Harris

A Brief History of the Name Harris

The name of Harris is chiefly of English and Welsh origin and means son of Harry.  The baptismal name of Harry derived from the English attempt at pronouncing the French name Henri.  Therefore, Harry was, for the most part, the English equivalent of the Christian name Henry.  It is said to have been of Teutonic origin and means ruler of the home or chief of the dwelling.  Hence, the literal meaning of the surname of Harris is son of the head of the house.  It was first used as a surname by the sons of men who bore the baptismal name of Harry.  In ancient English and Welsh, as well, as early American records the name appears in various forms as Harries, Herys, Harys, Harrys, Harryss, Harriss, Heris, Herice, Heriz, Herries, Herris, and Harris.  Of these, the last is the most familiar.

The earliest known person of the name is found in the early 11th century:  Herice, the son of Landric de Beaugency of Orleans, France. Herice had a son, Ancelin de Beaumont, who held a large tract of land in Nottinghamshire, England in 1086.  Ivo FitzHerice or de Heris, the son of Ancelin, had three sons who are the root of all present day Harris'.  The brothers Robert, William and Humphrey settled in different areas of England.  Their descendants spread across the whole of the British Empire.  By the time the first settlers came to America in the 17th century, they were generally using the familiar form of Harris.

We descend from these men although the exact connection to them has been lost to antiguity.  Our direct ancestors begin with John Harris who arrived in Massachusetts Bay Colony sometime between 1630 and 1656.  It is possible, although highly unlikely, that this John Harris was the son of Thomas Harris the first immigrant of the name to arrive in New England.  The records of New England are extensive, and they do not suggest the necessary connection to make the relationship valid.  Although many people have linked John as Thomas' son born about 1616 in England that date, and the lack of confirming documentation led me to conclude that our John is from another family line.  Therefore, I am beginning our family line with John rather than Thomas.  The information contained here is, to the best of my knowledge, accurate; however, it should not be considered as factual without further research.

Source:  "The Name and Family of Harris".  © Roots Research Bureau, Ltd.  Manuscript Number 1198.  New York, New York, 1984.

Descendants of John Harris

Generation 1

1.

John Harris.

John's parents are unknown at this time.  There are no records that show when or where he was born.  He may be the son of English parents who immigrated to New England on the first ships that arrived during the period 1620-1630; thus, making him a first generation American.  What is known is that he was resident in New England prior to his marriage ca. 1656.  However, because there were a number of men named John Harris who immigrated from England to the Massachusetts Bay Colony between 1630 and 1658 it is difficult to identify exactly who his parents were and where they lived.

John received a land grant in North Yarmouth, Maine about 1682 and removed with his family from Charlestown shortly thereafter.  He was captured by Indians in a raid in September 1688.  His fate is unkown.  It is presumed that he died in captivity, however, there are records of land sales by him as late as June of 1697.  He acknoweledged and affirmed that sale on 30 Sep 1713.  These sales were executed in Ipswich, Essex, Massachusetts and are recorded in the early Willis and Deeds of Maine.  Assuming that this was the same John Harris it can be presumed that he died after this date as there do not appear to be any later records naming his as the primary party.  However, his sons Thomas and Joseph, presumeably after their father's death, claimed his grant in North Yarmouth before 1727 and sold it in 1728 ending this family's presence in Maine.

Amy Hills.

Amy was the daughter of Joseph Hills and Rose Dunster.  She was born in Jan 1635 in Charlestown, Suffolk, Massachusetts.  She died about 1734.

John and Amy were married about 1658 in Charlestown, Suffolk, Massachusetts and had five children:

i.

Samuel Harris, b. 3 Dec 1658.

ii.

John Harris, b. 17 Feb 1660/1.

iii.

Thomas Harris, b. 26 Aug 1662; d. 18 Mar 1663.

iv.

Thomas Harris, b. 18 Mar 1664.

2.

v.

Joseph Harris, b. 17 Nov 1665; d. 24 Oct 1732.

Generation 2

2.

Joseph Harris.

