Evelyn, Thanks so much for the reply. Your remarks are always very helpful. My Henry Harris was born 16 June 1742 in Orange Co VA. He died 28 Jan 1835 in Madison Co KY. He was married to Anna Bird on 26 Feb, 1766 in Orange Co VA. He first enlisted in the Rev War in 1776 in Orange Co VA. By 1778, he was in Henry Co VA. per road orders. (My Notes - "Henry Court Order Book 2, June 15, 1778 Court: John Heard, Samuel Byrd, Thomas Jamison and Henry Harris or any 3, appointed to view a road from about a mile below Gorden's Quarter across Cole's Road. Note: The location of Col. Gordon's Quarter was near Snow Creek. (See HC Order Bk 1, Feb 17, 1777 Court"). He served several campaigns in the Rev War per his pension application. I have recorded in my notes: " That at the commencement of the Revolutionary War he resided in Orange County, Virginia--that early in this war was he thinks in 1776. He volunteered and went on a campaign against the Cherokee Indians & was about 6 months the names of his officers he cannot _____ that he afterwards moved to Henry County, Virginia & went as a volunteer on a tore (tour) into North Carolina against the tories & was absent about 3 months. Early in 1781 as he thinks he went out as a volunteer in the militia & marched into North Carolina in order to join Genl Green was absent about 3 months & returned un_____ again volunteered in the militia & was in the service about Jamestown & Yorktown till a few days before Cornwallis surrendered. He thinks he was in command of Genl Lawson last tour he was out & knows he went home a few days before the surrender of Cornwallis in consequence of Lick__ He states that his memory has failed him very much of __ that he knows he served the four tours He has __ but the names of his officers most __ particulars have gone from him that he has no documentary evidence in his possession of his Services. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present & declares that his name is not on the pension note of the aging of any State Signed Henry Harris __________ this day & was aforesaid" (Pension was granted). Several have gone into the DAR through this Henry Harris. His children per my record are: 1. Winnefred HARRIS, b 15 Jan 1767 in Orange Co VA. She married Joshua DILLINGHAM (his 2nd marriage) in 1786 in Henry Co VA. 2. Elizabeth Betty HARRIS, b. 15 Aug 1768 in Orange Co VA., d. probably Madison Co KY. Married John JAMISON abt 1786. There were Jamison's in Henry Co VA at that time. They later lived in Madison Co KY. 3. Martha Patsy HARRIS, b 23 May 1770, Maryland. d before 10 Feb 1842, Franklin Co, MO, USA. Married Samuel DENT abt 1790. They lived in Madison Co, KY before moving to MO. 4. Nancy HARRIS, b. 6 May 1772, Maryland. d 23 Oct 1848, prob Madison Co KY. Married Elisha ESTES III, 29 Aug 1791, Franklin Co, VA. (Elisha died in Madison Co KY, sometime after 1832). 5. Rhoda HARRIS, b 9 Mar 1774, of Orange Co VA. d. No Info. Married Sam KELLEY abt 1792. 6. Zebulon HARRIS, b abt 1775, d. No Info. Married Elizabeth Dillingham, 14 Dec 1793, Henry Co VA. They were in Madison Co KY in 1821 per Madison Co KY deed records. I have researched Henry quite a bit, and there's always more to do. I know others have done some searching too, since they've gone into the DAR through him. I once found info on-line listing his ancestry way back to the earliest days, but no sources were listed and I want something concrete. One pedigree gives Henry's father as Thomas HARRIS, whose parents are Edward HARRIS and Mary NEW - going on back from there. If anyone can site sources about this family, I'm open to any help or direction. There were several Henry Harris's back then. Finding the right one is the key. Thanks again for your comments, Wanda On Mon, Sep 3, 2012 at 11:09 AM, EVELYN WALLACE <hdanw@verizon.net> wrote: > Dear Wanda, > > Let's go to your last paragraphs below. Have you any clues as to the > probable residences of > Henry Harris, the dates, the names of the children, etc.? > > In 1742, Henry's stated birth year, Virginia' boundaries were barely > getting to the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains. Orange Co. and > Prince William Co. (both of which later divided), were on *the frontier*. > (Source: Michael F. Doran, Atlast of County Boundary Changes in Virginia, > 1634-1895 [Athens, GA: Iberian Publishing Co. 1987] [now called, I > believe, New Papyrus Publishing, still in Athens] > > I covet my eight volumes of Cavaliers and Pioneers, but the Library of > Virginia Land Patents (online) may help you narrow down where the parents > of Henry Harris may have been hanging their axes (hats). Go to the topic > Land Patents (the subject will include the Northern Neck land grants). The > earliest land grants (covered by the abstracts in above-mentioned eight > volumes of Cavalies and Pioneers) will be at the very end of the LONG lists > for Harrises!!!! (The oldest patents are at the end.) > > I heard a couple of lectures in the past five years by Thomas W. Jones, > who until rather recently was co-editor of the National Genealogical > Society Journal (quarterly). He gave me a lot of hope, as my Dad's > ancestors all (except for some colonial Germans) had common names. Jones > lectured on collecting all the bits and pieces of the jigsaw puzzles; they > don't fit when you stumble on them, but they may in the future. > > Also, he says--watch those naming patterns!!!! (Of course, I cannot > believe all those Overton Harrises are cousins!!!! I am descended from one > Overton Harris, son of Christopher Harris who died testate [both of them > did--died testate] in Madison Co., KY.) > > Again, what were the names of the children of your Henry Harris? And > Thoma W. Jones believes in *inferential genealogy*. (With common surnames, > one needs a lot of inference--especially if they were in burned counties!!!) > > Another lecture by Jones was on *inferential genealogy*. I like that. > You have to infer a lot, but it helps to know (or keep learning) history > and geography of the places you are studying. I had to learn early on that > my great-grandmother, quite a bit younger than her elderly spouse, had made > an error in giving her deceased spouse's birthplace in Kentucky. At the > time, he was born that part of Kentucky between the Mississippi and the > Ohio rivers belonged to the Chickasaw Indians!!!! Back to square > one--until my aunt sent me transcriptions of old letters which she and a > cousin had discovered in an old trunk at the old ranch house. Ah--another > place to study in Kentucky!!! And maternal cousins in Illinois and > Missouri!!! > > A few years ago, I spent half a day at the Orange Co. VA courthouse as we > were vacationing in that area. The deed indexes of early date were so full > of names which I recognized as antecedents of my Rev. Andrew Tribble (early > Baptist minister in and around Madison Co., KY.) I ordered quite a few > photocopies of the indexes alne [no deeds], but the clerk, who was quite > timid, had to confer with her supervisor. The supervisor would let me have > only about ten photocopies, and the underclerk said, She is afraid you will > put them on the internet!!!! > > I thought to myself, this clerk is behind the times!!!! As she was > speaking someone was probably already inputting!!! Orange Co. ca 1740s was > the Virginia frontier on the North and Brunswick Co. was the frontier on > the south. (I discovered some of my early Surry Co. and Isle of Wight > families were later found in Brunswick county, a huge county!!!) > > Good luck with your colonial and later Harrises! > > E.W.Wallace > > > > ------------------------------ > * For Freedom's Sake - Love God, Love America*