The Pennsylvania Harrises

Hello to all my close and distant cousins! I'm searching for someone who is a descendent of the Robert and Dorothy Wylie Harris line who supposedly came to America from Ireland in the early 1700's Tradition has it that Robert came Lancaster County with his daughter Margaret and sons, Thomas, John, William, James, Charles, Samuel and Robert Jr from Ireland. Robert is said to have died aboard ship.

In the PA archives, I've found that there was a John Harris and Thomas Harris/Herris already in Lancaster County several years before Robert's family arrived. There is documentation that John was in PA as early as 1688 and Thomas in 1683. Robert's son's supposedly received land warrants and I have found where a John, Samuel, James and Charles all received warrants between 16 Jan and 10 Feb 1737; Thomas Harris not until 15 Nov 1737; Thomas, Jr on 9 Apr 1754. William is thought to have settled in Maryland. Tradition has it that John, Samuel, James, Charles and Thomas migrated south into what is now Meckenburg County, NC in the late 1740's or early 50's.

Having said all this, I'm reaching out to any Harrises, preferably from PA, who are reasonably certain that he/she is a descendent in this line of Harris/Herris. Secondly, would you be willing to be DNA tested through Ancestry or FTDNA. I have been tested and my results did not match any of the known lines from Virginia, which seem to be the most common. I can trace my line back into Mecklenburg County, NC but I've hit a wall there and I would love to be able to tie this in with those Harrises that "family tradition" says the Mecklenburg County line came. I have documentation that I am willing to share.

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Ricky Harris on May 31, 2010 at 3:57pm

Hi Christina,

Thanks for your help. You've helped me fill in some of that brick wall I'd hit on a few of the children and grandchildren. You need to search "Mifflintown Document" on the www. I think it will be a big help. If you will email me at rick.harris09@gmail.com, I'll send you some deed references that will show you that the Harrises were in PA much earlier than 1747.

The DNA testing I did was through Family Tree DNA. They have a Harris DNA study going. Check out harrisdna.org. You'll see a "Results" link there. That will put you on an excel spreadsheet with all the Harris tests that have been done. You can cursor over the kit numbers and the mdka areas and it will show you the trees of those participants.

Rick

Permalink Reply by Terese Mitchell on July 23, 2012 at 2:53pm

Hi Christina, We both descend from the Brother John Harris though my line is from his second wife Rebecca McBay and is the line that is their son John that moved to Blount, Tennessee. He seemed to stay in close contact with his PA relatives and I think was back and forth from there during Revolution and several families from Mifflintown also moved close to him after the war. I haven't seen the Patterson book. Have you seen the book written by Robert Stewart on Colonel George Steuart and Margaret Harris? It has your line and is a free e-book. The best thing is the Mifflintown Document which outlines the line and is backed up by the DNA. Edward and Flora had to leave Scotland and went to Ireland and I don't think they came to this country. There was some speculation that their son Robert who was thought to have died in sight of land after having made the journey with his children and their families and he was buried in Philadelphia may have instead been alive and living in PA until about 1730, but no one has proven. There are a lot of Pattersons with mine in south Carolina and Tennessee that I have wondered if related. You can also reach me at teresemitchell@optilink.us

Terese

Permalink Reply by Ann Gary on May 7, 2011 at 7:12am

Group 3 - www.harrisdna.org is believed by tradition and in accordance with the Mifflintown Document to descend from Robert and Dorothy Wiley Harris.

We have one donor descended from Robert's brother, Edward wife unknown. This is Kit #159859.

Ann Gary

#58520

Permalink Reply by Terese Mitchell on July 23, 2012 at 2:56pm

You do get around! Are you sure you are in Group 3? Was looking into the Union, SC Harris line and came across this again.

Terese

Permalink Reply by Terese Mitchell on July 23, 2012 at 2:30pm

HI, I am part of this Group 3 Harris line and descend from the Brother John Harris. Would you please contact me? I am trying to learn more about him. My line is the one mentioned in the Mifflintown Document as going to Blount, Tennessee. He was born about 1694 and and his brothers after that as he is thought to be the oldest son. He did have two uncles with children also in Group 3. And then there were brothers back beyond that in the line. I too have wondered if some of those came over earlier and would like to see the grants you mention. Group 3 was not thought to have come over much earlier than 1730, but there could have been a brother who explored first or cousin. Also there was a very early John Harris in South Carolina where some of ours settled and I don't know his background. It would help if we have some Irish Harrises searching. What group were you place in? I have also found a Quaker line that was close to our in PA and MD before some of the brothers moved South. You can also reach me at teresemitchell@optilink.us

Terese