Robert Overton Harris Jr. (1741 - 1809)

Born 8 Mar 1741 in St Martins Parish, Hanover, Virginia

Ancestors

Husband of Lucretia (Brown) Harris — married 1762 in Albemarle, Colony of Virginia, America

Descendants

Died Nov 1809 at age 68 in Surry County, North Carolina, USA

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Chet Snow [send private message], Robert Bain [send private message], and Amanda Rountree [send private message]

Biography

Captain Robert Harris Jr. served with Albemarle County Militia, Virginia Militia during the American Revolution.

Robert Harris Jr. is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A051865.

Name: Robert /Harris/^[1]

Robert O. Harris Jr. was born on March 8, 1741 in St. Martin's Parish, which at the time was in Hanover County, in the English Province of Virginia (North America). The Parish was assigned to Louisa County in 1742 and became part of newly-formed Albemarle County in 1744. Robert was the 8th child and 3rd son of [[Harris-1912 | Robert Overton Harris Sr.], a Virginia planter who was three times elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses (therefore, a wealthy and notable family) in the 1730-40s. His mother was Mourning (Glenn) Harris.

In 1750, Robert Overton Harris Sr., moved his family from St. Martin's Parish, Alblemarle County. to rural Brown's cove in the Shenandoah Valley, halfway between Stanardsville and Waynesboro. This land was also located in Albemarle County, Virginia. The Brown's Cove settlement was founded by Welsh-born pioneer lawyer, Benjamin Brown, who became Robert O. Harris Jr.'s father-in-law in 1762, the same year that he passed away.

In 1762, Robert O. Harris Jr. married 16-year-old widow, Lucretia "Lucy" (Brown) Brown, b: 1846, in Albemarle County, Virginia. The couple lived at Brown's Cove and raised 12 children there, including Lucy's son by her first husband, Bezaleel Brown Sr., whom she had married when she was just 14; he had died within 18 months. Robert O. Harris Jr. raised orphan Bezaleel Jr. as his own.

The children of Lucretia (Brown) Harris & Robert Harris were:^[2]

1. Bezaleel Brown (adopted), b: 1760; d: ca. 1778
2. Elijah Harris b: 1762 in Albemarle VA
3. Nancy Harris b: 12 Nov 1763 in Albemarle VA
4. Mourning Birch Harris b: 1764 in Albemarle VA
5. Tyree Rhodes Harris b: 15 Mar 1765 in Albemarle VA
6. Sarah Harris b: Abt 1767, Albemarle VA; d: bef. 1806
7. Bernice Harris b: Abt 1769 in Albemarle VA
8. Lucretia Harris b: Abt 1771 in Albemarle VA
9. Lucy Harris b: Abt 1775 in Albemarle VA
10. Robert Harris : 1776 in Albemarle VA; d: before 1806
11. Patsy Harris b: Abt 1778 in Albemarle VA; d: bef. 1806
12. Bezaleel Brown Harris b: 1 Oct 1779 in Albemarle VA

As a frontiersman and patriot, Robert O. Harris Jr. joined the Virginia state militia to fight rebellious Indians; when the American Revolution began, he quickly rallied to the American cause and rose to become a Captain in the Virginia militia during the 1776-1778 campaigns.

In 1780, when released from the Virginia militia, Robert and Lucretia (Brown) Harris moved from Brown's Cove, Virginia, to newly-formed [1770] Surry county in North Carolina's Piedmont country. The 1790 first US Federal census shows him living there with one son over age 16; one son under 16; four women, including his wife, and 11 slaves. In July 1806, at 65 years old and just after the death of his wife, Robert Harris drew up his last will and testament, transcribed below. It was proven three years later, showing that he died in Surry County, North Carolina, in November 1809.

In his 1806 Will in Surry Co., NC, Robert Harris states that he had previously given 100 Virginia dollars to his daughter, Lucretia & three sons: Bernice, Bezaleel B., and Tyree Harris, presumably when they married or reached 21 years old. His children Patsy, Robert & Sarah had already passed away, leaving Lucy, Mourning, Nancy and Elijah. Elijah, his oldest son, inherited his plantation, as was the norm in Virginia, stemming from the English practice of primogeniture.

Will

Robert Harris:
1806 - Will -Surry County, North Carolina
Date of Will, July 10, 1806 - Probated November Term 1809 ^[3]

"I, Robert Harris of the said county and state, being perfect senses and memory calling to mind the mortality of mankind and as it is appointed once for all men to die, I therefore ordain this to be my last will and testament and after paying all my just debts, what estate it hath pleased God to bless me with, I give and bequeath in manner and form following. "

"First I give my soul to God who gave it and my body to the earth from whence it came, to be buried in such manner as my executors hereafter named shall think fit."

