1. Thomas Harris, m. Judith Blake, 20 Nov. 1623, in Wiveliscombe, Somerset. He was a cousin of (1) Richard Bennett, Governor of Virginia, and probably he who d. in Virginia in 1672. B. 5, p. 224: Henry Baker deceased, estate dated 27 April 1701. Witnesses: Robert Lancaster Sr., Nicholas Sessoms, whose da. was Mary Blake, wife of William Blake. Richard Bennett’s first wife was Anne, who was Charles Barham’s sister (see Douglas Richardson, ‘Plantagenet Ancestry’). Mr. Charles Barham Ex., Thomas Harris (d. 1672) and Thomas Tuke overseers, were officers of the will of William Ridley, who was probably the br. of Elizabeth Ridley, Charles Barham’s wife. The Tukes descended from a Holliman heiress. Thomas Harris, Will recorded 13 Nov. 1672. Security: John Newman and Edward Brantley. Edward Brantley Sr. came to America as an indentured servant under John Seaward of Bristol, who received a land patent on 18 June 1638 for 400 ac. in IOW. His son, Phillip Brantley, m. Joyce Lewis, da. of Thomas Lewis and Rebecca George, da. of John George, undoubtedly related to Nicholas George (see earlier notes), father-in-law of Thomas Harris, d. 1672. John George, appraisal by John Brantley, Thomas Hardy, George Riddick, and George Barlow, c. 1711. (B. 2, p. 527).
1.1. John Harris. William Groves, appraisal by John Harris, Edward Brantley, Elias Fort and Edward Grantham; presented by Mrs Elinor Groves,; recorded 9 Feb. 1678. (B. 2, p. 172). John Harris m. a da. of Francis Hobbs, who sold Edward Brantley 675 ac. adj. Thomas Tuke, in 1669. The Brantleys association with this kinship group stemmed from their marriage into the family of Hodges Council, of Wedmore, somerset. (2) Edward Bennett’s children. Christopher Reynolds Sr. emigrated to Virginia as an indentured servant of Mr. Edward Bennett. Bk. 1, pp. 46-8, “Imprimis: I give and bequeath unto my son Christopher Reynolds Jr. all my land on the southerly side of the Freshest swamp that Richard Jordan (his son-in-law who m. da. Elizabeth Reynolds) now liveth upon”.

1.2. Thomas Harris.

1.2.1. Thomas Harris, d. 1730: Thomas Harris 290 ac. IOW, on the Maherin River and both sides of Herbert’s Branch adj. Edward Brantley (son of Phillip and Joyce Lewis), and William Simmons line, 24 March 1725. Edward Brantley, John Thorpe, and Thomas Purcell appraisers. Thomas names a son, Joshua, in his will, and also an “unborn child wife now goes with”. Edward Brantley’s son, John, m. the widow of Thomas Harris, Hannah Judkins, whose mother remarried to William Harris before 1721. In Jan. 1708, administration of Edward Taylor’s estate was granted to Margaret Taylor; witnesses William Gray, Timothy Thorpe, and William Harris. (Davis, 127).

Margaret Taylor (da. of Edward Taylor and Margaret Gray) and William Judkins (son of Robert Judkins) had issue: 1. Elizabeth Judkins (m. John Berryman) 2. Hannah Judkins (m. Thomas Harris, d. 1730, IOW Co., son of Thomas, son of Thomas Harris, d. 1672, and Alice Newman). Margaret Taylor m. William Harris before 1721; her son Thomas Taylor m. his granddau., Mary Harris. William Harris: his Will was probated 19 April 1721. To wife Margaret. To grandson Harris Taylor. To granddau. Mary, wife of Thomas Taylor. To grandson Harris Taylor, land purchased of Robert Girly. To granddau. Mary, land at her death to her husband Thomas Taylor. At their deaths, to their son Thomas Taylor. Friends Capt. Thomas Holt and William Gray to divide property and overseers of the will. Executor, Thomas Taylor. (W.B 7, p. 325).

Thomas Holt was the son of Randall Holt and Elizabeth Hansford, da. of of Colonel John Hansford. Thomas Holt’s first wife was Frances Mason, da. of Francis Mason , whose Will names Thomas Holt, “Son-in-law” (B. 2., p. 116). Elizabeth Mason, wife to Francis, and mother to Thos. Holt was the widow of Thomas Binns, Sr. As Mrs. Elizabeth Binns she patented 777 ac. on 18 Oct. 1669. (B. 6, p. 281) On May 6, 1701., as Elizabeth Mason, she deeded 388 ½ acres to Grandson, Francis Holt, and 388 ½ acres to grandson, Francis Mason – “if he dies, to Grandson, Charles Binns.” (Surry W&D B. 2., p. 225) Thus, Frances Mason Holt, first wife of Thomas Holt, was ½ sister to Thomas Binns (Jr). Robert Barham lived successively with Thomas Binns, Robert Hart, and Thomas Holt

1. Joseph Thorpe, m. Dorothy Fenn, da. Timothy Fenn, Sr. (Were they of the Fenn family of Wedmore, Somerset?).
1.1. Thomas Thorpe, d. 1711 in IOW Co. m. (1) bef. 1686, Martha Jennings, d. 1702, da. of John Jennings, Clerk of Court of IOW Co. and Mary Seaward. John Jennings first wife had been Martha, da. of Robert (co-incidentally named) Harris, alias Crumpe, of Quedgely, Gloucestershire. Thomas Thorpe m. (2) Mary Lewis. John Jennings: Leg.- son *John; da. Martha; da. Mary my land on Lyon’s Creek; da. Sarah the land bought of Valentine Chitty; son-in-law William Seward; George Seward, wife Mary; Overseers, Capt. Edmund Wickins, Lt. George Moore, Thomas Moore, William Seward. Date. Oct. 19, 1678. Wit: George Lewer, Mathew Wood. George Lewer.

