Hardin family of Garrard County, Kentucky

In getting ready to do this Hardin Family research, I was depending a lot on my mother, her memories and recolections about being raised up on Montgomery Creek, Scotts Fork, in Garrard County, Kentucky. She had an abundance of memories of her grandpa and grandma Hardin. Both of whom were born and raised in Buckeye District of Garrard County.

One of the first things you do when starting up a family history family tree research is to determine where the name comes from. Where, what district, what country is it from, this is to be used as a guide in your study, where your research may take you. If you are lucky, and with the help of family and friends, you can make that breakthrough to the earlier times.

So . . . here is the Hardin Family . . .

Recorded in several spelling including Hardan, Harden, Hardin and Hardene, this is an English locational surname. The famous Victorian etymologist Canon Charles Bardsley gives it as originating either from the village of Harden near the town of Bingley in West Yorkshire or from other small spots such as Harden in Staffordshire, or Harden near Hawick, in South Scotland.

Any or all of these places could have provided nameholders although interestingly the first recording is that of Richardus de Hardene in the Hundred Rolls of the landowners of Wiltshire in 1273. Wiltshire is a county which does not seem to have any association with a Harden place. Other early recordings from similar rolls include Henry de Hardene of Northumberland also in 1273. He may have had Scottish ancestry, whilst Willelmus de Hardeyn of Yorkshire appears in the Poll Tax rolls of 1379 and presumably was from the Yorkshire Harden. According to the Oxford Dictioary of English Place Names this place is first recorded as Haredene in the Pipe Rolls of the county in 1166, and translates as Hare Valley.

In my research, I have seen it spelled 'Harding, Hardin and Harden, all in the same family group. I don't know if this is a mistake on the researchers part or if the family ment it that way. Also I have run across the word 'fitz' with the name. Here is its meaning . . . Fitz forms a prefix to patronymic surnames of Anglo-Norman origin. This usage derives from the Norman fiz / filz, prononciation: /fits/ (cognate with French fils < Latin filius), meaning "son of", which was coupled with the name of the father (e.g. Fitz Gilbert, meaning "son of Gilbert") in the noble families according to the Scandinavian tradition to add -son behind the father's name. Although there are exceptions in which the name of a more noteworthy mother (Fitz Wymarch), or parent's title (Fitz Count, Fitz Empress) was instead used. It later was applied to the illegitimate sons of princes.

The following attached picture is of the Royal Banner of Denmark.

“The three crowned lions represents the three kingdoms of

Sweden, Norway and Denmark, guarded and guided

by their hearts.”

Royal Banner of Denmark

Hardin Family

Culpeper County, Virginia and

Buckeye District,

Garrard County, Kentucky

 

Harrison's of Berea, Kentucky.

It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life and I am feeling so good!  Today is a busy day with the grandsons so I am going to post a picture of the early Harrison family of Berea, Kentucky.  This man, Elisha Harrison Jr. gave up part of his land in Berea so the college could be built there.  He was one of the first trustees of the Berean College.

Back row left to right: Josiah Burdette, his wife, Mary Jane Harrison Burdette, Daniel Harrison, Nettie Burdette, Belle Harrison, Nora Burdette, Delilah Lakes Harrison, wife of Daniel, Mary Lize Johnson Harrison, wife of Isaac Harrison and Isaac Harrison.

Second row: Isaac Davis, Delilah Lakes Harrison wife of Elisha Jr., Elisha Harrison Jr., John Parks widower of Neil Harrison

First row: Nannie Harrison Davis (wife of Isaac Davis) Willie Parks, John Burdette, May Harrison, Rose Parks, Mary Parks, Laura Burdette, Charlie Burdette, Martha Hays Harrison (wife of John) John Harrison holding Bess Harrison.

Photo was taken around 1890 at Old Harrison home place on Silver Creek near where Dresser Factory is now in Berea.