Item - I give to my son Elijah Harris the land whereon I now live it being the balance of the land that I have a deed for from Robert Lanier, which I give to him and his heirs forever."

"Item - Whereas my son Tyree, son Bezaleel, my son Bernice and daughter Lucretia have received one hundred pound Virginia Money out of my estate and the rest of my children has not, namely Mourning Birch, Nancy Boon, the heirs of son Robert, Lucy and [illegible], the heirs of Patsy Tanner, and heirs of Sarah Blackwell, my will is that there be out of my estate one hundred pounds Virginia money a piece raised for them, except the heirs of Sarah Blackwell who [will receive] only fifty pounds, allowing the rest heirs above mentioned. To be equal to one legatee which legatees I give to them and their heirs forever."

"Item- I give to my granddaughter Milly Harris one horse and saddle, bed and furniture, to her heirs forever the rest of my estate be it of what denomination so ever to be sold whether real or personal and equally divided between the above named legatees, except Elijah, which takes no share but the land [I] gave him. "

"I constitute and appoint my sons Bezebel [Bezaleel] and Elijah to execute this my last will and testament revoking all other wills heretofore made. Signed sealed and acknowledged in presence of this tenth day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand eighteen hundred and six."

(Signed) Robert Harris

Test______before signed, Joseph Forkner, Jesse? McKinney, Elijah Davis. [note: Robert Harris signed his will.]

By this last will and testament, Robert O. Harris Jr. reveals several things about his later life: His son Robert Jr., and daughters Sarah (m. Blackwell) and Patsy (m. Tanner) had already died before 10 July 1806. Earlier, he had distributed 100 VA pounds to daughter Lucretia & sons Tyree, Bernice and Bezaleel Brown Harris; now he added Mourning Birch, Nancy, Lucy & the heirs of Robert, Sarah and Patsy to receive a VA money bequest. Oldest son Elijah Harris received the family farm & house, considered more valuable than the rest, so he got nothing else. Sons Elijah Harris and Bezaleel Brown Harris were trusted to be executors. Robert's wife, Lucretia (Brown) Harris, had already died in June 1806, in Surry County, NC, so she was not mentioned.

Sources

1. ↑ Ancestry Family Tree: http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=24287503&pid=1500436080
2. ↑ Copeland, Harris, Lawrence, Neville, Pittman, Turner, Wheeler - Lucretia Brown on RootsWeb
3. ↑ Deed Book 3, page 93; Location - North Carolina State Archives, Raleigh, North Carolina - State of North Carolina, Surry County On FamilySearch.com

See Also:

• The Faulker/Fortner/Forkner Families pub 2005. See William Faulkner, Sr. for complete reference.

• Source: S2347882155 Repository: #R2347847705 Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members. http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=26548914&pid=791 Repository: R2347847705 http://www.Ancestry.com
• Source: S2347882155 Repository: #R2347847705 Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members. http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=26548914&pid=878 Repository: R2347847705 http://www.Ancestry.com
• Source: S2347882155 Repository: #R2347847705 Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members. http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=26548914&pid=881 - Repository: R2347847705 http://www.Ancestry.com
• Source: S-205080296 Repository: #R-843443445 Ancestry Family Trees - Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members. http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=90688868&pid=222 Repository: R-843443445 Ancestry.com
• "North Carolina Probate Records, 1735-1970," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:SQWX-DB52-9?cc=1867501&wc=32L2-K6X%3A170003101%2C170786401 : 21 May 2014), Surry > Wills, 1792-1827, Vol. 03 > image 119 of 203; county courthouses, North Carolina.

• "Harris and Allied Families of Claiborne, Gillison, Thompson and Whitsett," by Maud Callaway Hays: 1953, pp. 4, 8.

• "Harris Genealogy," by Gideon Dowse Harris:1914.

• "History and Genealogy," by Dr. William Howard Miller (1845-1930)

Acknowledgments

• WikiTree profile Harris-1939 was created through the import of LaBach Family TreeApril28_2011.ged on 05 May 2011.

• WikiTree profile Harris-3019 was created through the import of Robert C. Bain Family Tree (20.ged on Jul 4, 2011 by Robert Bain. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Robert and others.

• WikiTree profile Harris-3020 was created through the import of Robert C. Bain Family Tree (20.ged on Jul 4, 2011 by Robert Bain. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Robert and others.

• WikiTree profile Harris-3021 was created through the import of Robert C. Bain Family Tree (20.ged on Jul 4, 2011 by Robert Bain. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Robert and others.

• WikiTree profile Harris-6047 was created through the import of The Tuter and Bunch Families_family line_2012-08-23_01.ged on Aug 23, 2012 by Rick Tuter. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Rick and others.

• Thank you to Darlene Burton for creating WikiTree profile Harris-9169 through the import of clay3_2013-07-25.ged on Jul 25, 2013. Click to the Changes page for the details of edits by Darlene and others.