Family Card - Person Sheet
Family Card - Person Sheet
NameIsaiah Harrison 
Birth25 Sep 1666, Chester, Cheshire, England
Death1738, Virginia
FatherRev. Thomas Harrison D.D. (1617-1682)
MotherKatherine Bradshaw (1637-1682)
Misc. Notes
The Descendants Of Isaiah Harrison (1666-1738)
ISAIAH HARRISON, the immigrant ancestor, was the son of Rev. Thomas Harrison, native of Kingston-Upon-Hull, Yorkshire, England, who died an independent or Congregational minister of the gospel, in Dublin, Ireland, 1682, and his wife Katherine Bradshaw, daughter of Edward Bradshaw of London and Bromborough Hall, England.
Isaiah is thought to have been born in or near the city of Chester, England, as a refugee from Dublin. He sailed from Chester, or nearby Liverpool, which at that time was rapidly supplanting Chester as a point of departure, due to the silting of the River Dee, on the ship known as the "Spotted Calf", in 1687, landing first, Oyster Bay, Long Island, New York. He died about 1728 in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia.
Isaiah Harrison came as a blacksmith to Oyster Bay, his name first appears in the town records when he was a freeholder, 2 January 1687. The following year, he purchased 100 acres of land at Suckscalls' Wigam from John Wright, his first wife's cousin, on 16 January 1668, for sixty pounds current money of New York. On this land he made his home. Since this land had been purchased from the Matenacocke Indians only three years previously, there is little doubt that Isaiah was the first white man to live on the site. His house is mentioned in a deed dated 10 November 1695, which records the purchase of an additional 81 acres of land holdings.
Isaiah Harrison was married first, in 1688, about a year after his settlement at Oyster Bay, to Elizabeth Wright, daughter of Gideon and Elizabeth Townsend Wright. Elizabeth died about 1698, leaving him with 5 small children. In 1700 Isaiah married second, Abigail Smith, thought to be the daughter of Jonathan Smith and his wife, Sarah Brewster, who was the son of the immigrant Richard Smith. (Patentee of Smithtown, L. I., New York, early 1600's.)
On April 20, 1702, Isaiah Harrison sold his entire possession of land at Oyster Bay and with his wife, Abigail moved the family to Smithtown. He purchased a tract of land for 400 pounds from William Lawrence, on April 20, 1702. The new home consisted of 500 acres of woodland on the west side of the Nissequoque River in the County of Suffolk, Long Island, New York. It was here that Isaiah and his wife, Abigail made their home and raised their children, along with his children by his first wife, Elizabeth. In 1708, he added another 200 acres.
On June 12, 1721, Isaiah Harrison sold the 500 acre home place at Smithtown to Amos Willitts and moved with his family to Sussex county, Delaware, where he bought 900 acres of land, known as "Maiden Plantation". He sold the remaining 200 acres at Smithtown to Richard Willitts on April 28, 1722. Up until this time Abigail's name appeared on all deeds. Her name was missing from deeds after April 28, 1722; so it is thought that she died in 1722. In the Spring of 172=37, Isaiah, his five sons and daughters, except Elizabeth and Gideon (who had died) with their wives, husbands and children, left Delaware and set out for the Valley of Virginia. This party of 16 went by the way of what is now Alexandria, Virginia, crossing the Blue Ridge at Thornton's Gap. As their former home was only 8 miles from Lewes, they no doubt embarked from Lewes on a sailing vessel, going by water to the old town of Belhaven on the Potomac. After winding their way along the South Fork of the Shenandoah, indications are that the Harrisons camped near Naked Creek and on Linville's Creek for about two years, while exploring and preparing to take up land. Sickness broke out among them and it was here that Isaiah Harrison died in 1738. He is said to be buried by the banks of the Shenandoah in the present "White House" neighborhood. His children and grandchildren explored their way southwesterly and settled in the present vicinity of Harrisonburg, Virginia. Each of the separate families patented land and built houses.
The children of Isaiah Harrison were as follows:
By his first wife, Elizabeth Wright:
. Isaiah Harrison, Jr.- b 27 Sept 1689, Oyster Bay, Long Island, NY. He did not go to Virginia with the family; was living in the southern part of West Jersey in 1737. In about 1750, he went to Craven County, South Carolina from Rockingham Co., VA. Nothing more is known of his family, when or where he died.
. John Harrison -b 25 Sept 1691, Oyster Bay, d May 1771 m Phoebe ??? ca 1720 (b 1686-d 6 Dec 1793). He went with family to Virginia in 1737. His will, dated 30 July 1769, proved 21 May 1771, recorded in Augusta Co., VA names all his children: (Zebulon, John, deceased, Phoebe, Ann and Reuben).
