The following is what I have on Burr Calvert Harris of Virginia and South Carolina, who I believe is one of my ancestors. I think that his son George Harris, had a son Joshua Harris, who had a son Calbraith Butler Harris, who had a son Joshua Wren Harris, Sr., who had a son Joshua Wren Harris, Jr. (me). Please let me know if any of the following is in conflict with the information that any of you have, or if you have information to add to this. Also, please let me know if you are working on this line, too. J. Wren Harris, Jr. Albany, GA Burr (Calvert) Harris; born circa 1709 in Stafford County (in the part made into Prince William County in 1731), Virginia; married Jean Haynie before 1732; died circa 1787 in Ninety-Six District, South Carolina;, buried in Harriss Cemetery, Newberry County, South Carolina., Burr (Calvert) Harris may be the first Harris, at least as far as his descendants are concerned. Records have been found in Virginia and South Carolina that indicate that he may have been born a Calvert or a Harrison. Researchers of this family have presented different ideas concerning exactly which Calvert and which Harrison may have been his parents. One idea is that he was born Burr Calvert and that he was the son of John Calvert (1692 - 1739) and Jean Harrison (1695 - 1739) and grandson of George Calvert (1688 - after 1739) and Elizabeth Doyne ( - after 1692). However, in the part of Virginia where he was from, many of the records have been destroyed by fires and by wars. The records that are needed to give definite proof of the relationship between Burr Harris and the Calvert and Harrison families of Virginia are among those records that are still missing and may never be found. An important clue to Burr Harris' ancestry is a deed registered in 1739 in Prince William County, Virginia for 200 acres of land. It states that Thomas Calvert alias Harrison and his wife Sarah transferred to John Carr "all my right and title of that track or parcel . . . on the north side of Quanticott Creek and Run, it being the land that Burr Harrison, deceased, left between George Calvert alias Harrison, Burr Calvert alias Harrison and Thomas Calvert alias Harrison". The deed was signed Thomas (his T mark) Calvert alias Harris and Sarah (her X mark) Calvert alias Harris. Notice that even though the name is Harrison in the body of the deed, whoever added their names beside their marks wrote Harris. The relationship between the Burr Harrison who left the land and these three Calvert alias Harrisons who received the land is not presently known., Also not known is why alias was used by members of this family, not only in this document, but in other documents found in Virginia and South Carolina. Some genealogists researching this family have considered these possibilities: 1. They may have been born as Calverts but raised by a Harrison relative. For example, if their mother was born a Harrison and their father born a Calvert, and for some reason the children were taken in and raised by their mother's parents (their Harrison grandparents), then they may have been called Harrison since they were being raised in a Harrison household. But on legal documents, they would have been referred to as Calvert alias Harrison to fully identify them. This would also help differentiate them from Harrison cousins with the same names., 2. They may have been illegitimate, born to a woman with a surname of Calvert and to a man with a surname of Harrison who had acknowledged his relationship with them. That was an acceptable arrangement at that time, provided that their father helped take care of their upbringing. This would normally have included their schooling, but something went wrong in this case because they could not sign their names and used various marks, instead (Thomas a capital T and Burr a capital B). Even if they were ordinarily called by the surname of the father, the mother's surname would be added for legal documents. 3. There may have been a falling out with the family in Virginia. This is what Mrs. Lois Scheck Pitts, a descendant of Burr Harris through his son, Micajah, had heard as a family tradition. Mr. C. B. Martin of Newberry County, South Carolina, in a letter dated 16 Jan 1916, stated, "Burr Calvert Harriss came from Virginia in early youth and his name was Harrison, but not fully agreeing with his family, changed his name to Harriss, severing all connections from Virginia people and would speak very little of them". The names of the family and the names of the family members varied widely on documents and in records. This was common when people couldn't sign their names themselves. Clerks of courts, census takers and others would have to spell the names the best that they could. Variations of the family surnames found on documents include Calvert, Colvert, Colbert, Harris, Harrison and Calvert Harris. From 1739 through 1763, Burr Harris appeared on legal documents in Virginia as Burr Calvert alias Harrison, Burr Calvert Harrison, Burr Calvert Jr. and Burdette Calvert. No documents dated after 1763 have been found with any of these various names in the area of Virginia that Burr (Calvert) Harris was from., Sometime before 1773, the family apparently moved to South Carolina. On 17 Jan 1773, Burr Calvert alias Harriss (also spelled Harris on the same document) of Craven County, South Carolina bought land in an area that was to become Newberry County, South Carolina from Jeremiah Williams Sr., also of Craven County, South Carolina, for the sum of "ten Shillings Current money of South Carolina". The land was "all that plantation orchard of land Containing Three hundred Acres lying and being in the fork between Broad and Saluda Rivers on branch of Second Creek Bounding on all sides with vacant Land Excepting fifty acres of said Tract of three hundred acres which said Jeremiah Williams did give unto Abraham Anderson lying and being on the NE side of the aforesaid tract of three hundred acres and hath such