It is certainly the case that the majority of people claiming descent from Thomas Harris, d. 1688, and his supposed grandsons, are wrong. The association of one Harris family with that of Isham may offer a clue as to the true ancestry of Isham Harris.

1. John Harris (of Cruckton). m. Eleanor, dau. Thomas Prowde, of Sutton.
1.1. Richard Harris, obit. 1631, m. Anna Smallman, obit. 1650, dau. of Thomas Smallman of Wilderhope.
1.1.1. Mary Harris, m. (in 1673, as second wife), Fleetwood Dormer, b. May 21, 1616, son of Sir Fleetwood Dormer (obit. February 1, 1638), and Mary Isham, aunt of Henry Isham, of Bermuda Hundred, Henrico Co. (who m. Katherine Banks, relict of Joseph Royal); their issue being: (1) Anne Isham, who m. Col. Francis Eppes, (2) Mary Isham, who m. Col. William Randolph, named as a ‘friend’ in the Will of Major William Harris, as was Thomas Cocke, son of Richard Cocke of Bremo. Fleetwood Dormer’s first wife was Katherine Ligon, second-cousin of Thomas Ligon, whose son and namesake m. Mary Harris.*

1. Henry Isham.
1.1. Ann Isham, m. Col. Francis Eppes, 1659-1718, d. Bermuda Hundred, Henrico Co. (br. of William Eppes, father of isham Eppes), son of Lt. Col. Francis Eppes, 1627-1678, d. Bermuda Hundred, and Elizabeth, relict of William Worsham, by whom she was the mother of Mary Worsham, who m. Richard Ligon, son of Mary Harris, sister of Major William Harris, and Thomas Ligon.
1.1.1. Col. Francis Eppes, 1686-1743, m. Sarah, dau. of Richard Kennon, and relict of Isham Eppes.
1.1.1.1. Anne Eppes, d. May 15, 1787, Southam Parish, Cumberland Co., m. Benjamin Harris (son of Thomas Harris, d. 1729/30, and Mary Jefferson*), named in the Will of his father, with brothers, Thomas Harris (a minor), James Harris, John Harris, and William Harris.
1.1.1.1.1. Isham Harris, m. Martha Greene. There is no real evidence that Isham Harris was a son of West Harris.
1.1.1.2. Richard Isham Eppes, b. 1724
1.1.1.2.1. Francis Eppes, b. 1747, m. Elizabeth (dau. of John Wayles), sister of Martha Skelton Jefferson, wife of President Thomas Jefferson, son of Peter Jefferson (and Jane Randolph, the dau. of Isham Randolph, 3rd son of *William Randolph), son of Captain Thomas Jefferson.*
1.2.2. Elizabeth Eppes, m. Henry Randolph III, half-br. of Mary, dau. of Major Peter Field, and wife of *Captain Thomas Jefferson (b. 1677 in Jefferson’s Landing, Henrico; d. 1731 in Chesterfield Co.), br. of *Mary Jefferson, b. ca. 1679, wife of Thomas Harris, as follows.

1. William Randolph.
1.1. Richard Randolph, m. Elizabeth Ryland.
1.1.1. William Randolph.*
1.2. Henry Randolph.
1.2.1. Henry Randolph
1.2.1.1. Henry Randolph, m. Elizabeth Eppes.

1.2. Arthur Harris, m. Jane Newton, of Prescot, Shropshire.
1.2.1. Thomas Harris, Esq., of Prescot, m. (1632), Alice Holland, dau. of William Holland, bapt. (1574) at Burwarton, and buried there in 1642 (Will proved P.C.C. 94 Campbell), son of Thomas Holland, bur. (1612) at Stottesden, and Alicia, ‘fil. Thomas Cocke of Pickthorne’ (Will pr. P.C.C. 19 Capell, 1613); styled “of Pickthorne”.
1.3. Rowland Harris, d. 1605, of Ludlow, m. (Sept. 14, 1595) Jane Langford, bapt. Oct. 10, 1567. She m. (2) Edward Lewis of Diddlesbury (br. of Eleanor Lewis), who by a first wife was father of Thomas Lewis (aged 23 in 1623), recorded here: Hannah Boyse, da. and heir of Luke Boyse, late of Henrico, decd., patented in Nov., 1635, 300 ac, in Henrico adj. land of her mother Alice Edlowe; due 50 acres for her personal adventure and 50 ac. for the personal adventure of her father, and 200 ac. for transportation of servants, viz.: ‘Thomas Lewis, Robert Hollum, Joseph Royall, Edward Holland, and Oliver Allen’ (Virginia Magazine, v., p. 97).