Harrison Family Stories

Some Harrison Facts and Stories

My grandpa's grandpa, Isaac 'Crippled Ike' Harrison got his nickname from the fact that one day he was chopping wood, the ax glanced off the wood and hit him in the knee. When the knee healed, he had a stiff leg, the knee would not bend. Issac died in July 1903 and is buried in the Cook Cemetery in Deerstable, Kentucky.

It is interesting how Deerstable, Kentucky, got its name. I was told by one of the old timers there that one winter they had a real bad snow storm. The snow seemed like it would never stop falling. One of the farmers went to his stable and pitched down some hay for his mules and his two cows. In the morning after the snow had stopped a neighbor came by to see how they were holding up. As he came by the stable on the way to the cabin, he looking in and then left. He went up to the cabin and asked the farmer what he was trying to do. In his stable about six deer had come in to get some hay and to stay out of the storm. They bedded down with the cows and mules. Was he thinking of turning it into a 'deerstable?'

An interesting story is told of my grandpa Harrison's dad, Andrew Harrison. Andrew Harrison was a common name in Jackson County at that time. When Andrew was small, everyone called him 'Little Andy.' Later in life he married Sarah Blanton. After he was married he became 'Sarie's Andy. I have heard that Sarah had the nickname of 'Dude', but, then I had always heard another story that 'Little Andy' was the one called 'Dude.' And this is the rest of the story: Andy only had one pair of pants he wore for work and then he day his 'Sunday' pants, One day it was Sarah's wash day so Andy took off his pants for her to wash. Andy could not plow his field in his 'Sunday' pants, so Sarah gave him an old dress she had for him to ware until his pants were hung up to dry. Here was Andy, with his wife's dress on, out in the field, behind his mule, plowing. It just so happened that one of the neighbor men came by and saw him dressed up like that. 'Little Andy' became to laughing stock soon after the story was spread around the neighborhood. The question asked of Andy, as told to me was, “When are you going to get all Duded Up, again?”

“Little Andy” and three or four of his son-in-laws used to ride around at night to help keep the peace and to break up 'wild parties' around Jackson County before they had law in those parts. The story was told that one night they heard there was a 'wild party' going one at a certain house. So up they rode, broke down the door and started chasing everyone away. Under one of the beds they found one of Andy's oldest daughters there. It was kind of hard for Andy to live that one down.

A lost Harrison????

It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life and I am feeling good!!!!!

Well, my daughter and her husband are off to Europe this morning and won't be back for 15 or 16 days, on a Mediterranean Cruse.   Bon Voyage!

The title of this  blog is a Lost Harrison????  Here is why I call it that:


A Lost Harrison . . .
Mercy Terry, born 1760's, was the daughter of William and Rachel Terry of Botetourt Co, Virginia. Deed/Court records of the estate of William Terry (died 1803) from May 18, 1808 reveal that Mercy was one of his eight children: "Mercy Terry, wife of Jonathan Harrison, [received] her 1/8 share in her father William's estate." The children of William and Rachel Terry were: William (married Patience); John born 1760 (married Esther Brown); Miles (married Hannah Horton); Susannah (married Thomas Brown); Mercy (married Jonathan Harrison); Jasper (married Ruth. 2 Margaret Snidow); Rachel (married John Martin); Jemima (married Ezekial Boucher). An outline of the family has been previously provided by George A. Terry in his article "The Terrys of Scott County, TN" which appeared in Vol 4 No 3 (Sept 1985) of the Terry Family Historian. At the present time, I have little information on Mercy Terry and Jonathan Harrison, except that they had a son Elisha Harrison, born 1780's, probably Virginia or NC, who removed to Madison County, Kentucky where he married on 28 August 1805 to Ifa "Sookotosh" Baker, born 8 Aug 1790 in NC, the daughter of John "Renta" Baker. Elisha and Ifa Baker Harrison raised their family of twelve in Madison and Estill Counties, Ky. Elisha died in Estill Co. in 1848, and Ifa Baker Harrison died in 1866 at the home of her son William Canady Harrison, the writer's great-great-grandfather. Their children were:

1. John Baker Harrison born 10 April 1807 Madison County, Ky; married first Sarah Brockman 29 July 1832 Madison Co, Ky dau of Shelton and Ellender Baker Brockman married second Catharine A. Rogers 25 Mar 1858 Jackson Co, Ky died 20 Feb 1888 Sand Gap, Jackson Co, Ky
2. Jonathan Harrison born 10 March 1808 Madison Co, Ky married Mary Ann Lakes 28 March 1837 Estill Co, Ky
3. George Harrison born ca 1809 Madison Co, Ky married Rachel Isaacs 3 March 1831 Clay Co, Ky dau of James and Nancy Isaacs
4. Susannah Harrison born 22 March 1811 Ky married Peter E Gabbard 22 Oct 1831Clay Co, Ky son of Henry Gabbard
5. Thomas Harrison born 23 May 1813 Madison Co, Ky married Lucinda Lakes 15 Sept 1836 Estill Co, Ky dau of Carter Lakes and Eady Skinner
6. Polly Harrison born pre-1820 married Bazel Lee Abrams on 27 Nov 1832 Madison Co, Ky
7. Alitha Harrison born 1816 Ky married John Westley Gabbard 21 Dec 1841 Madison Co, Ky son of Edward Gabbard and Sarah Bowman
8. Nancy Jane Harrison born 1822 Estill Co, Ky married Greenbury Lakes 31 Jan 1839 Estill Co, Ky died 15 April 1858 Madison Co, Ky
9. Elisha H. Harrison born 1 Dec 1823 Estill Co, Ky married Delilah Lakes 29 April 1849 Estill Co, Ky dau of Carter Lakes & Eady Skinner died 19 April 1895 Madison Co, Ky
10. Nathaniel M. Harrison born 1825 Estill Co, Ky married Sally Ann Gabbard 22 Feb 1845 Madison Co, Ky dau of Edward Gabbard & Sarah Bowman
11. William Canady Harrison born 1 Nov 1827 Estill Co, Ky married Elizabeth Gentry Gabbard 11 Dec 1849 Madison Co, Ky dau of Edward Gabbard & Sarah Bowman died 29 Dec 1892 Bidville, Crawford Co, Arkansas
12. Sally Ann Harrison born 1833 married Elisha Isaacs 4 Nov 1852 Estill Co, Ky son of Godfrey Isaacs & Elizabeth Howard
    

It is important to have record of Mercy Terry's grandchildren (children of Elisha Harrison) to understand Terry family connections given in an old letter kept within the Harrison family. In 1930 a daughter of John Baker Harrison (listed above, born 1807) named Rosanna "Rose" Harrison Carpenter, wrote of the family to her cousin, Mrs. John L. (Nora Burdette) Gay of Berea, Ky, a granddaughter of Elisha H. Harrison (listed above, born 1823).
Rose Harrison Carpenter, born 1864, writes: ....."Yes, my father and your grandpa were brothers, their father's name was Elisha [Harrison]. They first settled as they called it in those days North Carolina, came from North Carolina to Tennessee, from Tennessee to Kentucky. Their grandfather was Jonathan [Harrison], their great-grandfather was Elias [Harrison], their father was buried in Jackson County, Kentucky, not far from McKee....their grandmother Harrison was a Terry. I have heard father speak of a second cousin, Joseph Terry, he lived somewhere in Madison County--he named one of his sons for him. Their grandmother Baker was a Terrill, I don't know how the name was spelled, it may have been Phirrill.... Rose Harrison Carpente

Then . . . I run upon this, taken from The Claiborne County Tennessee Pioneer Project. . .

