The Harris families of Bishop’s Hull and Taunton, Somerset, were probably the same family. They were seperated by a distance of 1 mile, and each branch of this family intermarried into the same families – a clear signal of them being synonomous. There were no such familial connections to other Harris families in their vicinity – those situated at Wiveliscombe (8 miles westward), and Cheddar/Wedmore (35 miles north east); a signal of them not being synonomous. The latter two Harris families did share associations with other families, but that was a result of the Wiveliscombe Harris being kin of two very important families in the Virginia/Bristol tobacco trade, those of Bennett and Bland, the result of which was that families local to them sought association. In the same manner, the Harris family of Bishop’s Hull/Taunton would have also sought association. They were already associated with the Herring family of Bishop’s Hull/Taunton, and it was a ‘continuation of association’ – the key element of the English kinship system – that was probably witnessed in 18th century North Carolina, where Harris and Herring families intermarried.

1…
1.1. John Hearinge (as follows, standardised to Herring), m. Alice Peret, July 18, 1565, Bishops Hull, Somerset.
1.1.1. Mathew Herring.
1.1.1.1. George Herring.
1.1.1.2. John Herring, bapt. April 21, 1583, m. Tamsyn Brynsmead, April 11, 1608, relict of Thomas Harris (m. June 25, 1601). He was bur. July 25, 1607; she was bur. Feb. 19, 1625. By her former husb., she had issue, (1) John Harris, who m. Anstis Kittner, April 19, 1624; they having issue, Tansyn Harris, bapt. Nov. 27, 1624, and John Harris, bapt. Oct. 30, 1626. (2) William Harris, bapt. Aug. 5, 1604. (3) Mary Harris, m. George Mussgrove, Jan. 2, 1619. Thomas Harris probably had brothers, Robert Harris, who m. Catherine Brynsmead, Jan. 16, 1598; and William Harris, noted in his burial entry of Oct. 1, 1606, as a servant of Thomas Harris. These Brynsmeads may have been maternally Browne, as the only extant record which fits on a chronological ground is one of George Brinsmead marrying Alice Browne, Nov. 30, 1570. It is not possible to determine a direct link between this Harris family and the William Harris who d. in 1817 in Muhlenberg Co., NC. – the registers are sparse – yet, he may have had connection to John Harris, a miller, who m. Mary Parsons on Feb. 12, 1701, in Taunton; their issue being John Harris, bapt. March 5, 1705. It can never be known.

1.1.1.3. Nicholas Herring, bapt. Jan. 21, 1588.
1.1.1.3.1. John Herring, bapt. Aug. 11, 1616. He is given as a Herring ancestor in Virginia, a reasonable supposition in that Herring associations in Virginia centred around families local to Bishops Hull.
1.1.1.3.1.1. Anthony Herring. On April 28, 1694, Anthony Herring of Lower Parish, IOW, bought 200 ac. from William West Sr. and his wife, Rebecca. To repeat a common speculation, Rebecca is seen as a dau. of Robert Brasswell Sr., thus, a half-sister of Robert Braswell Jr., who received one-half of his father’s 1,300 ac. estate, and who m. Suzanne Burgess. The Will of Joyce Cripps (1679) named Susan Braswell “my sister’s daughter”, who she ‘Cut off with a shilling’. Robert Braswell’s estate was appraised on May 11, 1668 by Gyles Driver (B. 2, p. 55), headright of Thomas Harris, d. 1672. Bridgman Joyner (guardian of an orphan of Thomas Harris, d. 1688); appraised by Thomas Mandew, Giles Driver, Andrew Griffin. R. Dec. 4, 1719. Witnessed by Ann Joyner. (G.B. 23). Robert Braswell’s son, Richard, lived on the plantation of Mathew Tomlin Sr., p. 325, a headright of Nathaniel Floyd (1637), whose relict m. Francis Hobbs, father-in-law of John Harris, son of Thomas Harris, d. 1672.

