Notes:

Elijah Harmison Estate, proved June 27, 1835; Michael Rooney, Administrator. Sale purchasers: Isaac Harmison, Samuel Harmison, Thomas Harmison, John Ash. Settlement: William Harmison, amount of note and interest.

Deed Book 2, page 683, September 14, 1838, Isaac, Thomas, James Courtney and wife Aby, Samuel, Eliza and David heirs at law of Elijah, Morgan County, sold for $90 their share in their father's estate.

1820 Federal Census, Morgan County, WVA; Harmison, Elijah, page 8A.

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West Virginia and Its People, Volume 2
Authors: Thomas Condit Miller, Hu Maxwell
Publisher: Lewis Historical Pub. County, 1913

HARMISON Morgan county, West Virginia, figures as one of the most attractive, progressive and prosperous divisions of the state, justly claiming a high order of citizenship and a spirit of enterprise which is certain to conserve consecutive deve lopment and marked advancement in the material upbuilding of this section. The county has been and is signally favored in the class of men who have contributed to its development along commercial and agricultural lines, and in the latter connect ion the family mentioned herein demands recognition as its various representatives for the past few generations have been actively engaged in farming operations.

(I) Elijah Harmison is the earliest member of this family of whom anything definite is known. The place of his nativity and the date of his birth are not known, but during the greater part of his active career he was engaged in agricultural oper ations in the vicinity of Sleepy Creek, Morgan county, Virginia, where he passed the closing years of his life. He was a Whig in his political faith but was not incumbent of any public offices. He married and had five children: 1. Isaac, marrie d Eliza Barnhart and they became the parents of ten children, as follows: Sarah, died unmarried; Rebecca, became the wife of Charles A. Martin and they are residents of Oklahoma; William, married Margaret Gardner, lives in Ohio, and they have tw o children, George and Anna; Elizabeth, wife of Lewis Allen, and they have three children: Robert E., H. D. and Letha; Ezra, died unmarried; Ellen, died unmarried; Mary, wife of John A. Pittcoc and they have one child, May: Samuel, died unmarrie d; Abraham, married Alice Laign and they have one child, Isa Laign Harmison; Phoebe, died young. 2. Thomas, mentioned below. 3. David, died unmarried. 4. Samuel, married Ann Tyson and they had three children: Jane, wife of William Edwards; Mar y S.; Rachel, wife of Samuel Albright. 5. Abigail, married James Courtney.

(II) Thomas, son of Elijah Harmison, was born near Sleepy Creek, Morgan county, West Virginia, June 10, 1813, died at Sleepy Creek, January 3, 1883, at the age of sixty-nine years. He was reared to maturity in the place of his nativity and was e ducated in the neighboring district schools. He was engaged in farming during his lifetime, and while not a politician in the truest sense of the word was deeply interested in public affairs and gave his support to the Republican party. He marri ed Phoebe Mahala Rankin, a native of Berkeley Springs, Morgan county, now West Virginia, daughter of Simeon and Matilda (Fardon) Rankin. both of whom are deceased. Mr. Rankin was engaged in the lumber business in Morgan county prior to his demis e, at the age of seventy years. There were six children in the Rankin family and concerning them the following brief data are here incorporated: Simeon, died about 1858, at the age of fifty-five years: Aaron Franklin, died in 1872, aged forty ye ars; Mary (or Polly) deceased; Mariah, deceased; Jane, died in 1909, at the age of eighty-three years; Phoebe Mahala, wife of Thomas Harmison. died in 1881. Two children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Harmison: 1. John Franklin, killed as a soldier i n the Union army in the civil war: Morgan Simeon, mentioned below.

(III) Morgan Simeon, son of Thomas and Phoebe Mahala (Rankin) Harmison, was born near Berkeley Springs, now West Virginia, February 14, 1852. He spent his early life on his father's farm in the vicinity of Sleepy Creek, where he was reared and e ducated. After reaching years of maturity he turned his attention to farming on his own account and is now the owner of a fine estate of two hundred acres in Morgan county, on which he is engaged in diversified agriculture. He is a Republican i n his political allegiance and has served his party in various official capacities of public trust and responsibility. He was sheriff of Morgan county for a period of four years, and in 1902 was elected county clerk of Morgan county, serving i n the latter position for nine years. He is a director in the Morgan County Bank at Berkeley Springs and is financially interested in a number of important local enterprises. In a fraternal way he is affiliated with the Odd Fellows, having passe d through all the official chairs of the Lodge and Encampment. He is likewise connected with the Junior Order of the United American Mechanics. In their religious faith he and his wife are devout members of the United Brethren church.