1. Jonathan HARRISON Sr., M.

Jonathan Harrison Sr appears in Court minutes Claiborne Co..Tn Vol. 2 No 5593- pg. 87-88-89-95-67-164- 1803- 1806
1804- On jury duty
pg. 164- Gave bail for Silas Williams Sept 1805
Pg-45 On jury to review road- Feb-1807
Pg.- 82- App. to review road-May 1807
Pg. 183- Deed of conveyance from Jonathan Harrison Sr and wf Mercy 300 acres to John Persinger prove in open court Webster and Jonathan Harrison Jr., May 1808 on record Botetort VA.Pg, 194-Jonathan Harrison juryman-May 1808
Pg. 208-216- same-on Feb. Ven. to 29 Aug 1808.
222-226-229- 243-Book No 5593- Deed Book Claiborne Co... Jonathan Harrison grantor to Elias Harrison D- 1809 Bk. B Pg. 219-170

# 5593- Vol. 2- Pg. 67- Deed from Walter Evans to Jonathan Harrison

Jonathan & Mercy Harrison Sr. sold land to Elias Harrison (68 acres) 10-23-1809

Jonathan married Mercy TERRY, F.

Some info from Ann at Aharr10571@aol.com

They had one child:
2 i. Elias, M (~1769-~1836)

(NOTE: According to my records, Elisha Harrison, son of Jonathan Harrison and Mercy Terry was born about 1764 – which means that the above mentioned (2. Elias, M.) could have been a younger son who stayed and settleded in Claiborne County, Tennessee.))

Second Generation
—————————————————————————————————————————————

2. Elias HARRISON, M. Born abt 1769/1780. Elias died in Claiborne Co., TN, abt 1836; he was 67. Buried in Brooks Cemetery, Claiborne Co., TN. Occupation: In 1816 Trustee Of Claiborne Co. For 18 Years; Owned & Farmed E. Of Tazewell, TN. Education: From Amory Hale (Adh1007@wazoo.com) 10/9/96. Religion: Big Springs Baptist Church.

Some info from "Reflections" of Claiborne Co., TN Historical Society 9/97

Some information from P. G. Fulkerson Papers

Elias was a widower when married Nancy Hale.

Some information from "People's History of Claiborne Co., TN 1801-1988"

In the court records, Elias first appears in 1802, as a juror.

Some info from “Claiborne Co., TN Court of Pleas & Quarter Session 1819-1821”
pg. 50 - Tuesday February 15th 1820
After making proclamation the court proceeded to the Election of a Trustee and after counting and compairing the votes it appeared that Elias Harrison had a majority of the votes and thereupon was declared to be duly and constitutionally elected.

In 1822 Elias Harrison was appointed guardian of the minor heirs of Elisha Buis; Abraham, Jesse, & Riley.

Elias' death was announced in the court minutes of Monday, Sept. 6, 1836: "When it appearing to the satisfaction of the court that Elias Harrison the trustee of Claiborne County has departed this life, the court proceeded to the election of a trustee until the next regular election, and upon the fourth balloting John Mason was found to be elected".

His cemetery marker is of field stone, inscribed, "E. Harrison." His widow, Nancy, and his son-in-law, Enoch Moore, were co-executors of his will.

Some info from Amory Hale at adh1007@wa200.com 11/96

Research: According to P. G. Fulkerson Elias Harrison came to the Powell River Claiborne Co., TN prior to 1800.

His first recorded land transaction was a purchase from Jonathan Harrison, Sr., in 1809.

Elias first married Martha UNKNOWN, F. Martha died abt 1820. Religion: Big Springs Baptist Church.

Some information from "People's History of Claiborne Co., TN 1801-1988" 

The First Harrison . . .

It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life and I am feeling good.  Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!  I am bringing this blog to you from Albuquerque, New Mexico!  I decided to bring my lap-top with me as I drove up here in my truck.  Windy all the way after I  drove into New Mexico.  No problems though.

I went yesterday afternoon with my grand kids, Aaron and Jordan for their Drama rehearsal. It started raining on the way there, the temperature dropped, it turned to sleet, then snow.  It did not last long and the snow did not stick. Thank goodness, everything is back to normal this morning.  Although, I did get up to use the bathroom last night and stepped into water.  I woke Nathan up, he came into the living room and then figured out that the water softener recycled and the water backed up through the lowest drain in the house. After he done some snake work on the drain pipe, everything returned to normal.