1.1.1.3.1.1.1. John Herring. B. 3, p. 19, April 5, 1720, Chowan Pct.: held land. adj. Wm. West and Robert Turner.
1.1.1.3.1.1.1.1. Simon Herring. Granted 200 ac. in Johnston Co. NC. (B. 4, p. 1043). October 2, 1751, Granted 600 ac. in Duplin Co. NC. d 1769, Dobbs Co., NC.
1.1.1.3.1.1.1.1.1. Simon Herring, d. 1819, Craven Co. NC.
1.1.1.3.1.1.2.1.1.1. Sussanah Herring, m. John Harris.
1.1.1.3.1.1.2.1.1.1.1. John Harris, d. 1829.
1.1.1.3.1.1.2.1.1.1.1.1. John Harris. 1.1.1.3.1.1.2.1.1.1.2. Daniel Harris, bought from the estate sale of Micajah Casey in Oct. 1800; m. Abbe Sanders in Duplin Co., NC, April 21, 1801. 1.1.1.3.1.1.2.1.1.1.3. William Harris m. Mary Casey (d. 1800, Wayne Co., NC), dau. of Micajah Casey and Sarah Herring, dau. of Benjamin Herring and Mary Bright. William Harris of Muhlenberg Co. deeded to John Casey for his interest in land of which Micajah Casey Jr. died possessed: said Harris an heir-at-law in right of his wife Mary.
1.1.1.3.1.1.2.1.1.2. Mourning Herring, m. John Lewis.
1.1.1.3.1.1.1.1.1.3. James Herring, b. June 15, 1777, Indian Springs, Wayne Co. Will probated in 1845, m. Elizabeth Reeves.
1.1.1.3.1.1.1.1.1.3.1. Elizabeth Harris, mentioned in father’s Will, m. (Oct. 21, 1822), *John Harris, b. Nov. 12, 1800, Wayne Co.; d. Oct. 29, 1893.
1.1.1.3.1.1.1.1.1.3.1.1. James Harris, b. March 20, 1833.
1.1.1.3.1.1.1.2. *Benjamin Herring, m. Mary Bright.

(1. William Harris, b. ca. 1745, d. 1817, Muhlenberg Co., NC.
1.1. William Harris, m. Mary Casey.
1.2. John Harris, m. Sussanah Herring.
1.2.1. John Harris, m. Elizabeth Herring).

1.1.1.3.1.1.2. Anthony Herring Jr. (d. ca. 1760, Johnston Co., NC), m. (1724) Bridget Joyner.

(1. Thomas Joyner, br. of Bridgeman Joyner, guardian of an orphan of Thomas Harris, d. 1688, and Elizabeth, wife of William Kinchen Sr.
1.1. Martha Joyner, m. Thomas Turner, br. of Mary Turner, who m. Edward Harris, son of Thomas Harris, d. 1688. These Turners were children of John Turner and Mary Tomlin, dau. of Mathew Tomlin Sr., and sister of Mathew Tomlin Jr., father of John Tomlin*.
1.2. Benjamin Joyner, m. Elizabeth, dau. of Thomas Pittman and Elizabeth, dau. of Robert Lancaster Jr., and niece of Samuel Lancaster, who m. Elizabeth Harris, dau. of John Harris, bapt. Feb. 18, 1624, nephew of Thomas Harris, d. 1672. Robert and Samuel Lancaster were sons of Robert Lancaster Sr. and Sarah, widow of 2nd husband Richard Bennett Sr. (d. 1710. B. 5, p. 224), second-cousin of Thomas Harris, d. 1672.
1.2.1. Bridget Joyner, m. Anthony Herring. Thomas Turner Sr. sold to Robert Council, 100 ac. on the south side of the Meherrin River. (NC. B.1 p. 17).

