University of Virginia Library

HARRIS.

Matthew Harris in 1741 patented four hundred acres on
the waters of Totier, which he afterwards sold to John
Harris. It is believed he soon removed to the present territory
of Nelson. He married Miss Lee, and had two sons,
William and Lee. Lee married Miss Philips, and his son,
William Lee Harris, who married Elizabeth, daughter of
Clayton Coleman, was admitted to the Albemarle bar in
1798, but probably lived in the present bounds of Nelson.

William Harris, in all likelihood a brother of Matthew, was
long one of the early and leading citizens of Albemarle.
His first patent was located on Beaverdam of Hardware in
1739. He also made entries on Totier and Green Creeks,
until during the next forty years he possessed more than two
thousand acres. He was evidently a man of fine judgment
and great energy. He established on Green Creek one of
the first mills erected in that part of the county, and it has
ever since been an important centre to the surrounding
country. In 1746, the year after the county was organized,
he was appointed one of its magistrates. He died in 1788.
His wife was Mary Netherland, and his children, Matthew,
Sarah, the wife of a Mosby, Elizabeth, the wife of John
Digges, Catharine, the wife of a Steger, John, William, Mary,
the wife of a Woodfolk, Benjamin, Ann, the wife of Hawes
Coleman, and Judith, the wife of George Coleman. From
this stem has sprung a greater number of families perhaps
than from any other ever domiciled in the county.

Matthew married Miss Tate, and had fifteen children.
Among them were Schuyler, who married Frances Blades,
lived two miles north of Covesville, and died in 1803, and
whose son, William B., married Elizabeth, daughter of
Andrew Hart, was the father of Alfred and William Henry,
was a magistrate of the county, and a ruling elder in the
Cove Church, and died in 1862; Matthew, who married Miss
Blades, and had a large family, of which the only one
remaining is venerable Lloyd Harris, now living near Warren;
Henry T., who became a member of the Albemarle bar
in 1808, lived south of Covesville, married his cousin Mary,

daughter of Benjamin Harris, and died in 1845, and whose
daughters, Mary and Cornelia, were the wives respectively
of Dr. Daniel E. Watson, and Dr. William D. Boaz; and
Mary, the wife of a Barnett, and mother of Nathan J., who
lived near Covesville, and was for many years Surveyor of
the county.

Sarah Mosby was the grandmother of Alfred, the father
of Colonel John S. Mosby, of Confederate fame. Elizabeth,
the wife of John Digges, was the mother of nine children, of
whom Elizabeth became the wife of Rev. Isaac Darneille, an
Episcopal clergyman, Charlotte, the wife of William Moon,
Dorothy, the wife of Marshall Durrett, Nancy, the wife of
James Durrett, of Batesville, and Lucy, the wife of Dabney
Carr, of North Garden.

John Harris was at the time of his death in 1832 the
wealthiest man in the county. His home was at Viewmont,
south of Carter's Bridge, which he purchased in 1803 from
Tucker Moore Woodson. It is said, he added largely to his
estate by his business operations during the war of 1812.
He was appointed a magistrate in 1807. He was twice married,
first to Frances Rowzy, and secondly to Sarah, widow of
Robert Barclay. He left no children of his own, but devised
a large portion of his estate to the children of his second wife,
two of whom were married to the brothers, John D. and
Edward H. Moon. His will was contested, and a long litigation
ensued before it was finally established in 1838.

William married Miss Wagstaff, and had eight children.
Among them were William B., and Frances, the wife of
Lewis Nicholas. William B. married Elizabeth, daughter
of Samuel Woods, and was the father of William H., who
married Mary J. Wayland, lived on the old Field place near
Batesville, was appointed a magistrate in 1838, and died in
1887.

Benjamin was a man of great wealth, was appointed a
magistrate in 1791, and served as Sheriff in 1815. He married
Mary, daughter of Samuel Woods, and had eleven children.
Among them were Dr. William A., who married his
cousin Elizabeth, daughter of Schuyler Harris, was a magistrate

of the county, and a ruling elder in the Cove Church,
and in 1837 removed to Illinois; and Colonel George W., who
died in 1877, and whose children still occupy the old homestead
on the old Irish Road, west of Porter's Precinct.
Ann, wife of Hawes Coleman, was the grandmother of Mary,
the wife of Dr. Charles D. Everett.

One of the early settlers on Doyle's River was Robert Harris.
He obtained patents for nearly three thousand acres in that
vicinity, his first entry having been made in 1750. His death
took place in 1765. He and his wife Mourning had ten children,
Christopher, Robert, Tyree, James, William, Lucy, the
wife of William Shelton, Sarah, the wife of John Rodes, the
wife of William Dalton, Mourning, the wife of John Jouett,
and Elizabeth, the wife of William Crawford, and mother of
William H. Crawford, United States Senator from Georgia,
Minister to France, Secretary of the Treasury under Mr. Monroe,
and a prominent candidate for the Presidency in 1824.
Robert was a Captain in the Revolutionary service, and
removed to Surry County, North Carolina. William died
early in 1776, and Christopher in 1794.

James died in 1792. He and his wife Mary had ten children,
Thomas, Joel, Nathan, James, Lucy, the wife of Thomas
Grubbs, Mourning, the wife of Cornelius Maupin, Sarah, the
wife of James Harrison, Susan, the wife of Nicholas Burnley,
Ann, the wife of a Haden, and Jane, the wife of a Dabney. Joel
was appointed a magistrate in 1801, and about 1811 Commissioner
of the Revenue for Fredericksville parish, which office
he held until his death in 1826. He and his wife Anna had
three sons, Ira, Joel and Clifton. Ira succeeded his father
in the Commissionership, as well as in the old home, the
place where Jeremiah A. Early now resides, and died in 1863.
He married Sarah, and his brother Clifton, Mary, daughters
of Howell Lewis, of North Garden. Nathan removed to
Lexington, Va., where he resided till his death. He was the
father of the Hon. John T. Harris, and Rev. William A.
Harris, for many years Principal of the Female Seminary in
Staunton. James was appointed a magistrate in 1807. He
married Mary, daughter of John and Mary McCulloch, and

was associated with his brothers-in-law, Robert and James
McCulloch, in conducting the mill at Millington. In 1822 he
sold his property, and removed to another part of the country.

Another family of this name lived near Free Union. Its
head was James, who died in 1797. He and his wife Elizabeth
had six sons and five daughters. One of his sons, Blake,
married Mary, daughter of John Alphin, and from another
was descended Randolph Frank Harris, who was for some
years the mayor of Charlottesville.

At a later date John O. Harris came to the county from
Louisa. He purchased part of the old Indian Camp place,
which William Short sold in 1813 to David Higginbotham.
His wife was Barbara Terrell, and his daughters, Ann and
Thomasia, became the wives respectively of John O. Pendleton
and R. J. Hancock. Mr. Harris died in 1877, and his
wife in 1882.