Joseph was the son of John Harris and Amy Hills.  He was born 17 Nov 1665 in Charleston, Suffolk, Massachusetts.  He died 24 Oct 1732 in Charlestown, Suffolk, Massachusetts.  Joseph was married twice (1^st) to Naomi Stevens and (2^nd) on 16 Apr 1724 to Rebecca Kettell with whom he had two children:  Jonathan (b. 26 May 1725) and Rachel.

Joseph was a weaver by trade.  He lived in North Yarmouth on land given him by his father until driven out by the Indians.  He returned to Charlestown and lived there until his death.

Naomi Stevens.

Naomi was possibly the daughter of Amos Stevens and Margery Shepard or she could have been the daughter of Benjamin Stevens and the widow Ann Shepard.  She was born about 1665 in North Yarmouth, Maine.  In 1688, she had an illegitimate son who she named Benjamin Stevens.  It is possible that Joseph was the father of this child because he stated under oath that he had built a home for Ann Stevens in 1687.  Or the father could have been Benjamin Stevens the son of Benjamin and Ann (Shepard) Stevens.  Because there are no records of Naomi's birth it is difficult to determine who her parents were or who was Benjamin's father.  She died 16 Dec 1710 in Charlestown, Suffolk, Massachusetts.

Joseph and Naomi were married in 1688 in North Yarmouth and had eight children:

i.

Joseph Harris, b. 4 Aug 1689 in North Yarmouth, Casco, Maine.

ii.

Jonathan Harris, b. 2 Dec 1690.

iii.

Amos Harris, b. 19 Aug 1693;
m. Hannah Larrabee 8 Nov 1722.

3.

iv.

Samuel Harris, b. 18 Aug 1695 in Charlestown, Suffolk, Massachusetts.

v.

Naomi Harris, b. 13 Sep 1697.

vi.

Mary Harris, b. 7 Dec 1699.

vii.

Josiah Harris, b. 9 Jan 1701;
m. Hannah King 28 Nov 1723.
See note below.

viii.

Huldah Harris, b. 29 Mar 1704.

Note:  Some published genealogies of the Harris family show Josiah as the father of Cap't Samuel Harris who removed to Nova Scotia (see No. 10 below).  However, the Samuel born to Josiah and Hannah (King) Harris was b. 4 Dec 1731 and died 25 May 1789 in Boston.  The children of Josiah and Hannah were:  Josiah b. 31 Jul 1725; William b. 7 Jun 1727; Hannah b. 8 May 1729; Samuel b. 4 Dec 1731, m. Sarah Moore abt. 1752, and had first child Samuel in 1753; Ebenezer b. Aug 1734 and Mary b. Sep 1738.  Source:  Josiah Harris 1770-1845 East Machias, Maine His Ancestors and Descendants in Nine Generations.

The fact that it would have been very unusual for someone born in 1731 to have married and fathered a child in 1742 caused me to search further to solve this anomaly.  In addition, Samuel the son of Josiah apparently never lived in Nova Scotia.  Therefore, I am going to ignore this portion of those lineages and follow the official records of the Massachusetts Bay Colony found on AmericanAncestors.com.  If the reader has information to the contrary please contact me.

Generation 3

3.

Samuel Harris.

Samuel was the son of Joseph Harris and Naomi Stevens.  He was born 18 Aug 1695 as stated in the Vital Records of Charlestown, Suffolk, Massachusetts. 

Sarah Biles.

Sarah was the daughter of Jonathan Biles and Elizabeth Patch.  She was born 31 Aug 1688 in Beverly, Essex, Massachusetts and died 7 Aug 1782.

Samuel and Sarah were married 31 Dec 1712 as stated in the Vital Records of Beverly, Massachusetts to the end of the year 1849 and had five children:

i.

Jonathan Harris, b. 17 Jul 1715.

ii.

David Harris, b. 29 Apr 1719.

4.

iii.

Samuel Harris (a.k.a. Cap't), b. 29 Sep 1721.

iv.

Experience Harris, b. 7 Aug 1723; d. 18 Feb 1799.

v.

Dorcas, b. 29 May 1726.

Generation 4

4.

Cap't Samuel Harris.

