972Thomas Harrison
Key Facts
Snapshot:lieutenant during the French and Indian War
donated to anti-Indian militia, and to American patriots during the Revolutionary War
Harrisonburg, Virginia is named in his honor
Parents:1944Isaiah Harrison
1945Abigail ___
Born:perhaps circa 1712
location unknown
Died:by 24 January 1785
Rockingham County, Virginia
Buried:uncertain; see notes below

972Thomas Harrison may have been born circa 1712, since he was probably of age on 10 October 1732 when his father 1944Isaiah Harrison sold him part of the land at Maiden Plantation in Sussex County, Delaware.1 One can deduce that 972Thomas' mother was 1945Abigail ___, as explained below.


This 1732 deed proves that 972Thomas' father is 1944Isaiah Harrison. Full page.1

Problem: Resolved
Who was 972Thomas' mother?

1944Isaiah Harrison had five children by his first wife Elizabeth Wright: Isaiah, John, Gideon, Mary, and Elizabeth.2

After Elizabeth's death, by 1702 1944Isaiah had subsequently re-married to 1945Abigail ___.3,4

Since we know that 1944Isaiah was 972Thomas' father,1 and since 972Thomas isn't listed as one of the five children born by Elizabeth Wright,2 we can conclude that 972Thomas must have been born by 1944Isaiah's second wife 1945Abigail.

His Delaware property notwithstanding, 972Thomas seems to have spent the rest of his life in Augusta County, Virginia (parts of which later became Orange County and Rockingham County). He received numerous, large land grants there, as summarized below.

Date Description of Land Image Link(s) Source
15 March 1744 233 acres on the east fork of Cook's Creek 213, 214, 215
5
15 March 1744 258 acres on the head spring of the east fork of Cook's Creek 217, 218
6
15 March 1744 250 acres on the east branch of Cook's Creek 854, 855, 856
7
10 September 1755 150 acres on a sinking spring branch of Linville's Creek 640
8
10 September 1755  229 acres on Muddy Creek 641
9
10 March 1756 120 acres on a branch of Linville's Creek at a place called Harrison's Cotton Patch 685
10
16 August 1756 212 acres on the northwest side of the south branch of Linville's Creek 131
11
1 March 1773 1290 acres total, although this encompassed much of the land from previous patents. However, it did include 529 new acres never before granted. 41
12

In 1742, 972Thomas sued two people, but the nature of the dispute wasn't documented.13,14

On 22 March 1743, 972Thomas was commissioned as a cornet for a cavalry unit (presumably militia).15


972Thomas' commission as a cornet. Full page.15

Historians once believed that 972Thomas had built the antique house now at 30 West Bruce Street in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and that he began building it around the year 1750, but a recent archaeology survey casts doubt on this belief. Therefore, the precise location of his house remains unknown.

The night of 22 October 1753, a disoriented group of Moravians camped out in front of 972Thomas' house. The Moravians wrote, "[...] and thus we arrived late at Thom. Harris's plantation. Here we bought feed for our horses and pitched our tent a short distance from the house. The people were very friendly. They lodge strangers very willingly." 16 (Fun fact: These Moravians were en route to go start a new settlement in North Carolina. My ancestor 1864John Douthit later joined the Moravians and lived there.)

972Thomas was a lieutenant during the French and Indian War,17 although further details of his service are unknown.


972Thomas' commission as a lieutenant at the start of the French and Indian War. Full page.17

Two deeds from November 1764 identify 972Thomas' wife: Sarah.18,19 However, I know little else apart from her name.

In 1774 972Thomas provided food for the Virginia militiamen fighting the Indians during Dunmore's War.20


972Thomas helped feed a Virginia militia army as it fought Indians. Full page.20

On 5 August 1779, 972Thomas and his wife Sarah provided the land later used for Rockingham County's government buildings.21 The modern courthouse still stands on that land. A plaque recognizing 972Thomas' generosity stands near coordinates N38.4492 W78.8688.22

During the Revolutionary War, 972Thomas provided 2 horses and 24 cattle to help the American patriots.22 The DAR recognizes him as ancestor A052290.


972Thomas gave material support to American patriots during the Revolutionary War. Full page.23

By 24 January 1785, 972Thomas had died.24 Sadly, his will is permanently lost to history because it was burned in 1864 by Philip Sheridan's terrorists. Fortunately, however, some of the likely content of 972Thomas' will can be gleaned from other records: His will was dated 21 February 1776,25 and heirs include "Jeremiah Harrison, John Harrison, Thomas Harrison, Ezekiel Harrison, Davis Harrison, Reuben Harrison, Leonard Haring and Abigail his wife, and Sara War[r]en." 26 The will was probated on 24 January 1785.24

J. Houston Harrison's classic book Settlers by the Long Grey Trail on page 27 describes 972Thomas' likely burial location, but I don't quite understand his description of the cemetery's location, and can't find it on a modern map. Harrison writes, "Both Thomas and his wife are thought to have been buried in the early churchyard on the brow of the hill overlooking the scene of his pioneer home, and of the town that he had founded. This old burial ground is located only a small distance west of the Public Square, and about a block beyond the present Southern Railway, and Baltimore and Ohio Passenger station. Many of the graves in this first cemetery are marked only by crude limestone markers on which there are no inscriptions. The land was set apart for a burial ground by Thomas, or his sons Robert and Reuben. The latter, and his wife, and his wife’s mother, were buried here. In the early years of the town the first Methodist Church was erected in the churchyard of which the cemetery is a part. The site was probably that of the pioneer Episcopal chapel (see page 222). It was given to the Methodists by Robert and Reuben Harrison, in 1789."

