Dear Wanda, First, thanks for repeating the will of Cornelius d'Aubgne. Since few of Hanover Co. records still exist, I think we will have to accept that William H. Dabney, the author of the book, is correct in citing parts of the will of Cornelius the elder. I am under the impression, but would have to check with the land patents, if any, that the family was still using the French version of the surname!!! If the testator, Cornelius, was of German or a Germanic country, he well could have had several children with the same first name. The middle name was generally the *calling* name. (I have a German Pennsylvania ancestor whose sons were all given the first name of George--making it difficult if an English-speaker was the recorder of the records!!! One Pennsylvania researcher told me the calling name was *rufnamen* but I have not the energy to do any research. Wikipedia does not have that word, nor does it have an article on German naming patterns.) In one paragraph, you write: And from the marriage record, we know that Christopher Harris Jr and a Mary Dabney did marry. I think you may be referring to Cornelius' will, which someone sent me recently. My response and question about this statement: Is there a marriage record of this first marriage? If so, what is the source? I am unaware that Christopher Harris of Louisa Co., Albemarle Co., and later of Madison Co., KY bore the appelation Junior. His patents and deeds in colonial Louisa Co. and, Albemarle Co. and post-Revolutionary Madison Co., KY have him as just plain Christopher Harris. About Christopher's second marriage to Agnes McCord. I have in my genealogy program that the marriage date was ca 1764 and my source: Marriage to Christopher Harris is implied, not stated, in the will of Agnes's father, 1764, Albemarle Co. [Now we have to jump to Agnes' father or brother] Here is my secondary info regarding the death of Agnes's father: John McCord, Sr. died in early March 1764. McCord, John, Sr. 2 March 1764. 8 March 1764. Of Moreman's River. Wife to have maintenance from plantation. Sons: John, Benjamin, William McCord. Son John to pay Christopher Harris two pounds curr. Exrs: sons John and Benjamin. Wit: Gabriel Maupin and James Little. (J. Estelle Stewart King, ABSTRACTS OF WILLS, INVENTORIES, AND ADMINISTRATION ACCOUNTS OF ALBEMARLE COUNTY 1748-1800 [Beverly Hills, CA 1940], p. 14) My research of other families indicates that if a woman died soon after giving birth to a child, the father of that child frequently married very shortly thereafter. That he needed a caretaker for the children is pretty certain. (In my own paternal family, some of the family gossip is that when my Dad's mother died at age 26 after giving birth to a third child in the early 1900s, the babe was *farmed out* for a time with a maternal sister who had a child about the same age. The aunt was then the wet nurse. Later, the maternal grandmother raised this child to maturity and he became her heir.) I am going on customs of the day until we learned about canned milk!!!. Was Christopher Harris married to Agnes by the time Agnes's father died? It is a hunch only. My experience in searching Virginia records of the colonial era is that few marriage records prior to the American Revolution still exist. There are some published marriage records of Albemarle Co. but few of them pertain to colonial days. At least, that has been my observation and experience. Generally, marriages in order to be legal in Virginia had to be performed in the Anglican church, which was the established church of Virginia untill well after the Revolution. Although some scattered Anglican church records exist, few of them are parish Registers--where the births, marriages and burials may be recorded. Now your question about some Harrises in Orange Co., VA. It may be you will have to search ALL the surrounding counties of Orange Co. Not too many books have been published on Orange Co., VA, alas!!! I am familiar with only one by Barbara Vines Little. However, in a very brief visit to the courthouse spring 2008, I noted the deed indexes are highly readable. You might inquire whether the clerk would send you photocopies of the grantor and grantee indexes of the deeds for Harris. (I was not searching Harrises there.) I noted the clerk was very reluctant to give me photocopies of the pages I asked for. As it was, she eliminated one of my requests. Her reluctance came out, We are afraid someone will put them on the internet!!! They seem to forget that these are PUBLIC records. I have had several times to remind county clerks that this is the case!!! In a message dated 1/4/2009 3:55:06 P.M. Pacific Standard Time, [email protected] writes: In regard to Mary Dabney Harris wife of Christopher Harris, married 22 Feb 1745, the abstract Will of her proposed father, Cornelius d'Aubigne (Dabney) is of interest. "From