Samuel was the son of Samuel Harris and Sarah Biles.  He was born 29 Sep 1721 in Beverly, Essex, Massachusetts.  He died after 12 Jan 1784 when he signed, along with his sons, an agreement to support the building of a meeting house in Yarmouth.

Samuel moved his family from Beverly, Essex, Massachusetts to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia in 1762, and settled on the western side of the harbor opposite the present site of the Duck & Yarn Mills.  In 1767, when the township lands were granted, he and his son David together were allotted three shares, 2,526 acres of land.  In 1782, Samuel signed a petition to the Massachusetts legislature asking for relief from privateers raiding their homes in Yarmouth.  He and his sons and neighbors felt that they were neutral non-combatants and, therefore, should be off limits to the raiding parties. 

Sources:  Yarmouth Nova Scotia Genealogies, Transcribed from the Yarmouth Herald, Harris No. 38; A History of the County of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, and Annals of Yarmouth and Barrington (Nova Scotia) in the Revolutionary War.

Abigail Larcom.

Abigail was the daughter of David Larcom and Lucy Downing of Beverly, Essex, Massachusetts.  Abigail was born 26 Nov 1724 and died about 1771.

Samuel and Abigail were married 25 Apr 1742 in Beverly and had thirteen children, all except the three youngest were born in Beverly, the youngest were born in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia:

5.

i.

David Harris, b. 4 Feb 1743; d. 1775.

ii.

Jonathan Harris, b. 19 Oct 1745;
he remained in Beverly.

iii.

Samuel Harris, b. 6 Mar 1748; d. 1748.

iv.

Margaret Harris, b. 19 May 1749;
m. Richard Williams 6 Dec 1770.

v.

Lucy Harris, b. 9 May 1751;
m. Robert Robinson 28 Dec 1768; d. 1790.

vi.

Dorcas Harris, b. 22 Dec 1753;
m. Peregrine Hamilton 29 Oct 1776.

vii.

Benjamin Harris, b. 6 Jul 1755;
m. Abigail Elwell 17 May 1781.

viii.

Samuel Harris, b. 20 Jan 1757;
m. Lydia Robinson 24 Nov 1785; d. 1790.

ix.

Cornelius Harris, b. 19 May 1759; d. 1788.

x.

Priscilla Harris, b. 31 May 1761;
m. Joseph Bent 17 Aug 1780; d. 1786.

xi.

William Harris, b. 1763; bp. 18 Aug 1765;
he was the first English male child born in Yarmouth
m. Martha Rose 21 Dec 1786; d. 23 Nov 1839.

xii.

Elizabeth Harris, b. 6 Sep 1767;
m. Joel Palmer 18 Jan 1787; d. 1793.

xiii.

Abigail Harris, b. 9 Jul 1769;
m. William Stephens 9 Aug 1798; d. 1803.

Generation 5

5.

David Harris.

David was the son of Cap't Samuel Harris and Abigail Larcom.  He was born 4 Feb 1743 in Beverly, Essex, Massachusetts and moved with his father to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia in 1762.

Elizabeth Corning.

Elizabeth was the daughter of David Corning and Priscilla Thissell.  She was born 3 Jan 1747 in Beverly.

David and Elizabeth were married 14 Aug 1763 in Beverly and had seven children:

6.

i.

Samuel Harris; b. 17 Nov 1764; d. 13 Jul 1845.

ii.

David Harris, b. 25 May 1767; d. 13 Feb 1856.

iii.

Andrew Harris, b. 8 Aug 1769; lost at sea unmarried.

iv.

Asahel Harris, b. 9 Feb 1771; lost at sea unmarried.

7.

v.

Ezra Harris, b. 29 Nov 1772; d. 8 Apr 1864.

vi.

Jonathan Harris, b. 4 Nov 1774; d. 29 May 1860.

vii.

Elizabeth Harris.

Generation 6

6.

Samuel Harris.

Samuel was the son of David Harris and Elizabeth Corning.  He was born 17 Nov 1764 in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.  He died 13 Jul 1845 in Yarmouth.  Samuel was married twice (1^st) to Rebecca Crosby, they had no children; and then he married (2^nd) Elizabeth Welch.