1.1.1.3.1.1.3. *Abraham Herring, m. (1718, IOW), Mary, dau. of John Williams, b. March 9, 1691, in Chowan Co., NC.
1.1.1.3.1.1.3.1. Daniel Herring, m. (March 1, 1749 in Wayne Co., NC), Sarah Whitfield.
1.1.1.3.1.1.3.1.1. Benjamin Herring, 1756-1814, m. (Sept. 18, 1780, in Richmond, NC), Mary Shotwell.
1.1.1.3.1.1.3.1.1.1. Daniel Herring, 1782-1839, m. (1804, Duplin) Jane, dau. of Ezekiel Creech.
1.1.1.3.1.1.3.1.1.1.1. Ezekiel Herring (b. Dec. 12, 1809, Duplin -1866), m. (July 22, 1831), Rhoda Suratt, who had previously had a child by a Harris Group 4 male?; if so, which?
1.1.1.3.1.1.3.1.1.1.1.1. Jehu Herring. “On Family Tree DNA’s chart of Harris Group 4 testees, who all appear to be descended through a male line/lines from Harris ancestors in Somerset, is a man with the surname Herring. He says his earliest-traced ancestor was Jehu Herring, born Feb. 25th 1830 in North Carolina. Mr Herring has been tested as far as 111 STR markers. Genetically, he is a perfect Group 4 Harris, with no differences at all to the Harris Group 4 mode (ie. average STR result among 52 testees). His test result numbers are identical to those of a descendant of Solomon Harris, which only go as far as 37 markers, but that is quite sufficient to show that they both stem from a shared family root within a timescale relevant to genealogy, and very probably post-medieval”. (Nick Wormley).
(Test results for a descendant of Jehu Herring: 13 23 14 11 13 14 11 14 11 12 11 28 16 7 9 8 11 23 16 20 29 12 14 15 15 10 10 19 21 14 14 16 20 35 37 12 10.

1.1.1.3.1.1.4. Daniel Herring, witnessed the Wills of (1) John Tomlin (son of Mathew Tomlin Jr.), with John Harris, and Martha Tomlin. R. Feb. 6, 1752. He and Ann Harris witnessed the Will of Mary Fulgham (rec. Feb. 7, 1760), which mentioned her br. John Fulgham, and cousin Anthony Fulgham Jr. March 1, 1769: Godfrey Powell of Newport Par. to Thomas Powell of the same … 150 ac. adj. Moses Eley, the Indian Swamp, William Bullock, John Marshall, and John Burt (being all of the land of Godfrey Powell). Wit: Jethro Gale, Martha Tomlin, John Marshall, and James Hall. Rec: 7 Sept. 1769. Godfrey Powell brought suit against his mother and John Marshall, who appears to be his mother’s uncle. (ibid. p. 305). The said Martha Tomlin was the wife of *John Tomlin Sr. *John Harris appraised the estate of John Tomlin Jr., rec. 1 Feb. 1759. John Tomlin Sr. was the son of Matthew Tomlin Jr., br. of Mary (Tomlin) Turner, wife of Edward Harris Sr.
1.1.1.3.1.1.4.1. Martha Herring, m. Daniel Batten. June 12, 1746: Edward Harris III. and wife Elizabeth to John Batten and Daniel Batten, 240 ac., being part of a patent to Thomas Harris, on Apr. 27, 1686 (B.7, p. 511). Witnesses: William Eley, Daniel Herring, John Harris. This is the land that Thomas Harris left his son, Edward Harris I – 240 ac. in IOW, adj. John Johnson and John Turner.
1.1.1.3.1.1.4.2. Ann Herring, m. John Harris, it is suggested. He was most likely the second-cousin of Edward Harris III, and a son of John Harris, br. of Edward Harris I.

This Indenture made the first day of December 1763 between Jacob Stevens Jun. and Martha his wife of the Co. of Isle of Wight of the one part and William Westray of the same Co. of the other part … to sell unto the said William Westray a certain tract of land containing eightyt acres, beginning at the mouth of a small branch that makes out of the great Neck Branch, up the small branch to a pine, a corner tree of Robert Tomlin’s, along a line of marked trees joining William Rand to a Corner Tree, a hickory joining to John Harris line at the great Neck Branch, down the said branch to the beginning, which said land was by the last Will of Matthew Tomlin deceas’d given to Martha Tomlin his daughter now wife of the said Jacob Stevens (B. 11, pp. 192-194).

I have, it seems countless times, documented the many perplexing relationships between such families of Harris (of which Thomas, d. 1688); Pittman and Turner, all of Cheddar/Wedmore (as the Councils); and the association of this Harris family with that of Moore and Cripps, etc.; and to that of Bennett/Bland/ Harris of Wiveliscombe (of which Thomas d. 1672). Any reader can search this site for recent posts on this subject.

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