Sgt. John Harris was founder of the Virginia Company that founded Jamestown and he lived there for a while at the Shirley Plantation. He was the son of Sir William Harris and his wife Alice Smyth who was the daughter of Sir Thomas Smythe, the English Secretary of State. I did not know that England had a Secretary of State then but....
John Harris was born about 1588-9 in Creeksea England, subscriber of the Third Charter of the Virginia Company of London along with his father. He was residing in Charles City County, Virginia at West and Shirley Hundred on the 16th of February, 1623, with his wife Dorothy and two infants.
In the census taken the 24th of February 1624-1625, John Harris does not show in the census because he was then in England.
We know that John Harris was then in England because the Parish Registers of St. Dunston in the East of Virginia shows, "gent. and Dorothy his wife, borne in the House of Edward Lymbry of Lyne House, Mariner, the same day baptized." He may have returned to England to claim a legacy of L400 given him by his brother William who died in 1622. The designation of "gentleman" in the Parish Register in 1624 would indicate that he was entitled to a coat of arms. All these circumstances show that he was the fourth son of Sir William Harris of Creeksea, England.
That John Harris was a member of the Virginia Company is proven by the fact that while he was in London, Sir Peter Courteen wrote him from Holland about some of the Virginia Company's business. "July 4, 1624, Sir Peter Courteen to John Harris. About the sale of Virginia Tobacco. Thanks him for his pains taken in the Va. Business. Tobacco of Va. will now yield no price, the markets are overlaid." "Memo July 10, 1624. I wrote to Sir Peter to remit to me here in safety." "June 17, 1625. Sir Peter Courteen to John Harris. Desires him to procure patent upon some of the Company's name, John Powell to have leave to sail and bring victuals unto the Plantation of Va. which would be to the company's profit." "Memo answered June 26, that the Virginia Company was moved but could not prevail in regard they are afraid he should go to the West Indies." John returned to Virginia and was residing in the corporation of Charles City in 1626, where he had 200 acres planted. This was the same John Harris because the records show that he had a wife and daughter, both named Dorothy. He was a Burgess member for Shirley Hundred Main, 1627-30. John Harris died in Charles City County before October 14, 1638, for on that date Francis Derrick makes a bill of sale to Richard Johnson as follows: "Whereas John Baker and Dorothy his wife, daughter of the late deceased Serjeant John Harris, have by order of Court at Henrico the 27th day of August last, surrendered unto me, Captain Francis Derrick all right and title which they claim under the dividend of land belonging to the late deceased George Calcott, which was given to the said Dorothy by the last will and testament of the said Calcott as by the surrender in the said court and by the patent and will recorded at James Cittie ect."
-------------------- John Harris and his father help found the Virginia Company. It was their money and contributions that allowed Jamestown to happen. John and his wife Dorothy migrated to Jamestown and their homesite was just north of Jamestown in Shirley Hundred. -----------------------
Birth: 1588 Creeksea Essex, England Death: Oct. 14, 1638 Charles City County Virginia, USA
John Harris was born 1588/9, Creeksea, Essex, England
Son of Sir William (I) and Alice (Smythe) Harris
Husband of Dorothy (Lymbry) Harris
Parents of Thomas Harris (m. Alice West)
Family links:
Parents: William Harris (1563 - 1616) Alice Smythe Harris (1556 - 1615) Spouse: Dorothy Lymbry Harris* Children: Thomas Harris (1614 - 1672)*
- Calculated relationship
Burial: Unknown
Created by: Georgia Girl Record added: Sep 13, 2010 Find A Grave Memorial# 58569039
Sgt. John Harris, Sr. is your 10th great grandfather.
You
→ Pop
your father → Rufus S. Nichols
his father → James "Jim" Ira Nichols
his father → Ezekiel H. Nichols
his father → "John" Ezekiel Nichols
his father → Rhoda Bond Nichols
his mother → Sgt. Wright Bond, Revolutionary Soldier
her father → Page Bond
his father → William Bond
his father → William Bond
his father → Dorothy Bond
his mother → Sgt. John Harris, Sr.
her father
As usual Georgia Girl is inventing children and lineage for Sgt John Harris. As named in his 1634 response to the Heralds at the College of Arms inquiry as to his children, he responded with the names William Harris-deceased, John Harris-deceased, Dorothy Harris-living and John Harris-living. These are the ONLY documented and proven children of Sgt John Harris & wife Dorothy. The Bond line is the only documented line but the above cited line is undocumented. Harris DNA Lead Resercher
ReplyDeleteThomas Harris d1672 is documented as born in 1634 to Edward and Frances Harris, who moved to Lancaster c1650. Their son Thomas married there to Eleanor George, dau of Nicholas George Sr & Margaret Saward,who bore him one son John Harris 1657-1713, before she died c1661, Thomas then married Alice Newman, dau of John Newman Sr and Robyn Atterton, who bore him several daughters and ONE son Thomas Harris 1667-1712 who married Judith Edwards. This is documented in the "Five Thomas Harrises
ReplyDeleteof Isle of wight County Virginia" by the eminent professional genealogist John Brayton in Chapter Two. Also see Wikitree.com familysearch.com and geni.com
The www.harrislegacy.com website was taken down by its owner J. Phil Harris as most of the profiles were either wrongly created or combined children of different Harris families into one impossible batch of chilkdren for one set of parents.
ReplyDelete