Dear Sandy - What a well-composed mini-history you gave us of the Harrises of early California. Thank you so much. It made great reading. Although I do not connect with any of these persons [that I know of], I do know that a great many Kentuckians headed for Missouri. I seldom do research of Missouri, as my direct Harris 2nd great-grandmother of Madison Co., KY was taken to Texas by her husband, accompanied about five children, one of whom was my great-grandfather. who did not bear the surname Harris, of course!. I do research on her siblings from time to time, but I have not detected movement of her siblings to Missouri. However, Carlisle Harris's father, Overton Harris (d. testate 1827 in Madison Co., KY) mentioned in his will his ownership of land in Missouri. I have often wandered whether any of his sons or his grandsons may have gone on to claim that land. My research to date indicates they stayed in Madison Co., Ky--but I am always open to the facts that people show up in some of the darndest places!!! This is the transcribed will of this Overton Harris [one of many of that name]. John Franklin Harris is one of his brothers. He mentions ownership of land in Missouri. From Madison Co. Wills, Bk __, p. 331 "I Overton Harris of Madison County and State of Kentucky do make and ordain this my last will and testament. "1st I hereby appoint Thomas Richardson and John Franklin Harris Executors to this will. I wish them to collect all debts due and pay all debts I owe and sell such part or parts of my ----able state as they may they think for the best interest of the estate. "Secondly I wish my wife Nancy Harris to keep all my children and have them as well educated as she can. I wish her to have the sole use and control of the house where I now live with all my furniture and so much of my lands as may be sufficient for her with my children and slaves to occupy to the interest of the estate and so much of my stock of every description as may be necessary for the -- of the family. "It is my will that she with the aid of my eldest sons keep this property above named together for the purpose of raising and educating of my youngest children for the term of fifteen years on conditions she remain in widowhood. If she should marry in that event I wish my estate immediately sold or divided the widow taking a third and the rest equally divided between my children and managed for the best interest of them which may not be able to manage for themselves. "Thirdly I wish each of my children when the[y] severally (?) arive at the age of eighteen years to have a horse and saddle given them and each one charged with the same at its value. I wish each of my sons as they arrive to the age of Twenty one years shall have a portion of my estate not to exceed one thousand dollars each to be charged with the amount he receives. I wish each of my daughters to have the same amount as they arrive to the age of twenty one or they should they marry charging them with the amount they receive. "Fourthly I wish my executors at any time that any of the negroes I may have become ungovernable or unprofitable to the estate to sell any part of them at any time either privately or at public sale. I wish my executors to receive a deed from the Sheriff to a tract of land I purchased at Sheriffs sale in --- bond and have sold the same to John White. I wish and hereby authorise my Executors on receiving title from the Sheriff to convey the same to said White on his paying the purchase money. At any time that any of my sons after the arrive at the age of twenty one years may wish to go to the Missouri and settle on any of my lands in that State I wish them to have it at value. In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal this first day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty seven. (s) Overton Harris Teste [Ty]mple (?) Burgin, Milton Oldham Francis (his mark) Marsh Kentucky Madison County SCt "I David Irvine (?) clerk of the court for the county aforesaid do hereby certify that a county court held for Madison County on Tuesday the 6th day of November 1827. This instrument of writing was produced in court and proven to be the last will and testament of Overton Harris decd by the oath of Jacob S. White a subscribing witness thereto and it was proved by said White that he saw the balance of the witnesses hereto sign their names as witnesses except Francis Marsh and that he saw him make his mark and the same was ordered to be entered of Record and the same has been done accordingly Attest to David Irvine CMCC Submitted by E.W.Wallace **************New year...new news. Be the first to know what is making headlines. (http://www.aol.com/?ncid=emlcntaolcom00000026)