Elizabeth Welch.

At this time nothing is known about Elizabeth or who her parents were.

Samuel and Elizabeth were married 25 May 1790 in Yarmouth and had six children:

i.

Jotham Harris, b. 27 Sep 1799; drowned unmarried.

ii.

Samuel Harris [4th], b. 20 Jun 1801.

iii.

Elizabeth Harris, b. 8 Aug 1803.

iv.

Mehitable Harris, b. 8 Sep 1806.

8.

v.

Ebenezer Harris, b. 12 Jan 1808.

vi.

Olive Harris, b. 1809; d. 3 Aug 1862.

7.

Ezra Harris.

Ezra was the son of David Harris and Elizabeth Corning.  He was born 29 Nov 1772 in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.  He died 8 Apr 1864 in Yarmouth.

Lucy Bent.

Other then the fact that Lucy was born and died in Yarmouth, at this time nothing more is known about her or who her parents were.

Ezra and Lucy had six children:

9.

i.

Moses Harris, b. 14 May 1814; d. 26 Dec 1874.

ii.

Ezra Harris.

iii.

Asahel Harris.

iv.

Elizabeth Harris.

v.

Aaron Harris, m. Hannah Robinson 17 Feb 1846.

vi.

Edward, m. Catherine (Hicks) Robbins 13 Nov 1845.

Generation 7

8.

Ebenzer Harris.

Ebenzer was the son of Samuel Harris and Elizabeth Welch.  He was born 12 Jan 1808 in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.

Sarah Flint.

At this time nothing is known about Sarah or who her parents were.

Ebenzer and Sarah and had seven children:

10.

i.

George Harris, d. 4 Sep 1869.

ii.

Samuel Harris, m. Margaret Foote 14 Dec 1856;
d. 22 May 1893.

iii.

Benjamin Harris, m. Elizabeth Killam 16 Oct 1859.

iv.

Sarah Elizabeth Harris, m. William Suttie 2 Apr 1857.

v.

Martha Alice Harris, m. Isaac Sullivan in 1847.

vi.

Irene Harris.

vii.

Nancy Adeline Harris.

9.

Moses Harris.

Moses was the son of Ezra Harris and Lucy Bent.  He was born 14 May 1814 in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia and died there 26 Dec 1874.

Phebe Killam.

Phebe was the daughter of Eliakim Killam and Margaret Mattingly.  She was born 26 Nov 1819 in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia and died there 21 Mar 1900.

Moses and Phebe had eleven children:

i.

Racheal Harris, b. 1839.

ii.

Charles Henry Harris, b. Sep 1842.

iii.

Lucy A Harris, b. 3 Mar 1844.

iv.

Phoebe Ellen Harris, b. 29 Dec 1845;
m. Elijah Schipps 24 Oct 1862.

v.

June Cynthia Harris, b. 1848; d. Mar 1865.

vi.

Moses Harris, b. 9 Oct 1850.

vii.

Jessie M Harris, b. 14 Apr 1853; d. 1886.

viii.

Martha Ellen Harris, b. 9 Sep 1855; 14 Apr 1857.

ix.

Walter Weston Harris, b. 11 Aug 1858.

x.

Eliakim Killam Harris, b. 3 Aug 1860.

11.

xi.

Annie Worthline Harris, b. 26 Jan 1864.

Generation 8

10.

George Harris.

George was the son of Ebenezer Harris and Sarah Flint.  He was lost at sea 4 Sep 1869.

Priscilla Bain.

Priscilla was the daughter of William Bain and Asenath Porter.  She was born about 1819.

George and Priscilla had eight children:

i.

Amelia Harris.

ii.

George Harris, b. 1855.

iii.

Hannah Harris, b. 1857.

12.

iv.

Judson Irving Harris, b. 17 Aug 1859.

v.

Sarah Harris, b. 1861.

vi.

Priscilla Harris, b. 1864.

vii.

Alice Harris, b. 1866.

viii.

Martha Harris, b. 1868.

Generation 9

12.

