John Harris (bef. 1425 - 1480)

Born before 1425 in Prittlewell, Essex, England

Husband of Anne (Hartford) Harris — married about 1444 in Prittlewell, Essex, England

Descendants

Died 1480 after age 55 in Prittlewell, Essex, England

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Chet Snow [send private message]

Biography

John Harris was born before 1425 in the old Anglo-Saxon town of Prittlewell, next to Rochford, on the north bank of the Thames estuary, in County Essex. His father was also John and the family surname was also spelled (de) Heriez or Herries. John's mother's name and surname are not known. This surname means "Son of Harry" and is very old in the British isles, along with the associated name "Harrison".

According to family genealogists, the American Harris's can trace their origins back to Wales (pre-Charlemagne), then to the French "Comte de Vendome" or "House of Vendosine," then to William the Conqueror's nobility ("Herriou") who settled in the English counties of Essex and Yorkshire after 1066 CE. The Essex branch were ancestors of the Virginia and Maryland Harris families while the Pennsylvania Harris immigrants (founder of Harrisburg PA etc.) came from Yorkshire. Little to no documentation exists for this medieval history.^[1]

Another Medieval genealogy ties the Anglo-Norman "Herice" family to Essex as follows: "Londric de Beaugency of Orleans, France was ancestor to the powerful Barons of Beaugency and had two sons John and Hericeus, who lived around 996 to 1031 A.D. Hericeus had a son Ancelin de Beaumont who went to England [i.e., with William the Conqueror] and held a Barony in Nottingham about 1086. Ancelin's son Ivo Fitz Herice or de Heris was Viscount of Nottingham before 1130 and his sons were Ralph Hauseline, Robert Fitz Herice (executed by Henry II), Josseline, William (who held three fiefs in Nottingham and four in Lincoln), and Humphry [Herice/Harris of Berkshire]."

"The French name "Herice" seems to have been changed to 'Harris,' by their sons who became increasingly more English. They arrived in Essex early in the 16th Century, and spread themselves all over the Dengie Hundred [just north of Rochford] Their influence was felt in all the villages, especially at Mundon, The Friary, Maldon and at Woodham Mortimer."^[2]

A third Harris/Herries branch went to Scotland in about 1150, and became leaders in the struggles that terminated in the winning of Scottish Independence under Sir William Wallace and Robert the Bruce (13th Century). Through the centuries the Harris Familly was affiliated with many different clans through marriage. Clan Campbell claims the Harris Family as a "sept" or directly affiliated family, entitled to clan rights including the use of the clan tartan. Some of this family were "exiled" to Ulster, Northern Ireland after England's defeat of the Scots, where Edward Harris, born about 1620, was the ruling elder of the Glenmarguin kirk (Presbyterian), near Raphoe, County Donegal, Ireland. He married Flora Douglas of clan Douglas. Several descendants of these hardy Scotch-Irishmen emigrated to America in the 17th and 18th Centuries.^[3]

In about 1440, John Harris married Anne Hartford of nearby Hertford (aka Hartford), Hertfordshire, and they had a son, William Harris shortly thereafter. They lived on the Harris family estate at Prittlewell, Rochford Hundred, Essex. John Harris died there in about 1480.^[4]

Sources

1. ↑ http://www.genealogywise.com/group/harrisfamilygenealogy?page=4
2. ↑ http://www.genealogywise.com/group/harrisfamilygenealogy?page=4
3. ↑ http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/b/a/r/Brian-M-Barnes-ID/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-0137.html
4. ↑ Researched and added by Chet Snow, a Harris descendant, on October 28, 2014.

• http://www.genealogywise.com/group/harrisfamilygenealogy?page=4
• http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/b/a/r/Brian-M-Barnes-ID/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-0137.html

FISCUS Family Tree.ged Data

This biography was auto-generated by a GEDCOM import. The GEDCOM contained the following data that may be useful.

• No sources given in the GEDCOM.

Anderson Family Tree.ged Data

This biography was auto-generated by a GEDCOM import. The GEDCOM contained the following data that may be useful.

• S-1965762195 Repository: #R-1965763166 Title: Ancestry Family Trees Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. See online: http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=image&guid=bb86dd06-23ed-4312-b82f-2aea8c7a822d&tid=25804043&pid=1206 .

My Ancerstors.ged Data

This biography was auto-generated by a GEDCOM import. The GEDCOM contained the following data that may be useful.

• No Sources given in the GEDCOM.

Rankin-Ridgdill Family Tree.ged Data

This biography was auto-generated by a GEDCOM import. The GEDCOM contained the following data that may be useful.

• Source: S-2052917492 Repository: #R-2139398877 Title: Ancestry Family Trees Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. See online: http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=21058954&pid=2290

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Liisa Small for creating WikiTree profile De Heriez-1 through the import of FISCUS Family Tree.ged on Jun 6, 2011. Click on the Heriez-1 Changes page for the details of edits by Liisa and others.

Thank you to Sheri Anderson for creating WikiTree profile Harris-2787 through the import of Anderson Family Tree.ged on Jun 10, 2011.

Thank you to Mike Snider for creating WikiTree profile Harris-2981 through the import of My Ancerstors.ged on Jul 2, 2011.

Thank you to Elizabeth Rankin for creating WikiTree profile Harris-3999 through the import of Rankin-Ridgdill Family Tree.ged on Oct 4, 2011.

Thank you to Jim Lhamon for creating Harris-10137 on 17 Nov 13. Click the Changes tab for the details on contributions by Jim and others.

Thank you to Chet Snow for adopting and merging these profiles and researching and adding a biography on October 28, 2014.