book "Sketch of the Dabney's of Virginia" by William H Dabney. Will of Cornelius d'Aubigne was recorded in the county Court House of Hanover, 17 Feb, 1765. Names his wife, Sarah, and children William, John and Cornelius (already dead). Names his son in law, Harris (his wife being also dead), his dau's Mary Elizabeth Maupin, Fanny Maupin and Anne Thompson, and husbands of two other dau's, Brown and Johnson. John Dabney and Henry Terrell were executors. Will was dated 25 Oct 1764.. At the time of the research a copy of which was in the possession of William Winston Dabney of Enfield, King William Co, VA. The book is copyrighted 1888. A facsimile reprint done in 1999. email sent by Elizabeth to E W Wallace, [email protected]_ (mailto:[email protected]) . 6/12/2003" I do question why Cornelius would name a daughter Mary Elizabeth and another daughter, simply Mary. From the above Will, it's indicated that Mary Elizabeth married a man named ___Maupin. However, It is probable that Mary Dabney Harris is the deceased daughter of Cornelius Dabney. Christopher Harris Sr. remarried before 1765 (does anyone have the exact date?), so it's likely that Mary had died before the Will of Cornelius Dabney was written. And from the marriage record, we know that Christopher Harris Jr and a Mary Dabney did marry. Many families in Colonial times, used a naming pattern for their children to honor their parents, grandparents and other family members. In studying the names of the children of Christopher and Mary Dabney Harris, I find the following pattern: First male child, Robert Harris, named after Christopher's father Major Robert Harris. Second male child, Dabney Harris, named after Mary's father's surname, or could his full name be Cornelius Dabney Harris? First female child, Sarah Harris, named after Mary's mother, Sarah Jennings. Second female child, Mourning Harris, named after Christopher's mother, Mourning Glenn Harris. Third male child, Christopher Harris, Jr, named after his father, Christopher Harris, Sr. Third female child, Mary Harris, named after her mother, Mary Dabney Harris. Fourth male child, Tyre or Tyree Harris, named after his father Christopher's eldest brother, Tyree Harris, also a son of Major Robert Harris and Mourning Glenn Harris. Open to comments and opinions. I'm still looking for my Henry Harris born 1742, Orange Co VA. who married Annie Byrd also from Orange Co VA. Any helpful hints are very much appreciated. Wanda Flesher On Sat, Jan 3, 2009 at 7:29 PM, <[email protected]_ (mailto:[email protected]) > wrote: This little *bio* may be of interest to persons interested in some of the family of Tyree Harris, formerly of colonial Louisa Co., VA but later of Orange Co. NC and then Caswell Co., NC, which was formed 1777 from Orange Co. This concerns one of Tyree's sons. Reportedly, Tyree's first wife was Elizabeth [Chaptman]. His second wife was Mary Ann Simpson, daughter of Richard Simpson of Caswell co., but formerly of Orange Co., NC and previous to that, Fairfax Co., VA. (Comment: I have an abstract of a Virginia deed executed by Tyree Harris and in which his wife Elizabeth relinquished her dower right.) CHRISTOPHER HARRIS SON OF TYREE HARRIS. He is listed in the IGI, with birthdate and place, as the son of Tyree Harris and Mary Ann Simpson. Nothing else is known. IGI is less than a reliable source. A Christopher Harris married in Caswell Co., NC: 1801, 12 Jan - Harris, Christopher & Polly Payne .. Duke Williams was bondsman. (Comment: Duke Williams was married to Ede or Edey+ Harris 19 Oct 1790, Caswell Co.) (Source: Katherine Kerr Kendall, Caswell County, North Carolina Marriage Bonds, 1778-1868 [Baltimore: Clearfield Company, 1990], p. 43) According to the will of his father, Tyree Harris, Christopher was to receive land on High Rock Creek, Rockingham Co., NC. His name does not occur in Kendall's abstracts of deeds of Caswell Co. except probably as "C. Harris." That he is related to Christopher Harris I of Madison Co., KY (probable nephew) is indicated by this entry in Caswell Co. January court 1791: p. 374 Christopher Harriss, orphan, in acct. with Corn. Dabney. Payments to John Lenox, Richard Smith. (Katherine Kerr Kendall, CASWELL COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA WILL BOOKS 1777-1814 [Baltimore: Clearfield Publ Co., 1997], p 33) We infer from this that Christopher Harriss is underage and that he is somehow related to Cornelius Dabney. In the will of his uncle, Christopher Harris, Madison Co., KY, ca. 1794, there is reference to the will of Cornelius Dabney, Christopher Harris I's reported first wife having been Mary Dabney. Her exact relationship to Cornelius Dabney is unknown, however. Submitted by E.W. Wallace **************New year...new news. Be the first to know what is making headlines. 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