The question of “the Sergeant” stretches the mind, and much imagination has gone into “proving” descent from him. Such is required, for the spider’s web of Harris families in and around Cheddar and Wedmore in Somerset can not be disintangled to a degree that identifies all familial connections.

A researcher “of old” suggested to me that “the Sergeant” may have been synonomous with the “servant” of Arthur Bayly of 1637, as follows. If so, he was involved in the Bristol/Virginia tobacco trade. This scenario involves Dorothy Harris selling land to Francis Derick, cousin of James Derick, probable stepson of “the Sergeant’s” sister.

Francis Derick’s association with William Barker can be seen in the context of the almost invariability of the Bristol mariner/merchant class being intermarried with the family of their business associates. Thus, families of Barker, Derick, and Harris may have been kin, allowing for the disintangling of a strand of Harris from their Harris kin. That is the theory, but I suspect that we may never know.

BLAGDON AND LONG ASHTON (4 ml fr. Cheddar/Wedmore).

1. John Harris bapt. April 7, 1558, d. 1633. (Blagdon).
2. John Harris, bapt 1589/90, rec. Jan. 16, 1637 as “servant” of Arthur Bayly (merchant, of Bristol), as William Barker, probable father of John Barker, father of John Jr. and Jethroe.
3. Dorothy Harris.*
3. John Harris, estate admon, Mr. John Barker Jr. (his probable br.-in-law), Patrick Lashley (whose son m. a dau. of John Barker Jr.); Feb. 11, 1698, p. 165.
4. William Harris, m. Elizabeth … Elizabeth Harris, widow, estate admon. by (eldest son) Henry Harris. June 16, 1711. Wit. John Barker Jr., p. 52.
5. Henry Harris, 280 acs., Is. of Wight Co; on S. side of the Flatt Swamp; June 16, 1727, p. 77.
5. Thomas Harris, d. 1729/30.

2. Joan Harris, bapt. May I, 1603, m. (probably as second wife and her second husband) John Ozon/ Osone, bapt. Apr. 22, 1604 , probably he who was the father of Ann Ozen (bapt. June 19, 1625), who m. James Derrick, July 20, 1648.
2. William Harris, m. Dorothy Bath, Nov, 17, 1628.
3. John Harris, bapt. 1633, d. 1678.
4. Thomas Harris, bapt. Jan. 26, 1654.
3. Dorothy Harris, bapt. June 1, 1636, d. 2 days old.
3. William Harris , bapt. Oct. 4, 1640, m. (1) Mary Purnell, April 5, 1660; (2) Judith … by whom:
4. William Harris, bapt. April 13, 1665.

1. John Derick, m. Katherine …, Apr. 14, 1564 (L.A.).
2. John Derick, bapt. Nov. i, 1564. (L.A.).
2. Katherine Derick, bapt. Feb 1566, m. Richard Person, Jan. 13, 1591. (L.A.).
2. Richard Derick.
3. Richard Derick, bapt. Jan. 17, 1610, “son of Richard”. (L.A.).
3. James Derick, bapt. Feb. 14, 1620, “son of Richard”. (Bl.).
2. Francis Derick, bapt. May 6, 1576, d. 1637/8, m. Katherine … (L.A.).
3. Francis Derick, bapt. March 10, 1607. (L.A.). Bond of Francis Derrick [the younger], of Bristol, and William Barker, of Ratcliffe, Middlesex (but of the Bristol family of Barkers, mariners, sometimes recorded as Baker – M.S) to the King, in 1,0002. conditioned for the appearance of Derrick before the Council, to answer an accusation of piracy pretended to have been committed by him upon a Spanish ship in a voyage to Virginia, about llth October 1636. (Calendar of State Papers, Domestic Series, of the Reign of Charles I, vol. 10).

‘Francis Derrick to Richard Johnson, bill of sale for 30 acres, October 14, 1638: ‘Whereas John Baker and *Dorothy his wife, daughter of the late deceased Sergeant John Harris, have by order of court at Henrico on the 27th day of August last surrendered to mee Captain Francis Derrick all the right and title which they and claime unto the devident of land belonging to the late deceased George Cawcott which was given to the said Dorothy by the last will and testament’, p. 113.

Wm. Barker appears as a headright in two Henrico patents involving Arthur Bayley, Thomas Crosby, & Samuell Almond. *Jethro Barker. 1685: Jethro Barker of upper parish to John Harris, of the same 120 ac. adj. sd Jethro Barker. Wit: John Barker and Thomas Cotten. Jethro Barker and Joell Barker entring themselves securities for Mary Harris due and faithfull admon. on the estate of John Harris her late father deced are accepted and ordered to give bond accordingly. Thomas Busby, Gent, to Roger Potter … 100 ac. on the head of upper Chipeokes Creeke and bounded by John Barker and the path to Mr. Stevens’ mill. Wit. William Rooking. R. 7 May 7, 1689.

Possible?

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