Dear Christine, You wrote: I think some of the identity confusion about William Harris, and others, in deeds recorded in Louisa and Albemarle stems in part from the fact that, from 1742 until 1761, Fredericksville Parish, the northeastern half of what is now Albemarle Co., was the westmost part of Louisa Co. Here's a link on this subject: http://listlva.lib.va.us/cgi-bin/wa.exe?A2=ind0608&L=va-hist&P=2299 So when Robert Harris and his sons patented land at Doyle's River, Mechum's, Moorman's, Rocky Creek, Buck's Elbow, etc... west of modern-day Charlottesville, it was considered Louisa Co. But these locations are nowhere near the Little River, North Anna, Cubb Creek, or South Anna of eastern Louisa Co., where other Williams were conducting land transactions both earlier and later in the 1700's. As to William, son of Robert Harris of Doyle's River (Harris YDNA group 6), I think that the deed of 8 May 1777 Albemarle Co. to Thomas Garth pretty well identifies William as deceased by 1777 with a widow Elizabeth (probably Michie) and a brother Christopher married to Agnes. The Mechams River location is consistent with the general area in which his father and brothers had land, so I suspect the other Albemarle deeds referencing that location also apply to him. But the 1764 and 1771 Amherst Co. deeds relating to Rockfish Creek more likely refer to a different William Harris, son of William and Mary (Netherland) Harris also of Albemarle Co. (Harris YDNA group 7). This family seems to have come from York Co. early in the 1700's and patented lands in southwestern Albemarle Co. and into Amherst Co. The Louisa Co. deeds of 1778 and later seem to refer to at least two more Williams, one with wife Elizabeth, and another with wife Henrietta. The William Harris with wife Henrietta (Baker) is usually said to be "William III", son of "William Jr" and Elizabeth (Burnett) Harris, and grandson of William and Temperance (Overton) Harris. The William with wife Elizabeth is sometimes said to be William Jr, but there are other possibilities and I haven't so far sorted it out. In this time frame there are other Louisa Co. Williams to consider, like "Capt William Harris" of Hickory Creek, in NW Louisa Co., who is reported to have married Mary Hudson. Then there is William Harris, of Great Rocky Creek, in NE Louisa Co., deceased before 1800, a probable son of a John Harris, and related to Micajah and Esther Harris. And just a little further east over the line into Hanover Co. are William Harris of Wolf Swamp, and William Harris, son of Overton Harris of Cedar Hill, who is presumably another decendent of William and Temperance (Overton) Harris. Christine Schomaker My response: Thank you so much for shedding some light on the various William Harrises. We Harris-Hunters need all the help we can get. It is so helpful, indeed, to have the maiden names of their wives. You believe Elizabeth, the widow of William Harris, son of Major Robert Harris, was Michie. That makes sense to me. I am trying to send a message to several lists of my notes on some of the Harrises, but my notes are so long, that the administrators are holding my messages. I expect I shall have to divide into installments. I certainly invite corrections, additions, etc. Because of your knowledge of some of these various colonial Harrises, do you have any inkling of whether Elizabeth (unknown) may have remarried? I am certain her family had to have lived near the Harrises, or else was related to some degree to the larger family. It would help me immensely if I knew the geography of Virginia somewhat better. I have a DeLorme atlas, which helps somewhat, but many of the watercourses I seek are either not indexed, or have disappeared over the years. And, of course, the county boundaries, as you indicate, have changed over the years. Thanks for helping to set us straight. E.W.Wallace ************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com