. Gideon Harrison -b 25 June 1694, Oyster Bay d 1729 Sussex Co., Delaware. He was married, her name is not known.
. Mary Harrison -b 25 May 1696 d 1781. m Robert Cravens ca 1721.
. Elizabeth Harrison -b 30 March 1689 probably died young. Elizabeth Wright Harrison died shortly after the birth of her youngest daughter, Elizabeth.
Children of Isaiah Harrison by his second wife, Abigail Smith:
. Daniel Harrison- b 1701; d 10 July 1770, m (1) Margaret Cravens m (2) Sarah Stephenson. His will was recorded in Augusta Co., VA. Children by first wife, Margaret were: Robert, Daniel, Jesse, Mary, Jane, Abigail and Benjamin. There were no children by second wife.
. Thomas Harrison- b 1704 at Smithtown, L. I., d 1785, Harrisonburg, VA. He m (1) Jane DeLaHaye and (2) Sarah Cravens. Children (all by second wife): Abigail, Jeremiah, Davis, Robert, John, Thomas, Ezekiel, Reuben and Sarah.
. Jeremiah Harrison- b 1707 at Smithtown, L. I., d 1777 Rockingham Co., Virginia. He m Catherine ???; their children included: Lydia Donnell, Nehemiah, Josiah, Jeremiah, Hester and Benjamin. Little is known of this family. . Abigail Harrison- b 1710 Smithtown, L. I., d 1780 in VA. She married Alexander Herring, Jr. at Sussex Co., Delaware. She was the great-grandmother of Abraham Lincoln, the President.
. Samuel Harrison - b 1712, Smithtown, L. I., d 1790, Augusta Co., VA. He migrated with the family in 1739. His wife's name was Mary ???. They moved to Craven Co., South Carolina during the French and Indian War, but returned to Augusta and were residents there by 18 Nov 1762. It is not known if they left any children.
All of Isaiah Harrison's children (except Elizabeth) settled in the region around what is now Harrisonburg, Virginia. The town being founded by his son, Thomas Harrison. The five brothers who went with their father in 1739 have been identified as John, Daniel, Thomas, Jeremiah and Samuel.
ISAIAH HARRISON, the immigrant ancestor, was the son of Rev. Thomas Harrison, native of Kingston-Upon-Hull, Yorkshire, England, who died an independent or Congregational minister of the gospel, in Dublin, Ireland, 1682, and his wife Katherine Bradshaw, daughter of Edward Bradshaw of London and Bromborough Hall, England.
Isaiah is thought to have been born in or near the city of Chester, England, as a refugee from Dublin. He sailed from Chester, or nearby Liverpool, which at that time was rapidly supplanting Chester as a point of departure, due to the silting of the River Dee, on the ship known as the "Spotted Calf", in 1687, landing first, Oyster Bay, Long Island, New York. He died about 1728 in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia.
Isaiah Harrison came as a blacksmith to Oyster Bay, his name first appears in the town records when he was a freeholder, 2 January 1687. The following year, he purchased 100 acres of land at Suckscalls' Wigam from John Wright, his first wife's cousin, on 16 January 1668, for sixty pounds current money of New York. On this land he made his home. Since this land had been purchased from the Matenacocke Indians only three years previously, there is little doubt that Isaiah was the first white man to live on the site. His house is mentioned in a deed dated 10 November 1695, which records the purchase of an additional 81 acres of land holdings.
Isaiah Harrison was married first, in 1688, about a year after his settlement at Oyster Bay, to Elizabeth Wright, daughter of Gideon and Elizabeth Townsend Wright. Elizabeth died about 1698, leaving him with 5 small children. In 1700 Isaiah married second, Abigail Smith, thought to be the daughter of Jonathan Smith and his wife, Sarah Brewster, who was the son of the immigrant Richard Smith. (Patentee of Smithtown, L. I., New York, early 1600's.)
On April 20, 1702, Isaiah Harrison sold his entire possession of land at Oyster Bay and with his wife, Abigail moved the family to Smithtown. He purchased a tract of land for 400 pounds from William Lawrence, on April 20, 1702. The new home consisted of 500 acres of woodland on the west side of the Nissequoque River in the County of Suffolk, Long Island, New York. It was here that Isaiah and his wife, Abigail made their home and raised their children, along with his children by his first wife, Elizabeth. In 1708, he added another 200 acres.