Judson Irving Harris.

Judson was the son of George Harris and Priscilla Bain.  He was born 17 Aug 1859 in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada.  He immigrated with his family between 1886 and 1890 (based on birth information in the 1900 U.S. Federal Census) to Cambridge, Massachusettes and was naturalized in Boston on 19 Mar 1896.  He remained in Cambridge and was last recorded there in the 1930 U.S. Federal Census.

11.

Annie Worthline Harris.

Annie was the daughter of Moses Harris and Phebe Killam.  She was born in 1864 in Yarmouth.

Judson and Annie were married in Aug 1881 in Yarmouth and had six children:

13.

i.

Ray Douglas Harris, b. 8 May 1883 (Yarmough);
d. 23 Sep 1918.

iii.

Leigh Perry Harris, b. 5 Mar 1886 (Yarmouth).

iii.

Sarah "Sadie" Harris, b. 10 Feb 1890 (Massachusetts).

iv.

Esther Mildred Harris, b. 10 Dec 1894 (Massachusetts).

v.

Irva B Harris, b. 17 Oct 1897 (Massachusetts).

vi.

Charles Russell Harris, b. 1903 (Massachusetts).

Generation 10

13.

Ray Douglas Harris.

Ray was the son of Judson Irving Harris and Annie Worthline Harris.  He was born 8 May 1883 in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.  He was chief engineer at the Samoset in Rockland, Maine for three years, then he worked for Baldwin Locomotive Company in Boston where he designed locomotives.  The family visited Maine frequently, traveling in a Stanley Steamer.  He died 23 Sep 1918 during the influenza epidemic following World War I at his home in North Beverly, Essex, Massachusetts.

Source:  Henry A Magnuson, Jr interview (grandson).

Mabel Pearse Golden.

Mabel was the daughter of Cyrus White Golden and Elizabeth Shellabear Pearse.  She was born 13 Dec 1881 in New York, New York.  She died 14 Jul 1966 in North Beverly, Massachusetts.

Ray and Mabel were married 27 Oct 1904 and had five children:

i.

Stuart Pepperell Harris, b. 28 Oct 1905;
m. Mary Florence Russell 15 Jan 1927;
d. 21 Apr 1989.

ii.

Ruth Golden Harris, b. 1 Aug 1907;
m. Henry Magnuson 27 Aug 1927;
d. 16 Oct 2003.

iii.

Elizabeth Pearse Harris, b. 13 Jul 1910;
m. John Dow; d. 10 Apr 1980.

iv.

Edith "Edie" Killam Harris, b. 10 Oct 1913;
m. Allen Underwood.

14.

v.

David Ray Harris, b. 21 Oct 1916;
m. Elinor Royce King 29 May 1941;
d. 1 May 2003.

Generation 11

14.

David Ray Harris.

David was the youngest son of Ray Douglas Harris and Mabel Pearse Golden.  He was born 21 Oct 1916 in Waltham, Essex, Massachusetts.  He moved to Washington, DC to live with his sisters Ruth and Edie about 1936.  He attended the Farm and Trade School on Thompson's Island in Boston Harbor between November 1931 and June 1934.  He received a diploma on 15 Jun 1934 for completion of the requirements in the course for sloyd (woodworking) and mechanical drawing.  He worked for DC Transit until his retirement in 1978.  He died 1 May 2003 in Clinton, Prince Georges, Maryland and was buried 6 May 2003 at Trinity Memorial Gardens in Waldorf, Charles, Maryland.

Elinor Royce King.

Elinor was the oldest daughter of Joseph Milton King and Mary Davis Royce.  She was born 30 May 1915 in Washington, DC.  She attended and graduated from old Western High School in the District in 1933.  Elinor enjoyed riding and could often be found at the stables in Rock Creek Park.  She was a bookkeeper for United Clay Products Company before she was married.  She died 31 Mar 1988 in Charlestown, Jefferson, West Virginia.

David and Elinor were married 29 May 1941 and had three children:

i.

Living Harris, b. 1945.

ii.

Living Harris, b. 1946.

iii.

Living Harris, b. 1956.