Mr. Harmison married, September 28, 1876, Martha Prudence Thompson, a native of Sleepy Creek, now West Virginia, where her birth occurred March 21, 1859, daughter of Samuel and Ellen (McBee) Thompson, both of whom were born and reared in Morga n county, West Virginia, and the latter of whom died in July, 1878, at the age of forty years. Samuel Thompson is a prominent and influential farmer in Morgan county. Concerning the ten children born to Mr. and Mrs. Thompson the following fact s are here inserted: 1. John W., married Mahala Kerns; both lived and died in Cumberland, Maryland, their children were: Mathias, Edith, Gara, Eliza, Lizzie, John, Mary. 2. Martha Prudence, now Mrs. Morgan S. Harmison. 3. Phoebe Jane, married Ja mes M. Starliper; they live in Morgan county; four children : Ella, Ida, Nannie, Charles. 4. Anna M., wife of Edward F. Risinger; seven children: Edith, William, Samuel, Nellie, Lester, Opal, Donald. 5. Jacob S.. married Alice Tedrick; they resi de in Washington, Pennsylvania; five children : William, Lilly, George, Harry, Anna. 6. Ida M.. wife of John A. Risinger; they are residents of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. 7. Alger, married Ollie Kidney; they maintain their home at Berkeley Springs ; three children: Lottie, Ethel, Royal. 8. O. H., married Mattie Luttman; they live in Johnstown, Pennsylvania; one child, John F. 9. Ira A. married Laura Clark; they reside at Chambersburg, Pennsylvania; two children: Nellie and Lola. 10. Ella , wife of Jackson Starliper ; they live at Hedgesville, Berkeley county, West Virginia: six children : Ira, Frederick, Anna, Nora, Paul, Howard. Mr. and Mrs. Harmison had thirteen children, ten of whom are living and all of whom reside in Morga n county, West Virginia, except one. 1. Clara Jane, wife of C. R. Havermale; they have one child, Fred, born in 1908. 2. Morgan Samuel, married Nellie Custer; they are residents of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. 3. Bessie Mahala, married G. C. Hunter ; one child, Hugh. 4. Martha May, unmarried; resides at home, as do all the younger children. 5. Lola E. 6. Etta. 7. Ethel. 8. Katie. 9. George S. 10. Frank. John F., Carrie E. and William T. are deceased.F., Carrie E. and William T. are decease d.

Elijah married Rebecca before 1812. died before 1835. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

James Harmison, Sr.'s estate, proved July 6, 1831; sale filed 1833. Purchasers: Polly Harmison, Elijah Harmison, Jacob Miller (Little) and (Big), Moses Harmison, John Dugan, Jacob Ash, Jr., Solomon Swisher, James Johnson, Henry A. Byrne, Lancel ot Snyder, Zacharia Miller and George Miller.

1833, Heirs to estate of James Harmison: Elijah, Samuel, James, William, and Jacob Miller and Elizabeth his wife, together with Moses and Mary.

Janaury 28, 1833; "James Harmison's Heirs Vs. Moses Harmison". Final decree, Monday, the 22nd day of December, 1834; Land Causes Book, #1, page 27. Orators, Elijah Harmison, Samuel Harmison, James Harmison, William Harmison, and Jacob Mille r and Elizabeth, his wife together with Moses and Mary Harmison, defendants hereafter named are the children and heirs of James Harmison, Late of Morgan County and that the said James Harmison is deemed to have died intestate, as a paper purport ing to be his will was rejected as such by this Court, when it was presented for probate.....Your orators further aver that at the time of the decease of the said James Harmison, the aforesaid Moses and Mary Harmison resided with him and have si nce kept in their possession the before mentioned lands, and still so hold them. It is further shown that the said Moses Harmison has committed, and still is committing destructive waste on the said lands by filling and disposing of the best o f the timber to the injury of the other heirs and copareenois; and that lately, he has sold or contracted to sell to a certain John Dixon a great number of timber trees off the said land; and that the said Dixon is engaged in cutting and hewin g the said timber trees....." Signed by Henry A. Byrer, Esquire

Tax list, Berkeley County, 1800 lists James Harmison and William Harmison.

23, January, 1801: "I have surveyed for James Harmison, assignee of James Welch, John Robinson, and Alexander Cooper, a tract of land on bank of Potomac and bounded as follows: In line of James Fisher, containing 15 acres." By James M. Wheat , recorded by James Maxwell, S.C.C.; Cambell Harmonson, James Harmison, Sr. and James Harmison, Jr.

1841, Moses, James, Mary, Samuel are non-residents, also Michael Ryan and son, James R. Ryan.

James married Mary. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

In Frederick County Land Grants, Book 2, Thomas Lord Fairfax, Baron of Cameron, to Thomas Harmison of Frederick County, Virginia, on October 10, 1766, 247 acre tract of land on the headspring of Ambrose's Run below Sleepy Creek near Potomac Rive r (in present Morgan County, WVA).

Rent rolls for Berkeley County, Virginia, 1774-1781 show Thomas Harmison with 247 acres (From Reconstructed Census, Berkeley County, Va. 1774-1810 by Grove).

In Berkeley County Unrecorded Deeds, Book 1, page 411, deed dated November 22, 1790, Thomas Harmison, farmer, of Berkeley County, to his children: William Harmison, to receive all lands and possessions except 30 pounds; Nancy Randels, to receiv e 5 pounds; Jean Weathers, to receive 5 pounds; and Martha Harmison to receive 20 pounds. Proved October 15, 1793.

Tax list for Berkeley County in 1787 lists white males over 21 years; James Harmison, Thomas Harmison, Adam Harmison (Thomas was charged the tax for Adam), Mathew Harmison (who also had one male 16-21 years in his household).

1792, name disappeared from tax record but he was found 1794 on receipt from William, deed record 1794.

Thomas married Mary. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

One record refers to Thomas's wife as Mary.