1.3.1. Thomas Harris (bapt. Sept. 4, 1603, S.L.), removed to Virginia, ca. 1650, having land on Curles Swamp, m. Alice, dau. of Evan Lewis, bapt. Nov. 20, 1603.
1.3.1.1. Major Thomas Harris, bapt. July 24, 1627 (the cousin and step-br. of *Mary Harris Ligon and Major William Harris), m. Alice Greene, Sept 6, 1664, probably related to Robert Green, headright of “Mr. Thomas Cock, 1650 acs. Henrico Co., Vernia Par., S. side of Chickahominy maine SW. adj Mr. Jno Woodson”, Oct. 20. 1688; B.7, p. 668.
‘Tho. Chamberlaine aged twenty-seven or thereabouts deposeth that he heard Mrs. Lygon say that she and her brother had made an agreement that Maj. Thomas Harris her sd. brother, should have the whole proffitts of the surveyor’s place till her sonne come of age, since her said soyne come of age this depont heard Major Harris say he had made an agreement with his kinsman, for halfe the proffitts of the said place, and all soe this deponent hath heard Mr. Ligon say the same’. (B. 1, 1677-1692, pp. 109, 366)
1.3.1.1.1. Thomas Harris, bapt. Aug. 25, 1667 (not he who d. in infancy, grandson of John Harris, by his second wife), m. Mary Jefferson.
1.3.1.1.1.1. Benjamin Harris.
1.3.1.1.1.1.1. Isham Harris, m. Martha Greene.

1.3.2. John Harris, bapt. March 5, 1604, S.L., m. (1) Mary Holland, bapt. Sept. 11, 1608, S.L., dau. of Roger Holland and Eleanor Lewis, who m. Jan. 13, 1598, S.L. Roger Holland was probably a younger son of Thomas Holland and Alice Cocke, second-cousin of Richard Cocke of Bremo (“friend” of Major William Harris), and uncle of Alice Holland, who m., in 1632, *Thomas Harris, Esq., of Prescot. John Harris m. (2) Gwen Mathews (bur. Sept. 5, 1639, shortly after giving birth), Oct. 30. 1630, S.L., dau. of Edward Mathews,* bur. June 18, 1632, S.L., and sister of Edward Mathews of Henrico Co., who, on Jan. 29, 1688, sold to John Pleasants, 300 ac. on S. side Four Mile Creek, p. 44. Sept. 1691. Abraham Childers sold to John Pleasants 12 ac. on S. side Four Mile Creek for 750 lbs tobacco and cask, p. 238. May 16, 1692, John Pleasants deed of gift to Elizabeth Cocke (dau. of said John Pleasants and Jane, relict of Samuel Tucker), wife of James Cocke (son of Thomas Cocke of Bremo) to the said James Cocke and Elizabeth, his wife, 70 ac. on Curles Swamp, Henrico Co. purchased of Abram Childers, also plantation or dividend of land purchased by said John Pleasants of Henry Rowen and Robert Woodson, Sr.

Edward Mathews Sr. was the br. of Elizabeth Mathews: John Price of Henrico, Virginia, was bapt. Nov. 10, 1584, S.L. Muster of John Price, Feb. 24, 1624: “John aged 40, ship Starr in May, 1620. Ann his wife aged 21, ship Francis Bonaventure in August, 1620. Mary, a child, 3 months” (Hotten’s Original List, p. 203). John Price m. (1) *Elizabeth Matthews, S.L., on May 30, 1613; he subsequently m. Anne, Elizabeth’s sister or cousin, who m. (2) Robert Hallom; (3) Daniel Llewellin.

1.3.2.1. Mary Harris, bapt. April 3, 1625, S.L. In 1689, Mary (Harris) Ligon gave a deposition stating her age to be 64.
1.3.2.2. Major William Harris, bapt. Jan. 13, 1627, S.L. On June 22, 1663, Major William Harris acquired 450 ac. in Henrico County, on the north side of the James River, to a 4 mile creek, called by name “the Slashes”, adj. to Daniel Llewellin, E. upon the Malverne Hills plantation of Richard Cocke, p. 304.

John Harris was bur. Feb. 3, 1639, leaving the aforesaid orphans, who probably were adopted by their uncle, Thomas; “Captain Thomas” of Curles SwamThe Captain Thomas Harris of the 1624 Virginia Muster descended from a John Harryes, who is recorded as of Walton, near Aylesbury, in 1431.

Thomas Harris died by 1646, when an act of the Assembly of Virginia of that year ordered a fort to be erected at the Falls of James River, to be called Fort Charles; an abstract being: “And, whereas, there Is no plantable land adjoynlng to fort Charles, and therefore no encouragement for any undertaker to maintnaine the same, lt is therefore, thought fitt and Inacted, that if any person or persons purchasing the right of Capt. Thomas Harris shall or will settle or inhabit on the south side of James River right opposite to the said fort, soe it be done this or the ensueing yeare. That hee or they underttkeing as aforesaid shall have and enjoy the houseing belonging to the said fort for the use of timber, or by burning them for the nailes or otherwise, as also shall be exempted from the publique taxes for the term of three years, provided that the number exceed not tenn, as also shall have and enjoy the boats and ammunition belonging to the said fort”.

Thomas Harris held land on the south of the James river, called “Longfield”. The Broadnax versus Soane case of 1700 shows the “Longfield” of Captain Thomas Harris to be Crown property, to be re-granted as an escheat, its last owner having died without issue.

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