"Ancestrees"

Jacob HARMON ^{1 2 3}

   Another name for Jacob was Jacob HERMAN.

  General Notes:

Jacob emigrated with his wife and family of 6 children sometime in the summer of 1733, arriving in Sep, 1733 in Philadelphia according to "Immigrants into Pennyslvania, Vol. 1" at www.ancestry.com. Specifically they came on the ship: Brigatine RICHARD AND ELIZABETH, Captain: CHRISTOPHER CLYMER, Place: ROTTERDAM, on SEPT. 28, 1733. According to the Harmon Message Board, Jacob Harmon traveled to Holland from Effrin Schwarzwaldreis, Wuerttemberg (Germany) where at least one son and possibly one daughter were born before embarking for the Americas. (C-2416)

He is the only Harmon I have found who has a daughter named Barbara in this time period. She is however, 5 years older than we had estimated the age of Barbara Harmon married to John Mast of PA and North Carolina. Since we truly have no first hand information giving us their exact ages though, this seems still to be within a possible age range for our Barbara. They most definitely have the right names - as her parents and 3 out of 4 of this Barbara's siblings are her children's names. They also are living in the right place for Barbara and John to meet. If this is not our Barbara, I still highly suspect that this Jacob and Catherina are her parents or possibly grandparents through son David because the naming pattern is so accurate to this exact family. It might have been that she was the Catherine Barbara Harmon who was age 6 months in 1733 instead and who traveled on the same ship with this family (Catherine Barbara was not listed as their daughter however, in the ships list, even though they are the only Harmons on the Captains list. In any case, I feel confident that these are her direct relatives as no other Harmon families I've found in this time period had the same naming patterns as our Barbara until now.

In the Ancestry World Tree submissions at www.ancestry.com, Jacob's parents are listed and in one source he is listed with a 2nd wife by which he apparently had not children, Maria Elizabeth Lachen. This is incorrect information as in Jacob's will and administration his wife was still Catherine.

His birth place at ancestry.com is listed as Kunsel, Rhineland Palatinate, Germany . This is listed as Kunsel, Pfalz, Bayern on an IGI record at www.family search.com. Another IGI record there gives an alternative birth place as Rotterdam, Zuid Holland, Netherlands. This last record likely was guessed at by the ship he came on, whereas the Kunsel, Bayern place of birth is based upon his "Palatine" origin which was stated when he took the oath of allegiance. (E)

They likely first lived in the Philadelphia area. By 1738 they had moved to Lancaster Co., PA via the Reading Lancaster Road, the only route at the time. On Aug 7, 1738 he received warrant number 170 which gave him permission to hold 200 acres of land at or near Quintapolhilla, Lancaster Co., PA for which he paid 15 pounds, 10 shillings for each 100 acres. He never got a patent on this land. We know that he continued to live in the Quitapahilla-Swatara area of Lancaster Co., PA because of the baptisms of his two daughers in 1739 and 1742 which are published in Stoever's Baptisms and Marriages. Quitapahilla is a small stream that flows west into the Swatara Creek which is basically where they would have lived. The Swatara flows through the Tuscarora Mountains into the great Susqehanna River at Middletown.

Sometime between 1742 and March 1747, Jacob and his family traveled south to Virginia. They would have started by crossing the Susquehanna River at Wrights Ferry about 10 miles west of Lancaster, through the town of York, down the mountain ranges in a southwest direction on the Philadelphia Wagon Road. It would have them cross a narrow strip of western Maryland on the way. In Virginia they would have likely traveled down the "Kings Highway" also known as "The Great Road". "Peaked Mountain" where they lived was the tallest peak at southern tip of the Great North Mountain Range where it made it's final dip into the valley. This would have been in Augusta Co. until 1778 when Rockingham Co., was formed out of the northern part of Augusta Co., VA.

In 1746/7, Jacob settled on Stony Lick Run near present day McGaysville, Rockingham Co., VA. According to "Virginia Valley Records" this occurred in 1756... but the following record in the Augusta Co., VA Court Order Book #1, p. 168 suggests that it's probably a typographical error. According to the order book, on Mar 19, 1746/7, Jacob Harman Sr., Jacob Harman & John Harman were assigned to work on the road "to the top of the ridge to John Terrald's & James Beard's. (area now in Rockingham Co.) A survey done on Apr. 15, 1749 shows "Stony Run" crosses one end of an irregular plot.

He appears in Augusta Co. VA land records on Apr 15, 1749 when he purchased 220 acres, lying on a branch between Shanando and the Peaked Mountain. Stony Run (Creek) passes one end of his irregular plot. He lived near his good friend Georg Man's sons who had moved from Lancaster Co., PA in 1744. A petition for a road to be built that included Jacob Harmon and Georg Mann further indicates that they had residency by the Spring of 1749.

On Apr. 8 1749, John Harmon (his son) purchased 200 acresa on Stony Run which joined Jacob Harmon's land to Peaked mountain.

He or possibly his son paid fees to the Clerk of County Court in Augusta Co., VA in Feb, May and August, 1749-50. He was listed as Jacob Harmon, near Peaked Mountain in the Fee Books.