Edward Bennett left two daus, one of whom, Mary, m (1) Thomas Bland, of London; (2) Luke Cropley. The other, Silvestra, m. Major Nicholas Hill, son of Thomas Hill and Margaret Wyke of Ninehead Flory, Somerset. Mary, a da. of the first-named da., Mary Bland-Cropley, m. James Day of IOW., and Mary, a da. of Silvestra Hill, the other da. of Edward Bennett, m. *John Jennings, son of the clerk of the same name.

Edward Bennett’s daus. were cousins of Thomas Harris, d. 1672. His chidrens’ association with the Thorpes predated the associations of the family of Thomas, d. 1688.

1.1.1. Sarah Thorpe (by first wife), m. (1) William George, son of John George, thus kin of Thomas Harris, d. 1672; (2) William Batts. As given previously, John George was probably he who was bapt. 6 Nov. 1603, in Pilton, Somerset.
1.1.2. John Thorpe, apraisee of the estate of Thomas Harris, d. 1730.
1.2. Joseph Thorpe.
1.3. Timothy Thorpe: Edward Taylor died by early 1708 in Surry Co. In Jan. 1708, administration of his estate was granted to Margaret Taylor; witnessed by William Gray, Timothy Thorpe, and William Harris. (Davis, 127).
1.3.1. John Thorpe, d. 1772 in Southampton Co.; m. Mary Matthews.
1.3.1.1. Sarah Thorpe, m. Lewis Harris.
1.3.1.2. John Thorpe, Jr., m. Martha Atkinson.
1.3.2. Timothy Thorpe, d. 13 Oct. 1763, in Southampton Co., m. Martha Peterson, who m. (2) James Jones. Martha Jones of the Parish of St Luke. Leg. – son Timothy Thorp; granddau. Mary Cock Simmons; granddau. Peggy Ridley; granddau. Rebecca Simmons, Martha Ridley, Ann Thorp, Martha Thorpe, Temperance Atherton; Polly Person and Martha Person; grandson John Thorp Richardson. Ex. son Timothy Thorp. R 12 April 1781. Wit Hardy Harris, Sally Jarrell, Sarah Hasty.
1.3.2.1. Peterson Thorpe, m. Martha Person.
1.3.2.1.1. Martha Thorpe, m. Francis Taylor.
1.3.2.2. Timothy Thorpe.
1.3.2.3. Mary Thorpe, m. James Barham; his will, proved 9 June 1792, Southampton Co, mentions da. Martha Harris and Rebecca Holliman, sons Judkins Barham, Timothy Thorp Barham; son-in-law, William Holliman.
1.3.2.3.1. Martha Barham, m. Joel Harris, son of John Harris and Avis Holleman.
1.3.2.3.1.1. Sarah Harris, m. William Middleton.
1.3.3. Mary Thorpe, m. (1) Edward Harris, son of Edward Harris, son of Thomas Harris, d. 1688.
1.3.1.1. Hardy Harris.
1.3.1.2. Lewis Harris, m. Sarah Thorpe.
1.2. Robert Thorpe.
1.2.1. Timothy Thorpe.
1.2.2. Hannah Thorpe, m. Joseph Delk, son of Roger Delk, and sister of Lucinda Delke, wife of Benjamin Lancaster, grandson of Samuel Lancaster and Elizabeth Harris, da. of John Harris, d. 1687.

copyright m stanhope 2017

THE UNBORN CHILD OF THOMAS HARRIS, D. 1730. BY MARJORIE REAGAN:

“The unborn child was Thomas Harris who himself died in Granville County, North Carolina, intestate in 1761. Theophilus Goodwin was administrator of the 1761 estate which named Thomas’s orphan Solomon and “the widow” Harris. Much circumstantial evidence is convincing that Theophilus Goodwin was the father of Thomas’s wife. Theophilus was married to Elizabeth Wyche, a daughter of George Wyche, son of Henry Wyche.

A 1753 indenture between Thomas and Joshua Harris gives proof that both were heirs of Thomas Harris who died in 1730. The scanned pages of Southampton County, Virginia’s records are online and can be found at “Brantley Association of America, Southampton Records.” This deed is recorded in Deed Book 1, 1749-1753, pages 466-468. On January 25, 1753, Thomas Harris of Granville, North Carolina sold to Joshua Harris of Southampton County, Virginia, his (Thomas’s) part of 290 acres in Southampton “granted to Thomas Harris the elder by patent bearing date at Williamsburg the 24th day of March 1725 and by the said Thomas Harris in his last will and testament bearing the date the 25th day of December 1729 given unto Thomas Harris aforesaid and bounded as in the said patent and will is expressed including all the said Thomas Harris’s part of the said 290 acres of land containing by estimation 100 acres more or less.” Thomas Harris, legal signature. Witnesses John Person, Joshua Claud, Moses Sharp, Session Blake. The deed was proved in the Court of Southampton March 8, 1753 by the oaths of the same four men. Thomas the elder’s grant is recorded in Virginia Land Patent Book No. 12, page 440

Also, on the Brantley Association News Page is the following discovery they made about the widow Hannah Harris. “Learning after 50 years of research that Hannah who married John Brantley of Granville and Chatham Co, N.C. was the widow of Thomas Harris who died in 1730, in Granville County, N.C. We have often supposed that she was a Harris, but had no idea that instead, she had married a Harris”.