On June 12, 1721, Isaiah Harrison sold the 500 acre home place at Smithtown to Amos Willitts and moved with his family to Sussex county, Delaware, where he bought 900 acres of land, known as "Maiden Plantation". He sold the remaining 200 acres at Smithtown to Richard Willitts on April 28, 1722. Up until this time Abigail's name appeared on all deeds. Her name was missing from deeds after April 28, 1722; so it is thought that she died in 1722. In the Spring of 172=37, Isaiah, his five sons and daughters, except Elizabeth and Gideon (who had died) with their wives, husbands and children, left Delaware and set out for the Valley of Virginia. This party of 16 went by the way of what is now Alexandria, Virginia, crossing the Blue Ridge at Thornton's Gap. As their former home was only 8 miles from Lewes, they no doubt embarked from Lewes on a sailing vessel, going by water to the old town of Belhaven on the Potomac. After winding their way along the South Fork of the Shenandoah, indications are that the Harrisons camped near Naked Creek and on Linville's Creek for about two years, while exploring and preparing to take up land. Sickness broke out among them and it was here that Isaiah Harrison died in 1738. He is said to be buried by the banks of the Shenandoah in the present "White House" neighborhood. His children and grandchildren explored their way southwesterly and settled in the present vicinity of Harrisonburg, Virginia. Each of the separate families patented land and built houses.
The children of Isaiah Harrison were as follows:
By his first wife, Elizabeth Wright:
. Isaiah Harrison, Jr.- b 27 Sept 1689, Oyster Bay, Long Island, NY. He did not go to Virginia with the family; was living in the southern part of West Jersey in 1737. In about 1750, he went to Craven County, South Carolina from Rockingham Co., VA. Nothing more is known of his family, when or where he died.
. John Harrison -b 25 Sept 1691, Oyster Bay, d May 1771 m Phoebe ??? ca 1720 (b 1686-d 6 Dec 1793). He went with family to Virginia in 1737. His will, dated 30 July 1769, proved 21 May 1771, recorded in Augusta Co., VA names all his children: (Zebulon, John, deceased, Phoebe, Ann and Reuben).
. Gideon Harrison -b 25 June 1694, Oyster Bay d 1729 Sussex Co., Delaware. He was married, her name is not known.
. Mary Harrison -b 25 May 1696 d 1781. m Robert Cravens ca 1721.
. Elizabeth Harrison -b 30 March 1689 probably died young. Elizabeth Wright Harrison died shortly after the birth of her youngest daughter, Elizabeth.
Children of Isaiah Harrison by his second wife, Abigail Smith:
. Daniel Harrison- b 1701; d 10 July 1770, m (1) Margaret Cravens m (2) Sarah Stephenson. His will was recorded in Augusta Co., VA. Children by first wife, Margaret were: Robert, Daniel, Jesse, Mary, Jane, Abigail and Benjamin. There were no children by second wife.
. Thomas Harrison- b 1704 at Smithtown, L. I., d 1785, Harrisonburg, VA. He m (1) Jane DeLaHaye and (2) Sarah Cravens. Children (all by second wife): Abigail, Jeremiah, Davis, Robert, John, Thomas, Ezekiel, Reuben and Sarah.
. Jeremiah Harrison- b 1707 at Smithtown, L. I., d 1777 Rockingham Co., Virginia. He m Catherine ???; their children included: Lydia Donnell, Nehemiah, Josiah, Jeremiah, Hester and Benjamin. Little is known of this family. . Abigail Harrison- b 1710 Smithtown, L. I., d 1780 in VA. She married Alexander Herring, Jr. at Sussex Co., Delaware. She was the great-grandmother of Abraham Lincoln, the President.
. Samuel Harrison - b 1712, Smithtown, L. I., d 1790, Augusta Co., VA. He migrated with the family in 1739. His wife's name was Mary ???. They moved to Craven Co., South Carolina during the French and Indian War, but returned to Augusta and were residents there by 18 Nov 1762. It is not known if they left any children.
All of Isaiah Harrison's children (except Elizabeth) settled in the region around what is now Harrisonburg, Virginia. The town being founded by his son, Thomas Harrison. The five brothers who went with their father in 1739 have been identified as John, Daniel, Thomas, Jeremiah and Samuel.
Spouses
Birth1668, Oyster Bay, Nassau Co., New York
Death1698, Long Island, Queens, New York
Marriage1688, Oyster Bay, Nassau Co., New York
ChildrenJohn (1691-1771)
Birth1668, Oyster Bay, Nassau Co., New York
Death1732, Harrisonburg, Rockingham Co., Virginia
Marriage1700, New York
ChildrenThomas (1704-1785)