form, shape and marks as appear by a plat thereof to the original Grant annexed, together with all and Similar the houses, Edifices Buildings Barns yards orchards woods underwoods ! timber and timber trees Meadows pastures ponds Lakes fishings water water Courses paths passages profits Libertys privileges hereditaments rights members and appurtenances whatsoever thereunto belonging or in anywise appertaining, and the revision and revisions, remainder and remainders, issues profits thereof, and every part and paces". One of the witnesses to this deed was Obed Harriss., On 18 Jan 1773, Burr Calvert alias Harris of Craven County, South Carolina bought another tract of land from Jeremiah Williams Sr. of Craven County, South Carolina for four hundred pounds "Current Money of the R. Province". This land consisted of 300 acres of land "lying in the fork of Broad and Saludy River on branch of second Creek bounded with vacant land on all sides". Obed Harris witnessed this deed, also. After these deeds, the family seemed to have dropped the "Calvert alias Harrison" and all its variations, and appeared as Harriss or Harris on all subsequent documents. Craven County, mentioned in these deeds as Burr Harris' county of residence when these deeds were written, was a Proprietary County, and it was in existence from about 1682 until about 1785. Craven County covered about one-third of the state, roughly along and northeast of a line from Georgetown on the coast to Spartanburg, and would have included all or part of nineteen of the counties that are in existence today. However, the part of South Carolina that was made into Newberry County in 1785 was not inside the area that was included in Craven County, so Burr Harris must have moved first from Virginia to somewhere in Craven County and then to this land that he bought from Jeremiah Williams Sr. and that was to become part of Newberry County. Burr Harris built a house on the land that he bought. The house was used during the Revolutionary War as a hospital, and several Revolutionary War soldiers are believed to be buried nearby in the Harriss family cemetery. Burr's youngest son, Micajah, lived in the house after his father died, and it was passed down through his descendants to its last owner, Mrs. Lois Sheck Pitts, who was Burr Harris' great-great-granddaughter. She lived in the house and was proud to point out the original part that Burr built of hand-hewn wood. She was also proud of the family heirlooms in the house, including the old original deeds to the property, a table made by Micajah from curry maple grown on the farm, an inlaid secretary, brass andirons, bedsteads made of cherry wood, scratch mahogany mirror, old rush bottom chairs, old cotton loom and flax loom, spinning wheel and an old melodeon. One story is that when she was quite advanced in years, she bought her first gas stove to replace the woo! d stove that she had used all her life. The first night that she had it, the house burned down to the ground taking her and all of the family heirlooms with it. Burr (Calvert) Harris left a will on 26 August 1783 in Ninety-Six District, South Carolina. It was proven on 8 Mar 1787. The handwriting used in the body of this will appears very similar to the signature of one of the witnesses, Robert Rutherford, suggesting that he may have been the one who wrote the will. The handwriting, word choices and spelling are also very similar to those used in wife Jean Harris' will. Burr Harris' will is presented below in the original spelling: In the name of God Amen this twentey six day of Augst one thousand seven hundred and eightey three I Bur Harris of Nintey six district being sick in bodey but of perfect mind and memory thankes be to almighty god and calling to mind the unsertentey of Life I doo Decleare this my Last will & testement as follows Item I lend all my Estate both Real and Persnal to my Lving Wife Jean Harris as Long as she Lives Item I give after the death of my Wife all the Land I now Live on betwen my four sons Obed Thos. George and Cage Harris to them and theair Eyrs for Ever to bee Equally divided betwen my foure sons by foure of my honest Neighbers Item I give my son Cage Harris the first Coys of my Negros to him and his Eayrs for Ever Item I give my son George Harris the next Coys of my Negros to him and his Eayrs for Ever Item I give all the Rest of my Negros if any Living to be Equally divided betwen my two sons Obed and Thos. Harris to them and theair Eyrs for Ever thos Negros not to be divided as Long as my Wife Lives and I doo revock and disannul all other will or wills and ordain this my Last Will and testement and I doo Ordain my two sons George and Cage Harris Extrs of this my Last Will and Testement in Witnefs heare of I have set my hand and afixed my seal the day and year above Ritten Wm T Riddell his Thos Cockrill Bur B Harris Robt Rutherford marke (This will is now on file in Abbeville County, South Carolina). Children of Burr (Calvert) Harris and Jean Haynie (see #55) were as follows: i. Lettice; married Sanverd Cockrell. ii. Cloey; married James Liles. iii. Burr; died before 1783., iv. Thomas. v. Jean; married William Dawkins. vi. Obed; born circa 1733 in Prince William County, Virginia; died circa 1803. vii. Micajah; born before 1755 in Prince William County, Virginia; married Sarah Sheppard; died 1814 in Newberry County, South Carolina; buried in Harriss Cemetery, Newberry County, South Carolina. He went by the name of Cage. Micajah Harris served in the Revolutionary War, first as Lieutenant, then as Captain. On 13 May 1800, Micajah bought 65 acres of the land that his father had bought from Jeremiah Williams and that had been inherited by his brother, George Harris. The price was 20 pounds Sterling. On 2 Sep 1809, he bought 65 more acres of the land that his father bought from Jeremiah Williams that had been inherited by his brother, Obed Harriss. The price for this land was two hundred dollars. 32. viii. George Sr..