On Aug 29, 1750, Jacob Harmon purchased 200 acres adjoining Jacob Man's land called Pine Mountain.

On Feb. 20, 1750-51 he and his son Peter made purchases at the sale for Mathias Shaw.

On Apr. 5, 1751, Jacob purchased items at the estate sale of Jacob Pence.

On Aug. 16, 1758, he submitted the subscriptions and took the required oath of allegiance to the court at Augusta County to become a naturalized citizen. He stated at that time, that he had taken the sacrament within the required time period of the law (within the last 3 months) from Reverend Lawrence Wartman who was the first Lutheran minister in McGayeysville, VA. To become a citizen of Britain, one had to have lived in the colonies for a 7 year period with no more than an absence of 2 months during that period, taken the sacrements in the church within a 3 month period of appearing before the court and take an oath of Allegiance to the King and colony. The individual was then entitled to the benefits of a citizen of Great Britain, i.e. His sons could then inherit his land.

On Sep 18 1758, orphan Philip Williams was bound to Jacob Harmon. Philip was his grandson. His parents were Henry and Catherine Harman Williams. Catherine died shortly after his birth. Henry remarried and moved away and died about 1748/49. The stepmother remarried Augustine Price in 1749. Philip was first bound to his stepfather, Augustine PRice on Aug. 16, 1748. Within a month he was bound to his grandfather instead.

On May 15, 1759, Jacob Hermon was named when 350 acres of land he had sold Matthew Shaup was inherited by his sons Johan and Adam Shaup, heirs of Mathew Shaup near the Upper End of Peaked Mountain. On Dec. 25, 1764, John and Adam "Sharp" were of Bedford Co., VA, when they sold this land that originally belonged to Jacob Hermon.

His will is dated Sep 28, 1761 and was proved in 1764. His wife Catrina and son Peter were executors. (C-2421) His children and only the grandchildren of his deceased children were named in his will, the children of daughter, Catherine (Philip Williams & Madlena Price) and son John (Peter Harman).

In Apr. 1762, the Peaked Mountain Church was first mentioned in area history as lying near "the mill race of Mr. Herrman." It was then called "Snyder's Church". This was located on 2 acres of land willed by Jacob Herman for use of the church "forever" in his will administered in 1761 by sons Tewalt and Peter. (C-2413)

On May 18, 1762, there was a sale of personalty of Mathias Shaw, by James Nicholas, executor where some of the buyers were Jacob Harmon, Bernard Man, Peter Herman, and on 5th May, 1755--2d sale, to Charles Man by sundries received of the estate of the deceased Jacob Pence. (CHRONICLES OF THE Scotch-Irish Settlement IN VIRGINIA EXTRACTED FROM THE ORIGINAL COURT RECORDS OF AUGUSTA COUNTY 1745-1800 ABSTRACTS OF WILLS OF AUGUSTA COUNTY, VIRGINIA. AUGUSTA COUNTY COURT. WILL BOOK NO. 3. ADDITIONAL MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. page 69 Page 144.--20th February, 1750-51.)

Jacob Herman was possibly the first "Miller" by trade at Peaked Mountain. A mill was a gathering place for the community and the first tradesman needed in a new settlement. Jacob Harmon, Jr. inherited the mill from his father along with 134 acres of land.

On May 13 1764, his will was probated in Augusta Co., VA (now Rockingham Co.). It is transcribed as follows in Knoff's book: "In the name of God Amen September the 18th 1761 I Jacob Harmon Senr of the County of Augusta and Coloney of Virginia... I give and Bequeath... To My wife Catrina Harman, two acres and a half between my dwelling house and where son Peter lives, ect. To son Teawalt Harmen, fifty acres joining Shaup's line; To son Jacob Harman, one hundred thirty-four acres; To my grandosn Peter Herman, son of my son John, thirty acres; To my son Peter Herman, one hundred thirty-four acres; To my daughter Elizabeth Harman...; To my wife the third part of my personal estate that remains after my debts are paid; the remainder To be equally divided amoung my four daughters and two grandchildren, Phillip William and Madlina Price that is to say divided into five parts and the one fifth into two parts for the two Grand Children; To the use of the Church near the Meeting house now built two acres of Land forever. I do hereby Constitue and apppint my Dearly Beloved wife Catrina and Peter Herman my Son my shole and Sole Exrs in this my Last will and Testament..." Witnesses: Archibald Huston, Jacob Persinger, Peter Miller..."At a Court held for Augusta Co, May the 13th 1764 this last will and Testament of Jacob Hermon deced was proved." His wife is listed as Catherine when she and her son Peter were named co-executors of his will on May 15, 1764. (C-2421) ^{5 6 7}

  Noted events in his life were:

• Emigration, 9/28/1733, Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.

• Will, 9/18/1761, , Augusta, VA. ⁵

• Probate, 5/13/1764, , Augusta, VA. ⁵

Jacob married Maria Catherina PAUSCHEN before 1720 in , , , Germany. (Maria Catherina PAUSCHEN was born about 1700 ⁸ and died after 1742.)

Jacob next married Maria Elizabetha LACHEN.