James Harris (1673 - 1757)

Born 4 Apr 1673 in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 10 Feb 1757 at age 83 in Colchester, Hartford, Connecticut Colony

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Biography

Lt. James Harris was born April 4, 1673 in Boston Mass to James Harris and Sarah Denison ^[1]

Christening

(1683) Old South Meetinghouse, Boston, Suffolk

Residence

(1673) Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States

Note

The Harris family as a whole were agriculturists and artisans.

Marriages

In 1696 he married Sarah Rogers. They remained at New London until 1698 when they moved to Owaneco. There was a strong personal relationship between the Sachems of Mohegan and the Rogers family. Sarah died on Nov. 13. 1748. James then married the widow Sarah Jackson in 1750. Sarah Jackson Harris only lived for 2 years after they were married. They had no children.

Burial

James and both of his wives were buried together in the ancient Rogers burying grounds. A double slate stone of the old style still marking the spot. Burial : Ancient Mohegan, New London, New London, Connecticut, United States

Noted events in his life were

• Research Notes: Harris, James of New London, Connecticut and His Descendants; From 1640 to 1878 by Nathaniel Harris Morgan, 1878. 1 "In 1698, James removed from New London to Mohegan, and settled upon a tract of land granted by Owaneco, the Mohegan Sachem, to James' wife Sarah, adjoining lands of her father, Samuel Rogers, who had already settled there. Between the Sachems and the Rogers family there had ever existed a strong and intimate personal friendship; and in this friendly relation James and his wife Sarah warmly participated; James himself becoming an especial favorite with the whole tribe. Owaneco and his successors were lavish in their grants of land to James and Sarah Harris and they soon became large landholders. Grants and transfers of land are found on record all over ancient Mohegan, from New London as far northerly as Norwich and Colchester. On May 10, 1710 Owaneco passed in a sweeping general deed to four persons, viz., John Livingston, Robert Denison, Samuel Rogers, Jr., and James Harris, all the Mohegan lands between New London and Norwich, comprising many thousand acres. The price paid was fifty pounds.

• On May 20, 1714, James was commissioned Lieutenant of the North Co. of New London, and by this title was ever known, although afterwards commissioned Captain of another Co. in Colchester.

• In 1718, James removed to the south part of Colchester (now Salem), where he continued to reside until a short time before his death in 1757. James and Sarah were admitted to the church in Montville on Feb. 7, 1732."

Sources

1. ↑ "Massachusetts Births & Christenings 1649-1915".Database, Family Search (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FHM3-1FK : 4 December 2014 ) James Harris, 04 APR 1673 citing; Boston Suffolk Massachusetts 90-91;FHL microfilm 592,866

• Caulkins, Frances. History of New London, Connecticut From The First Survey of The Coast in 1612 to 1860 (H.D. Hutley, New London, Conn., 1895)
• Morgan, Nathaniel Harris. Harris Genealogy: A History of James Harris, of New London, Conn. (Case, Lockwood & Brainard, Hartford, Conn., 1878)
• The History of Kings County Nova Scotia, Arthur Wentworth Hamilton Eaton, M. A., D. C. L., (The Salem Press Company, Salem, Massachusetts, 1910 Title page also gives ..... Heart of the Acadian Land - Giving a Sketch), p. 686.

• Full Name: Lieut. James Harris Gender: Male Birth date: 4 Apr 1673 Birth place: Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States Death date: 10 Feb 1757 Father: James Harris Mother: Sarah Denison Spouse: Sarah Harris Spouse: Sarah Rogers Marriage date: 1696.

• U.S. Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970 (National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, Louisville, Kentucky) Microfilm, 508 rolls.
• Harris, Gale Ion. James and Sarah (Eliot?) Harris of Boston and New London, The New England Historical & Genealogical Register (NEHGS, Boston, Mass., 2000) Vol. 154, Page 15-21.

• He died in Poagwonk, which was a section of Colchester, Lyme, and Mohegan that eventually became the Town of Salem in 1819.

• Hempstead, Joshua. Diary of Joshua Hempstead of New London, Connecticut (New London County Hist. Soc., 1901)

• 12 Feb 1757: "Lt James Harris was buryed the 10th aged 80 odd. he formerly Lived in the North parish & Laterly with a Son Lebbens att Poagwonk where he Died."

• "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : modified 23 August 2017, 23:28), entry for James Harris(PID https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:MGJT-5FS)
• http://familysearch.org/v1/LifeSketch James Harris and his wife, Sarah Rogers, had 9 children.
• Find A Grave: Memorial #197171341: Baker Cemetery #2, Montville, New London, Connecticut