WILLIAM   H.   HARRISON

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THE STORY AS I KNOW IT

William H. Harrison was born about 1680 in Stafford County, Virginia.  Many online place his birth in 1686.  That may be right, but he wed in 1702 and he would have been only 16 at the time.  Not impossible but unusual.  No where is there documentation to support their claims, so I will make my own.  I cannot confirm his parents at this time.   I

William H.  Harrison, I don't know what the H stands for married Sarah Hawley about 1702.

                                        Sarah and William Harrison had five children:    from William and Mary College Quarterly, Vol 5, page 212

                                        1. William H. (who also became "Captain") born 1703 married Isabella Triplett.
                                        2. Sybil born 1705 married Col. Hugh West
                                        3. George born 1707 married Martha Price
                                        4. Sarah born 1708/9 married 1st Thomas Triplett, 2nd John Manley.
                                        5. Mary born after 1714 married 1st John Brown, 2nd John Peake

                                         On Dec. 4, 1706 William H. Harrison bought 266 acres in Stafford County on Dogue Run.  Deeds NN 3:146   Dogue Run, now in Fairfax County flows into the Potomac. just                                            south of  Mount Vernon Stafford County covered all of northern Virginia until 1730 when Prince William was carved out. Fairfax County was carved from the northern part of PW in                                         1742.  This William Harrison also owned land that eventually was in Loudoun County.  We know because of a wonderful colonial Loudoun County Deed C:255

                                      William H Harrison died in Stafford County in 1724. Ms. Mack notes that the will was recorded in Stafford County Will book K, page 99 which is now lost.  Ann H. Mack wrote
                                        an article for The Virginia Genealogist, Volume 28, 1984 entitled Hawley/Halley In Seventeenth Century Virginia.  Her eldest son, William H. most likely took over as head of                                             the house. He didn't marry until he was 31.  The youngest child, Mary was 10. 

                                       In 1740, after Mary Harrison wed John Brown, Sarah Hawley Harrion married a second time. She was 54 years old and her new husband, Thomas Lewis was 10 years                                                younger. He died in 1749. His will can be found in Fairfax Co, VA Will Book A-1 pp. 291-3. Sarah was to have the use of the estate, Difficult Run, during her natural life. Difficult                                        Run was in the north of Fairfax County  All lands and estates were bequeathed to the children of his brother, Stephen Lewis. Sarah sued that her late husband and his brother had                                            conspired to defraud her and she was granted a judgement of 6868 pounds of tobacco. However, she was ordered to pay 15 pounds, 2 shillings and 5 pence to the estate of                                                     Stephen Lewis.

                                       Mary Harrison Brown had gone to Difficult Run to live with her mother after her husband John Brown died. There she met and married the overseer of Difficult Run, John Peake.                                        By 1772 the Peake family had moved to Fauquier County, Virginia. Sarah moved there to be with her daughter and died there in 1778 at the age of 92.

Some of those wonderful colonial deeds spelled out the family connections.  William H. Harrison inherited a track of land in Loudoun County, VA from his father William Harrison. On September 3/4, 1760 Margaret (nee Harrison) and her husband Edward Blackburn sold their portion of the track. The deed found in Loudoun Deeds C:255 connects the family.  It says..

                           "track taken up by William Harrison and devised to William H. Harrison his son.....The Northern Neck Grant was to Sarah Lewis, then Sarah Harrison, widow and relict                             of William Harrison the elder and mother of William the son. The track was devised to his (William - the son) four daughters, Margaret who married Edward Blackburn,                             Sarah who married John Monroe, Susanna who married Robert Slaughter and Mary who married John Waler."

                                        Would all deeds contain so much valuable information! The deed was not recorded until July 10, 1762.

                                        We know from this deed and a Fairfax County deed that at least 2 of his children inherited property from William Harrison upon his death.  I believe it probable that all five children                                         received land. Fairfax County Deed M:315, dated March 26, 1777 states that "Sybill West, widow, sold for 97.3 pounds, to William Triplett land devised to Sybill by her father                                        William Harrison and  now adjacent land of his excellency General Washington and said William Triplett of Dogue Run, part of a tract granted William Harrison."  The deed                                         was for 107 .5 acres. His original known grant was for 266 acres.   

                                        I have 1760 Fairfax County map made by Beth Mitchell  showing landowners.  Harrison/Manley is just east of George Washington's property.  Sybil West is also on the                                             map, a bit further north.  Sarah Lewes is right down on the Potomac, north side of the mouth of Dogue Run.  And in the northwest of the county on Difficult Creek we can find
                                        Thomas Lewis heirs.  His property bordered Difficult Creek and Wolf Trap Creek ran through the center of the property.

                                        I wish I had such a map for Loudoun County, to see how far north William Harrison owned property.


RESEARCH QUESTIONS

If you know the answer please CONTACT US

1. Who were William Harrison's parents?
2.  Was his middle initial H, or was it a misread of William III Harrison?
3.  When was he born?
4.  Find all the property owned by this William Harrison.
5.  Is there any secondary source for his lost will?

 

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