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Note: GloriaWigent.FTW
Lunenburg County was formed from Brunswick County, Virginia in 1746.
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From: kniel56541 [<mailto:connectionservice@cbsvc.myfamily.com?>] Sent: Sunday, February 24, 2008 5:49 PM To: Gloria_Wigent Subject: I found your profile on Ancestry - requesting more information Dear Gloria, I've been working on the George Harris-Keziah Earl line and found your family tree here on ancestry.com. I believe I can fill in some blanks for you and maybe you can help me out too. I am trying to find adirect connection from Willis Harris to George Harris. I have a copy of George's will but he doesn't mention Willis. May I ask what your source is for this relationship? I have a book that tells anecdotally the children of George and Keziah - there were nine - and Willis is mentioned in it. And maybe the child named Frances (on your tree) is their youngest, which I have only heard called Fannie. Thanks in advance for any help. Kathy Nielsen
Date: Wednesday, February 27, 2008 6:02:35 PM
I'm not sure how much I can do today, so I'll start with George and Keziah and go through one generation before getting to the kids. Like I said, all this info is anecdotal. I have yet to find the evidence for all of it.
"The father of George Harris was John Harris, whose wife Elizabeth was reputed to be a sister of Isaac Watts, the hymn writer." Isaac never married. I found the names of his brothers and sisters and there is an Elizabeth included - as in almost every family. "The late Rev. S. P. J. Harris, commonly called 'Nick' was sometimes accused of extravagance of speech, and defended himself by saying he came honestly by it, citing his great uncle's hymn: "Oh! for a thousand tongues to sing", etc., which by the way, I find was written by Charles Wesley." I wasn't going to include all this stuff - it makes the genealogy facts that much more difficult to find - but I just love all this chattiness-one reason why I purchased the book. "George Harris and his wife Keziah Earl Harris were the parents of the following children: Mary Harris (Polly), George W. Harris, James Harvey Harris, Elizabeth Harris, Rev. Willis Harris, Ivey Harris, Rev. Fletcher Harris, Keziah Harris and Fanny Kelly Harris."
George Harris died about 1820. I have a copy of his will. His will names Mary Harris, Elizabeth Hicks, Keziah Earl Rowland, Fanny Kelly Duty, and George W. Harris. In this little book it states, "About two miles northwestward from the Hicks, now Cozart place, which for 100 years was known as 'Red Garden,' and then since named by my father 'White Oak Villa,' was the home of George Harris. In my childhood (would have been 1860-1870) this George Harris place showed no sign of human habitation. The untrimmed cedar trees were so thick over its graveyard that a rabbit might find difficulty in getting through them. and butt his head against the headstone of ordinary rock, marked on top, 1820; and on the side with the initials 'G.H.' This headstone and the spring and a 'Balm of Gideon' tree are still there. I saw them August 3, 1926."
"Keziah Earl Harris, wife of George Harris, died at the age of 95, in 1849. Her body is buried at the Anderson Paschal graveyard where Ollie H. Parham now lives on the hill in front of the residence of H. B. Hicks." Keziah's first daughter, Mary, married Anderson Paschall, and I think that her mother lived with them until her death. Of course, she died before the 1850 census where all people in the household were listed.
George Harris, born: about 1750 died: 1820 in North Carolina
Keziah Earl, born: about 1754 died: 15 Apr 1849
Mary (Polly) Harris, born: about 1773
George W. Harris, born: 04 Feb 1778
James Harvey Harris, born: about 1780
Elizabeth Harris, born: 27 Nov 1782
Willis Harris, born: 14 Mar 1785
Ivey Harris, born: 12 Jul 1787
Fletcher Harris, born: Apr 1790 died: about 1825 in Petersburg, Virginia
Keziah Harris, born: 28 Jul 1792
Fannie Kelly Harris, born: 03 Dec 1795 died: 01 Jan 1881 in Louisburg, North Carolina
A little story has come down from the days of John Earl and George Harris. John was asked by George Harris on one occasion to send Jack and Sims, his two sons, to help him get up and shock his wheat. 'All right,' said John and he sent them over early the next morning. They worked hard and finished just at dinner time, thinking the while what a good dinner they would have in Aunt Kizzie's kitchen. Just then old man George said; "Boys, my wife always cooks to a mouthful and your mother cooks bountifully. Run home and get your dinners.' Their hearts sank within them, but they started home. After a few steps one said, 'Uncle George, may we go by the orchard and get some apples?' Uncle George hesitated a moment and replied; 'Eat as many as you want, but pocket none.' The boys went to the orchard, ate all the apples they could, took off their trousers, tied knots in their legs and filled them up with apples which they carried home. This story came to me from the Earle side of the house. Perhaps reading it here will be the first any living Harris heard of it."
Sounds like George Harris was a cranky old coot! Maybe his sons told him off in so many words and that's why the only son named in his willis George W. Harris. Who knows. There is a story about Samuel Duty, Fannie Kelly Harris' husband. In this book that sort of makes him the equal of George in crankiness.
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