Dear Bergen County:
I’m searching for the parents of my ancestor, Daniel Harris (b. 1737), who married Elisabeth Demaree (bp Hackensack, dtr of Samuel Demaree and Lea Demarest) and whose first daughter, Ellen, was baptized at Tappan in 1761. Daniel Harris and his son Samuel were both carpenters and soldiers in the Revolutionary. They joined Elisabeth’s family in the Low Dutch migration to Conewago and Kentucky. I would be interested in any information about Harris’ in Bergen and Passaic Counties, New Jersey, whether or not it fits with this family.
Here is what I’ve found so far:
1754 Mar. 21 HARRIS, George, of Bergen Co., yeoman; will of.
Wife: Elen.
Children—David, John, Daniel, Ezeghiel, Mary.
Land held in partnership with John BARDAN and Johannes CADMUS. Home farm. Personal property. Executors: his wife and son John.
Witnesses—Philipp SCHUYLER, Daniel HENNION, Johannes HENNION.
Proved Sept. 17 1754
Lib F p.234. (Thank you, Afina!)
• Does anyone know where or when George & Elen’s children were baptized?
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From George Warner Labaw, Preakness and the Preakness Reformed Church, Passaic, New Jersey, p. 310, Inscriptions in the “Old Kip Burying Ground” in Lower Preakness:
George Harris, d. April 1, 1754, in the 59th year of his age
• Is there any significance to George Harris’ burial in this particular cemetery, in what, from this source, seems to be the oldest identified grave?
• Could George’s wife Elen (maybe Eleanor) be a Berdan, Cadmus, Schuyler, Hennion or Kip?
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From Genealogical History of Hudson and Bergen Counties, New Jersey by Cornelius Burnham Harvey:
“In 1699 George Willocks and Andrew Johnston procured a patent for several thousand acres, consisting of tracts in various localities, west of Saddle River at Preakness, The Ponds, Paramus, etc. These lands were mostly in section 31, and were sold, among others to John Laurence Ackerman, Jacobus Laurence Ackerman, Jacobus Kipp, John Romaine, Jacob Kipp, Tennis Hennion, David Hennion, Edo Merseles, Martin Ryerson, John Bogert, Jacob Outwater, Nicholas Slingerland, John Le Toere, John Berdan, Samuel Van Saun, Ruloff Roamine, George Vreeland, Stephen Camp, and ZEKIEL HARRIS.”
• Might George’s son Ezeghiel be named for Zekiel Harris? Is anything further known about Zekiel Harris and any descendants he might have had?
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I’m finding records relating to John Harris, carpenter, and other possibly connected Harris’ in Passaic/Bergen counties in the 1788 – 1870 time period, who might be descendants of George: (all land records from
http://files.usgwarchives.org/nj/bergen/ contributed by Pat Wardell)
1788: John Harris is witness for a Degroat family transfer of 440 acres in English Neighborhood. (R)
1790: John Harris subscribes 4 shillings to the Plan for Rebuilding the Hackensack Church (From the appendix to Historical Discourse Delivered on the Occasion of the Re-Opening of the First Reformed (Dutch) Church of Hackensack, New Jersey by Theodore B. Romeyn)
1792: Stephen Bogert conveyed to John Harris 18-3/4 acres at the Ponds. (Z)
1794: a Banta to Dey transfer of land in English Neighborhood mentions a parcel bounded by John Harris. (X)
1800: James Van Houten conveys to John Harris of Franklin, carpenter…5 acres in the precinct of Saddle River; mentioned one half of sawmill….(Z)
1803: Thomas Harris, carpenter of the City of New York releases rights in estate at Liberty Pole in Tenafly to the children of his late wife, Anne Lozier Harris. (S) (Anne Lozier b. 1746 Hackensack was the daughter of Abram Lozier and Maria Earle and m. 1767 John Lozier, son of Hillebrant Lozier and Christina De Baun. He died 1784, Thomas Harris was Anne Lozier’s second husband.)
1803: John Harris buys 63/100 acre in Hackensack township from Henry Bonter (Banta?), as an extension of his existing holding there. (R)
1803: John Harris is a witness for a Westervelt to Romeyn transfer of land in Franklin township. (R)
1805: John Harris and his wife, Peggy, convey same 5 acres and ½ sawmill they purchased from James Van Houten to Thomas Dodds. (Z)
1805: Halmagh Van Houten and John A. Harris of Franklin convey land in the Wagraw Mountains to Jacob Ackerman. (W)
1805: Peter Sturr quit claimed to John Harris of Franklin township an acre at Christian Pool. Witnessed by Thomas Dods and John R. Berdan. (Z)
1806: Henry Harris of Saddle River, heir of John Harris, deceased, conveys land in Saddle River to Cornelius Merselis. Witnessed by John Harris. (X)
1807: Christian Garritson quit claims to John A. Harris of the City of New York, the 18 ¾ acres at the Ponds that John A. Harris purchased from Stephen Bogert (see 1792)
1812: Margaret Harris, John C. Stagg, and James L. Ackerman, executors of the …will of John Harris, late of Bergen County…conveyed…to Cornelius Lozier…5 lots at the Ponds. (G2)
1815: Bergen County will of Eve Berdan, widow of Samuel Kouwenhoven of English Neighborhood, mentions a daughter Catherine married to John Harris.
1835: Henrietta Harris marries John Voorhees (b. 1811) at English Neighborhood True Reformed Church
1844: William Harris is a deacon at the rededication of the Hackensack church (see Romeyn)
1858: Marriage of Margaret, daughter of John Harris of Pompton Plains to John H. Folly, tobacconist of Paterson. (See Labaw)
1859: Marriage of John Harris, carpenter of Pompton Plains, to Mrs. Mary Jane Comer, of Bloomingdale. (See Labaw)
1869: John D. Harris married to Emma Voorhis by John Y DeBaun, minister at True Reformed Church of Hackensack and English Neighborhood.
• Any information on how to set any of these people into their proper genealogical context?
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Many thanks for reading this!
Jan Pranger
jan.pranger@sbcglobal.net