I said I would be doing work on the relationship between my grandma Hardin and the King and Queen of Denmark, but that will have to be at a later date.  Sorry.  So, I will tell a short story about the first Harrison in what is now Jackson County, Kentucky.

I our neck of the woods, all of the school kids are taught about Daniel Boone discovering the Cumberland Gap and finding a new way into what is new southeastern Kentucky.  They are taught the before Daniel Boone the only white men in Kentucky were the 'long hunters' who came over the Cumberland Mountains.  Well, someone had to have shown Daniel the way.

There was a man who once kept a diary and that man was John Dickey.  He traveled up and down the new frontier, stopping at homes along the way and talking and writing up the stories of the families who lived there.  The following is an exert from John Dickey's Diary:

The first Harrison to permanently settle in what is today Jackson County, Kentucky was Elisha Harrison.  He came here on a hunting expedition with his father, John, somewhere in the middle of the 1700's.  John and Elisha Harrison are mentioned as two of the original eight 'long hunters' to explore Kentucky.  They were living on what is known today as Elisha's Branch Road, just north of McKee, when Daniel Boone made his first trip to Kentucky.  Daniel Boone stayed with Elisha and John for a while before continuing his journey into central Kentucky.  John went with Daniel and helped to build Fort Boonesborough in April of 1775.  They were also in the party that helped rescue Daniel Boone's daughter when she and a couple of her friends were captured by Indians.

Til next time, live large my friends.
jim    

Grandma Lillie Hardin

It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life and I am feeling good. This will probably be my last post for a while as I am leaving to go to Albuquerque on Tuesday morning. I will be in charge of my two grandsons while my daughter, Michelle, and her husband, Nathan go on a two week cruse to the Mediterriean Sea and surrounding area.

Today will be a short and sweet blog about my grandma Harrison's mom and dad, Joseph Oder Hardin and Laura Jane Matthews. They died before I was born so I never did see them in person. I have stories that my mom always told me as I was growing up.

Joseph Oder Hardin went by the name of JO Hardin. But, he would laugh and say that his full Christian name had one letter more than the alphabet. He said his full name was Joseph Oder Quincy Adams Hardin. JO Hardin and his family came to Kentucky from Culpepper County, Virginia. His wife, Laura Jane Matthews was hard of hearing and was always pictured wearing a 'new fangled' hearing aid. I big complicated contraption.

My grandpa Harrison left home in Jackson County, Kentucky to go to the neighboring county of Garrard. He worked for J.O. Harding on his farm. JO Hardin and Laura Jane had ten kids, 9 girls and 1 boy. My grandma used to laugh and say she was about 7 or 8 years old before she learned what his name was. Everyone called him 'brother'.

Grandpa Harrison was sweet on one of JO's daughters, my future grandmother, Lillie Ann Hardin. When they first were married, they moved into a small one room cabin on JO's land.

On my next blog I will try to bring in the link to the King and Queen of Denmark.

I am attaching a picture of JO Hardin and his family. My grandma Lillie Ann Hardin is standing right behind her mother.

Til next time, live large. 

jim

Pocahontas Matoake 'Rebecca' Powhatan . . .

It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life and I am feeling good!

As promised . . .

Grandpa Harrison's Indian Connection

Reverand John J. Dickey's Diary says that John and Elisha Harrison were two of the original long hunters that came to Kentucky in the mid 1700's. Elisha settled on what is now known as Elisha's Branch Road, just north of McKee, Kentucky. He was living there when Daniel Boone first came through this area. Daniel spent some time at Elisha's house before going on to central Kentucky. Daniel Boone's Sheltowee Trace goes down Elisha's Branch. It is believed that John went with Daniel and helped to build Fort Boonesbrough. Erection of Fort Boonesbrough began in April, 1775 and was completed in July 1776. Records from Boonesbrough mention a John Harrison and a Jack Harrison. People with the name of John were sometimes called 'Jack'. There is also a Samuel and Richard Harrison in the Boonesbrough records. Madison County Historical Society records say that John Harrison helped to construct the fort. He later left the fort and settled on some of the best portions of the county, through settlement and premption rights.