Thanks for the kind words. Another group of my ancestors also lived in Christian and Todd Co, KY for a generation -- the Acocks and Blanchetts. Both of these families moved from Warren Co, NC in the early 1800s to KY and then most of them moved on to other places (e.g., Polk Co, MO and Hempstead Co, AR) in the 1840s. These branches of my family, as was true with the others, had VERY itchy feet! TX was a popular destination for a while after the Civil War, but then most of my ancestors headed for California or Washington. It is surprising how few of them still lived East of the Sierra by the beginning of the 20th century - - they went as far west as they possibly could and then, finally, stayed put (well, sort of - - many of them got gold fever and spent at least a while in the Yukon & Alaska Territory until they got cold and/or broke and returned to the lower 49.. Sandy On Jan 1, 2009, at 10:45 AM, [email protected] wrote: > Dear Sandy - > > What a well-composed mini-history you gave us of the Harrises of > early California. Thank you so much. It made great reading. > > Although I do not connect with any of these persons [that I know > of], I do know that a great many Kentuckians headed for Missouri. I > seldom do research of Missouri, as my direct Harris 2nd great- > grandmother of Madison Co., KY was taken to Texas by her husband, > accompanied about five children, one of whom was my great- > grandfather. who did not bear the surname Harris, of course!. I do > research on her siblings from time to time, but I have not detected > movement of her siblings to Missouri. > > However, Carlisle Harris's father, Overton Harris (d. testate 1827 > in Madison Co., KY) mentioned in his will his ownership of land in > Missouri. I have often wandered whether any of his sons or his > grandsons may have gone on to claim that land. My research to date > indicates they stayed in Madison Co., Ky--but I am always open to > the facts that people show up in some of the darndest places!!! > > This is the transcribed will of this Overton Harris [one of many of > that name]. John Franklin Harris is one of his brothers. He > mentions ownership of land in Missouri. > > From Madison Co. Wills, Bk __, p. 331 > > "I Overton Harris of Madison County and State of Kentucky do > make and ordain this my last will and testament. > > "1st I hereby appoint Thomas Richardson and John Franklin > Harris Executors to this will. I wish them to collect all debts due > and pay all debts I owe and sell such part or parts of my ----able > state as they may they think for the best interest of the estate. > > "Secondly I wish my wife Nancy Harris to keep all my children > and have them as well educated as she can. I wish her to have the > sole use and control of the house where I now live with all my > furniture and so much of my lands as may be sufficient for her with > my children and slaves to occupy to the interest of the estate and > so much of my stock of every description as may be necessary for the > -- of the family. > > "It is my will that she with the aid of my eldest sons keep > this property above named together for the purpose of raising and > educating of my youngest children for the term of fifteen years on > conditions she remain in widowhood. If she should marry in that > event I wish my estate immediately sold or divided the widow taking > a third and the rest equally divided between my children and managed > for the best interest of them which may not be able to manage for > themselves. > > "Thirdly I wish each of my children when the[y] severally (?) > arive at the age of eighteen years to have a horse and saddle given > them and each one charged with the same at its value. I wish each > of my sons as they arrive to the age of Twenty one years shall have > a portion of my estate not to exceed one thousand dollars each to be > charged with the amount he receives. I wish each of my daughters to > have the same amount as they arrive to the age of twenty one or they > should they marry charging them with the amount they receive. > > "Fourthly I wish my executors at any time that any of the > negroes I may have become ungovernable or unprofitable to the estate > to sell any part of them at any time either privately or at public > sale. I wish my executors to receive a deed from the Sheriff to a > tract of land I purchased at Sheriffs sale in --- bond and have sold > the same to John White. I wish and hereby authorise my Executors on > receiving title from the Sheriff to convey the same to said White on > his paying the purchase money. At any time that any of my sons > after the arrive at the age of twenty one years may wish to go to > the Missouri and settle on any of my lands in that State I wish them > to have it at value. In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my > hand and affixed my seal this first day of September in the year of > our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty seven. > (s) Overton Harris > Teste [Ty]mple (?) Burgin, Milton Oldham Francis (his mark) Marsh > Kentucky Madison County SCt > > "I David Irvine (?) clerk of the court for the county aforesaid > do hereby certify that a county court held for Madison County on > Tuesday the 6th day of November 1827. This instrument of writing > was produced in court and proven to be the last will and testament > of Overton Harris decd by the oath of Jacob S. White a subscribing > witness thereto and it was proved by said White that he saw the > balance of the witnesses hereto sign their names as witnesses except > Francis Marsh and that he saw him make his mark and the same was > ordered to be entered of Record and the same has been done accordingly > > Attest to David Irvine CMCC > > Submitted by E.W.Wallace > > > > > > New year...new news. Be the first to know what is making headlines.