),^[11] page 12:

He was an elder of the First Presbyterian Church of Clarksville where he and his wife, Mary, were organizing members in 1822.

Abner Harris died in 1826 in Montgomery County, Tennessee.^[8][12]

Will Abstract^[8]

Abner Harris made his will 29 July 1824 which was proved at January Court 1826.

• "my loving wife Mary"
• daughters
  • Rebeckah Martin
  • Mary H. Duke
  • Elizabeth Hust,^[13]
  • Susanna Martin
  • Nancy Harris
  • Caty Harris
• sons
  • Arthur Harris
  • Joseph John Harris
  • Abner Harris
  • Sampson Harris
  • Jessee Read Harris
• The three youngest sons Abner, Sampson and Jessee, all under age 21.
• Daughter Caty was also mentioned as being under age.
• Alexander M. Rogers, Arthur Harris, Joseph John Harris and Wllliam Hust were executors.

The will provided that at the death of Mary Harris, the residue of the estate was to be sold and the proceeds divided equally among all the children. While no death date has been found for Mary Harris, she apparently died about 1828 when Arthur Harris was appointed guardian of Jessee R. Harris, a minor. The following persons subsequently sold all their right and title to the real and personal estate of Abner Harris to Arthur Harris for $50.00:

• Elijah Martin 3 January 1829
• John Duke of Wayne County, Tennessee 20 September 1828
• William Hust 19 June 1829
• Joseph John Harris 21 February 1828
• Samuel Rogers of Dickson County, Tennessee 7 October 1828
• Sampson Harris 26 October 1829
• Abner Harris 27 February 1829
• Jessee Reed Harris 11 February 1835
• William Martin (also signed by Susannah Martin) 17 March 1828
• Robert M. Lyal 7 October 1828.

DNA

Paternal and maternal relationships are suggested by a 10.4 cM match between Peyton Noland GEDMATCH T479362 and Paul Leonard Gilbert. Their Most Recent Common Ancestors were Elias Harris and Silvia Chambliss.

Harris DNA Project: Harris DNA Results (archive.org link - 2011 capture by the WayBack Machine, accessed 12 March 2021)

Research Notes

Leads

• Genforum post: marriage of Mary Pritchett and John Abner Harris abt 1790; children possibly: Rebechah, Mary H, Elizabeth, Susannah, Arthur, Joseph John, Nancy, John Abner, Sampson, Catherine, and Jesse Read.
• A Rootsweb tree: Harris/Pritchett marriage in 1789, Halifax County; children Rebeckah, Mary H, Elizabeth, Susannah, Arthur, Joseph John, Nancy, John Abner, Sampson, Catherine, and Jesse Read. (source apparently Broderbund World Family Tree). Note: Dead Rootsweb link removed January 2021. The page was not captured by archive.org's WayBack Machine. Could not find where Ancestry had moved the page to (apparently, it was one of the ones permanently deleted). Google Search with "rootsweb" unsuccessful but one with "Halifax" [halifax +harris +pritchett +marriage +1789] found
  • Marriage at USGenWeb: Harris, Abner to Mary Pritchett from "List of Marriage Licenses for Halifax Co NC, for year 1789, Certified by John Justice and W. Alston Jr."
  • 1790 Census (Harris, John & Pritchett, Nicholas appear in the Google Results)
• Gary Young of Washington, D.C. provides details about the family of Elias Harris on the Rootsweb page of Jesse Mason Lawrence Jr that also includes a transcript of Elias's will. Note: As of 28 January 2021, that page no longer includes the transcript [and was gone completely by 2023]. However, a transcription was found in a free online e-book (see images attached to Elias's profile - page one of three is here).
• Harris Family Collection in UNC, Chapel Hill. If Rev. John Abner Harris, b 1861, is a descendant, the collection might be pertinent. Abstract: "The Harris family includes William Harris Senior, an Irish immigrant to North Carolina, and his son, Joshua. The collection includes a complete copy of family records kept by Joshua Harris, including a list of family marriages, 1830-1858, and deaths, 1832-1858, with ages....and scattered family papers of the Reverend John Abner Harris of western North Carolina, concerning the Harris, McLelland, Morrison, and Stevenson families of Iredell County, N.C., and the Harris family in Indiana and Pennsylvania...."

• note: If I'm reading the Davidson College directory correctly, the entry for potential descendant John Abner Harris shows he was born in 1862, as does the 1898 Presbyterian Ministerial Directory

Sources

1. ↑ his father's will, written October 16, 1788, named him a co-executor so it can be assumed he was at least 21 at that time
2. ↑ Marie Chantigny, citing familysearch.org LDS ancestral file
3. ↑ transcript of father's will, posted on the Rootsweb page of Jesse Mason Lawrence Jr (as of 27 Jan. 2021, that page no longer includes a transcription of Elias's will) [as of 22 June 2023 the page was gone completely]
4. ↑ USGenWeb
5. ↑ If Abner was 21 when he married, he would have been born in 1768.
6. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #73749437 for Susannah has Halifax County in 1797 (no sources or pictures; attribution given to "Notes from Mignon Herrin Alward" and text implies information is from Susannah's grandson Bob Hilderbrand)
7. ↑ genforum post by Dana Harris January 17, 2006
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2} TMCGJ: "The Montgomery County [Tenn] Genealogical Journal, Vol. IX, No. 1 (Sept. 1979): pp 11-18. Abner Harris of Montgomery County, Tennessee, by Oveda Meier
9. ↑ pdf, Tennessee Montgomery County Genealogical Journal, Vol. 10, Issue 3
10. ↑ TN Gen Web
11. ↑ TMCGJ pdf
12. ↑ date also from Marie Chantigny, familysearch.org LDS ancestral file
13. ↑ marriage record, Montgomery County: Hust, William to Elizabeth Harris dau. of Rev. Abner Harris Feb 9 1821

• USGenWeb archives for Halifax County, North Carolina marriages:

• Harris, Abner to Mary Pritchett

(from "List of Marriage Licenses for Halifax Co NC, for year 1789; Certified by John Justice and W. Alston Jr.")

• Find-A-Grave memorial #73749437 for Susannah (Harris) Martin
• See notes in daughter's WikiTree profile
• See also sources/notes for William Martin, Susannah's husband
• Virginia Soldiers of 1776, by Louis A. Burgess. 1927 (p 885)

Acknowledgments

• Liz Shifflett (created Harris-9186)
• Marie Chantigny (added the parents for John Abner Harris)
• Mark Olsen (created Harris-2904)

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