In “When They Hanged the Fiddler”, by Jess Wilson, page 90, Indians had captured Daniel Boone's daughter and two Calloway girls in Boonesbrough. Elisha was in a party that rescued the Boone and Calloway girls from the Indians. It also says that Harrison family traditions are the source for the story that the rescue happened below McKee, Ky.

There was a shower of meteors that fell all night on November 13, 1833. Elisha was in bed asleep when his grandchildren woke him up shouting, “Grandpa, wake up! All the stars are falling! It's the end of the world!” He quietly said, “Go look and see if the North Star is still where is was and if it is, everything will be alright”. He turned over and went back to sleep.

As to the Indian blood in the Harrison family tree. I took the Harrison line back to a Daniel Harrison who showed up in Surry County Virginia (1658-1728) and found nothing. After much study, I figured that most likely any Indian blood would be from someone who was a 'Long Hunter'.

The Long Hunters

About 1770, a group of some 22 hunters from Virginia united for a hunting expedition west of the Cumberland Mountains into what is now south central Kentucky. The Expedition was led by Colonel James Knox. Because they were away from their homes for up to three years at a time, they became known as the "Long Hunters."

They entered into what is now Green County in 1770. They made their Base Camp (Camp Knox), in a valley they called the Beech Woods. Today, the Mt. Gilead Christian Church stands on the historic Camp Knox site. This camp served as their headquarters for frequent hunting excursions throughout a large area surrounding this camp. They brought back to their base camp the skins of deer, buffalo, elk, bear, beaver, and smaller animals. Over a period of several months, they had accumulated an enormous number of skins. They constructed a crude structure they called a "skinhouse" to protect their pelts from the weather. They named the small branch of water that flowed beside their campsite, "Skinhouse Branch."

The Long Hunters were forced to leave their campsite and return to their homes due to Indian raids. They were also forced to leave most of their valuable hides at the camp.

Returning to Camp Knox several years later, they found that many of the hides had been stolen by Indians, and the remaining skins had rotted due to being exposed to the weather. On a nearby tree, one Long Hunter carved, "2300 lost – ruination by God."

Many of these original Long Hunters later returned to this area and settled with their families: Skaggs, Graham, Miller, Workman, Lisle, Hancock, Harrisons, Haskins, Caldwell, Allen, and Montgomery.

The Long Hunters’ Camp Knox Historic Site is located in Southern Green County near the Adair County line near Highway Route 61. A monument dedicated to the Long Hunters is located in front of Mt. Gilead Church that describes the historic Camp Knox to visitors.

Now, the Indian Blood: Elisha G. Harrison was from Surry County, Virginia and he came to Kentucky by way of North Carolina, Tennessee then on to Kentucky. His wife was Igha Baker, daughter of John T. Baker, a Revelotionary War Soldier and also another 'Long Hunter'. John T. Baker was the son of James Baker and Mary 'Mollie' Bolling. The Bolling/Baker line has always be intertwined with the story of Pocahontas.

Mollie Bolling was the daughter of John Bolling (1676-1729). John was the son of Colonel R. Bolling and Jane Rolfe. Jane Rolfe was the daughter of Thomas Smith Rolfe and Jane Poythress. Thomas Smith Rolfe was the son of Captain John Rolfe and Pocahontas.

Pocahonta's full name is Pocahontas Matoaka 'Rebecca' Powhatan. She is my 11^th Great-grandmother. The Rebecca is the Christian name that she adopted when she was baptized.

I am attaching a copy of a painting of the Baptism of Pocahontas.

Til the next time, live large my friends . . .