- From the Peninsula Enterprise, Accomac, Virginia – Sat, Feb 21, 1891, Page 3
Chapters of Un-written History, By SEPTUAGENARIAN (Rev. John W.A. Elliott, 1813-1896)
A series of letters published in the Enterprise several months ago has called forth many anxious inquiries from descendants of families incidentally referred to, now widely scattered over distant portions of the United States. Doubtless, to them, and perhaps hardly less to many living among us, the meagre facts yet clinging to the memory of the oldest people, are clothed with a peculiar interest. In the course of human events, in a very few years many of these facts, if unrecorded, must pass forever into oblivion, with the few environs of a past generation.
The history of the Harmon family - of which especial inquiry has been made by descendants residing in Indiana - goes back to an early period of Accomac traditions. Standing somewhat remote from the county road, near Turlington's camp-ground, is a quaint old building, doubtless one of the oldest on the Eastern Shore. This rather unique structure of shedder roof, brick gable and monstrous open fire-place, together with its antique site and surroundings, long ago invested it with the title of “Noah's Ark.” The house has been, for many past generations, the Harmon homestead, and has never passed from the family inheritance. How long it has stood there, tradition does not say, and actual knowledge of the family antecedents does not take the writer further back than Kendall Harmon. It is probable, however, that three generations preceded him. Tradition claims the family to be of English origin. The name has sometimes been written Harman.
Next in line of descent after Kendall, was John Harmon; his children were William, John, James, Bettie, Nancy, Sallie and Katie. Taking those in order, their descent is as follows: The children of William were James, Robert and Sarah. The first two, though married, have had no offspring. Sarah married Capt. W. S. Phillips and has had a family of three worthy children, two of whom are now living. John Harman, (of John,) also reared an interesting family of children and grandchildren. James, lately deceased, left two worthy sons to survive him, both of them residing on the old Harmon estate, the younger having recently taken a bride to the old homestead.
Various other branches of the family name doubtless descending from the same progenitor, might be traced in Accomac; and even in Northampton, an old country seat in that county bearing the name of "Harmon-town" was doubtless the home, originally of some member of this family. In earlier times it was especially prolific in female descendants. The writer remembers the marriage of a Miss Harmon to Littleton Bradford, another to Geodiah Bell, another to John Garrison, and still another, an old maid generally known as "Aunt Tamer," to an aged gentleman, Mr. Jesse Ames - quite a happy union, by the way. The descendants of some of these marriages are still living among us.
Contemporary with the early settlement of the Harmons in Accomac came a family of Walkers, who located in the same neighborhood. The Walkers being a family of considerable enterprise attempted to build a town, which ultimately resulted in failure, the locality being known for many years afterwards as "Walker's Folly." It is a rather curious circumstance that these two families intermarried for three generations, and socially became the closest of allies.
At a period prior to the Revolutionary war, Wm. Polk, a gentleman of Irish descent, married a very intelligent lady, Miss Sabra Bradford, a direct descendant of the original settler of Bradford's Neck. Polk was an officer in the Colonial service, and suffered the loss of much of his property at the hands of the British in one of their descents upon the coast. From this union there resulted many well-known and worthy descendants. Their children were: James, who emigrated to North Carolina; William, to Ohio; John, drowned while bathing; Sallie, married to Jacob Lurton, afterwards to Jas. Townsend, and then Thos. Sturgis; Jennie, who married Geo. Hanover, and afterwards Zorobabel Edwards; Patsie, who married Joshua Fitchett; Bridget, who died young, unmarried; and Amelia, who married George Harmon and moved to North Carolina. No trace of this last branch of the family was known to the writer until recent letters from one of its descendants were placed in his hands.
Of the family characteristics of the Harmons, many interesting things might be said. They have been preeminently noted for longevity, many of them having passed beyond the allotted limit of three-score and ten, and even four-score years. Replying to special inquiries from the source above referred to, the writer must say he never knew one of the names in Accomac to be a prominent church member. As a rule, they have been Democratic in politics, mostly farmers by occupation, though a few of them have been eminent in several lines of mechanical art. They have been universally known and esteemed as worthy citizens and have commanded the respect of every community in which they have lived.
Concluding this imperfect sketch, the writer has been pleased to learn interesting facts relative to descendants of the family living in the South and West, from the pen of one of the descendants of George Harmon, a Methodist minister in Indiana. The following details are authoritatively added: George Harmon, who married Amelia Polk, moved to Chatham County, N.C, in 1807. His oldest son, James, still lives in that county, aged 85; William and Thomas reside near Elwood, Madison County, Indiana., aged, respectively, 83 and 72 years. Robert Polk, a nephew of Amelia, is still alive at 91 years of age, and resides at New Castle, Henry County, Indiana. The writer hereby tenders to these descendants of Accomac, so widely scattered, a cordial invitation to the home of their fathers.
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| + | 1. Catharine 'Caty' Harmon, b. Abt 1775, Accomack County, Virginia, USA  d. Yes, date unknown
╚═Geodiah (88) Bell, b. Abt 1765, Accomack County, Virginia, USA d. Nov 1825 (Age 60 years), m. Abt 1795
| | | 2. Thamor 'Tamar' Harmon, b. Abt 1778, Accomack County, Virginia, USA d. 16 Nov 1853, First District, Accomack Co, Virginia (Age 75 years)
╚═Jesse Ames, Sr., b. 24 Jul 1768, Accomack County, Virginia, USA d. Bef 25 Nov 1833, Accomack County, Virginia, USA (Age < 65 years), m. 7 Apr 1829, Accomack County, Virginia, USA
| | | 3. Nancy Harmon, b. Abt 1780, Accomack County, Virginia, USA d. Yes, date unknown
╚═Littleton (83D) Bradford, b. Abt 1780, Accomack County, Virginia, USA d. Bef 26 Sep 1808, Accomack County, Virginia, USA (Age < 28 years), m. 2 Feb 1802, Accomack County, Virginia, USA
╚═John Stockley, b. Abt 1775, Accomack County, Virginia, USA d. Bef 9 Aug 1847, Northampton County, Virginia, USA (Age < 72 years), m. 4 Nov 1811, Accomack County, Virginia, USA
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Abt 1775 - Yes, date unknown
Siblings
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: Location
: City/Town
: County/Shire
: State/Province
: Country
: Not Set