Sources Cited:

1: Sussex County, Delaware. Deed book GN7, page 4, deed from Isiah Harrison to his son Thoms Harrison, dated 10 October 1732. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS3J-CVB2?i=263&cat=296734>, accessed 4 June 2021. You can read a transcription here.

2: Oyster Bay Town Records, Volume II: 1691-1704 (Tobias Wright, New York, 1924), page 390. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSM7-G3NS-J?i=230&cat=232905>, accessed 31 May 2021.

3: Oyster Bay Town Records, Volume II: 1691-1704 (Tobias Wright, New York, 1924), page 530. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSM7-G3FG-J>, accessed 31 May 2021. 1945Abigail co-signed the deed with 1944Isaiah, so we can conclude that they were already married by this time.

4: Suffolk County, New York. Deeds book A, page 113. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9WY-K53S?i=87&wc=M7CH-3P8%3A358136501%2C359688701&cc=2078654>, accessed 31 May 2021. This record explicitly affirms that 1945Abigail was 1944Isaiah's wife.

5: Virginia land office patent book 22 (1743-1745), pages 213, 214, and 215, patent dated 15 March 1744. Library of Virginia, <http://image.lva.virginia.gov/LONN/LO-1/020/201-300.html>, accessed 5 June 2021.

6: Virginia land office patent book 22 (1743-1745), pages 217-218, patent dated 15 March 1744. Library of Virginia, <http://image.lva.virginia.gov/LONN/LO-1/020/201-300.html>, accessed 5 June 2021.

7: Virginia land office patent book 23 (1743-1745), pages 854, 855, and 856, patent dated 15 March 1744. Library of Virginia, <http://image.lva.virginia.gov/LONN/LO-1/021/767-866.html>, accessed 5 June 2021.

8: Virginia land office patent book 32 (1752-1756), page 640, patent dated 10 September 1755. Library of Virginia, <http://image.lva.virginia.gov/LONN/LO-1/030/603-702.html>, accessed 5 June 2021.

9: Virginia land office patent book 32 (1752-1756), page 641, patent dated 10 September 1755. Library of Virginia, <http://image.lva.virginia.gov/LONN/LO-1/030/603-702.html>, accessed 5 June 2021.

10: Virginia land office patent book 32 (1752-1756), page 685, patent dated 10 March 1756. Library of Virginia, <http://image.lva.virginia.gov/LONN/LO-1/030/603-702.html>, accessed 5 June 2021.

11: Virginia land office patent book 34 (1756-1765), page 131, patent dated 16 August 1756. Library of Virginia, <http://image.lva.virginia.gov/LONN/LO-1/033-034/102-201.html>, accessed 5 June 2021.

12: Virginia land office patent book 41 (1772-1773), page 41, patent dated 1 March 1773. Library of Virginia, <http://image.lva.virginia.gov/LONN/LO-2/040/1-100.html>, accessed 5 June 2021.

13: Orange County, Virginia. Order book 3 (1741-1743), page 175. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS4N-W998-G>, accessed 4 June 2021.

14: ibid., page 205. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS4N-W99S-L?i=102>, accessed 4 June 2021.

15: Orange County, Virginia. Order book 4 (1741-1743), page 58. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS4N-W9M3-W?i=306>, accessed 4 June 2021.

16: William J. Hinke and Charles E. Kemper, "Moravian Diaries of Travels Through Virginia," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, volume 12 (1904), page 145. Internet Archive, <https://archive.org/details/virginiamagazin02socigoog/page/n182/mode/2up>, accessed 5 June 2021.

17: Augusta County, Virginia. Orders book 4 (1753-1755), page 193. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS4H-C9PJ-B?i=119&cat=275633>, accessed 4 June 2021.

18: Augusta County, Virginia. Deeds book 11 (1762-1765), page 752. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSKW-N3N4-J>, accessed 4 June 2021.

19: ibid., pages 756-757. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSKW-N3N4-Q>, accessed 4 June 2021.

20: Augusta County, Virginia. Order book 16 (1774-1779), page 37. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS4H-CSB1-7?i=31&cat=275633>, accessed 4 June 2021.

21: Rockingham County, Virginia. Burnt deed book 0 (1778-1793), pages 291-293. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSYX-K975-9?i=168&cat=386882> et seq., accessed 4 June 2021.

22: Wikimedia user Artaxerxes, "Historical marker A33 Court Square downtown Harrisonburg VA July 2008" (online image), Wikimedia, <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Historical_marker_A33_Court_Square_downtown_Harrisonburg_VA_July_2008.jpg>. The photo was taken from coordinates N38.4494 W78.8686.

23: Rockingham County, Virginia. Personal property tax list for 1783, section labeled "Major Robert Cravens," page 2 thereof, column 2, entry 3 thereof, for Thos Harrison Senr. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS4F-FS47-C?i=48&cat=411278>, accessed 6 June 2021.

24: Rockingham County, Virginia. Court minutes book 1 (1778-1792), part 1 (1778-1786), page 398. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSYD-X93R-P?i=213&cat=376708>, accessed 4 June 2021.

25: Rockingham County, Virginia. Burnt deed book 00 (1793-1802), pages 20-22. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSYX-K942-H?i=328&cat=386882> et seq., accessed 4 June 2021. On page 21 the deed references "the last will + Testament of Thomas Harrison Deceased Bearing date the twenty first Day of February 1776."

26: ibid., pages 278-280. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSYX-K94X-P?i=457&cat=386882>, accessed 4 June 2021.