Research Notes:
1. Note attached to copy of family records entries - that Bible was used by the Gov.
2. From the family data recorded - i.e., a great deal about his father's and grandfather's generation and very little about the Gov.'s children, (only one[?] child out of many of his children listed), - I believe that this Bible dated from an earlier generation, and may have even been his grandfather's.
3. The working copy is very hard to read in places and is subject to much mis-interpretation as to names and dates.
4. Attached to the copy is someone's prior attempt to interpret the family record data contained therein, and it appears that even they made some mistakes in reading and recording the data.
5. As the copy in my possession has some totally unreadable passages, the previous interpretation is used and such is marked with a "*". Passages which are partially unreadable and the data taken from the previous interpretation are underlined.
6. As with all old documents, it must ever be remembered that frequently names were spelled as they "sounded," and dates were subject to some leave way.
7. There are four pages copied from the Harris Bible. Each page has two columns for entries with a small entry area at the bottom of the page which spans both columns. The first two pages were designed for the entry of birth records, the third page for deaths, and the fourth page for marriages.
8. Much can be made by the grouping of names, the position of names in reference to others, and even the absence of known individuals.
9. As always, there is the constant problem of the use of "familiar", "nicknames", or "abbreviated" names instead of formal names having been used.
HARRIS BIBLE PAGE 1 - BIRTH PAGE - COLUMN ONE
| BIBLE ENTRY | MY NOTES |
| Daniel Harris Jr. born Jan. 1, 1829 and died March 12, 1889 |
These first four entries are a grouping of the children of Joseph Daniel Harris Sr. "Jr." is best known as Col. Joseph Daniel "J.D." Harris. He married first, Catherine Nail, and second Mrs. Martha Jane (Moore) Colbert. |
| Sarah Harris born Sept. 11, 1830 | Also known as Sally Harris. She married Henry McKinney. |
| Elisabeth Harris born Nov. 13, 1837 | Also known as Bettie Harris. She married John T. Pitchlynn. |
| Aaron Harris born Jan. 24, 1840 | From a similar entry on "Death Page", must have died as a youth. |
| * (Alice?) Pitchlynn was born the 27th of Nov.1863 | She was a daughter of John T. Pitchlynn and his second wife, Susanna "Susan" Frazier. There are actually three birth entries for her in this Bible. The first is the fifth entry in column one of this page, the second is seventh entry in column two of this page, with no name listed but with the birth date of Nov. 27, 1863, and is grouped in the children of John T. Pitchlynn, and the third is on page two, column one, entry two and appears to be a grouping of the children of John T. Pitchlynn and his second(?) wife. She married first on 1 FEB 1880, E.W. Brown. Second Joseph A. Bynum on 16 JAN 1881. |
| Annie Morris was born the 29th (June?), 1871 | She also has three birth entries, as Annie, Annie L. and of Annalee. The first entry is in this position. The second is in column one of page two, entry 5, and clearly has date of 29 JUN 1871, and the third entry "Marriage Page", with the same birth date. She is the daughter of Elizabeth Harris, (daughter of Col. J.D. Harris, Jr. and sister of Gov. Robert Maxwell Harris), who married Wharton H. Morris on 24 SEP 1870 under Chickasaw Law, (could have married earlier under U.S. Law). |
| * Catherine Harris born 6th of ____, 1874 | Unknown. This could be a daughter of Gov. R. M. Harris as he had a number of them. |
| Susan and Lemuel Blevens Nov. 18, 1876 | Birth date of twins. Gov. R. M. Harris had a sister named Josephine Harris. Josephine married a number of times. One husband was William "Toad" Blevins/Blevens. They had a son named Lemuel F. and a daughter named Susan "Susie" Blevins. Susie Blevens married a James Henri Stewart, son of Wiley Stewart and Nancy Folsom. Josephine Harris later married Charles S. Stewart, brother of James Henri Stewart on 27 AUG 1877. |
HARRIS BIBLE PAGE 1 - BIRTH PAGE - COLUMN TWO
| BIBLE ENTRY | MY NOTES |
| Susanna Frazier was born 19th MAR 1850 | John T. Pitchlynn's second wife. See notes on column two of "Death Page." |
| Albert Thomas McKinney was born May 28, 1854. |
Son of Sarah "Sally" Harris and Henry McKinney. |
| Jon. Pitchlynn was born 27 FEB 1835 | John Thomas Pitchlynn. This entry is "cross-column" to Elisabeth Harris, his wife. See "Marriage Page" for date. |
| Susan Pitchlynn was born Dec. 13, 1856 | Here begins a grouping of four Pitchlynn children. Susan married Frances Rap on 15 DEC 1874, then Alexander Cravat(t) on 28 DEC 1875. |
| Daniel Pitchlynn was born Jan. 25, 1859. | Apparently died young, see "Death Page". (Died 5 DEC 1859) |
| Thomas Jefferson Pitchlynn was born Nov. 5, 1861 | Also apparently died young, see "Death Page." Named for father of John T. Pitchlynn. (Died 26 OCT 1862) |
| * [No Name] was born Nov. 27, 1863 | This is the second birth date reference to Alice Pitchlynn. Because John Pitchlynn's first wife, Elisabeth "Bettie" Harris apparently died in FEB of 1863, the original entry maker may have decided that this child would be better listed with the second group of Pitchlynn children from the second wife. |
| Johnnie Rap was born 5 OCT 1875 | Original interpreter wrote "Rap" as "Ross." This is largely due to the often difficult choice of having to determine if a "p" actually represents a "p" or "ss", as was often the custom used in handwritten documents of this era. He is the son of Frances Rap and Susan Pitchlynn, who married 15 DEC 1874. (Jonnie died 17 JUL 1876) |
HARRIS BIBLE PAGE 2 - BIRTH PAGE - COLUMN ONE
| BIBLE ENTRY | MY NOTES |
| Daniel Harris, Sr. born 22 AUG 1799 | Joseph Daniel Harris Sr., oldest date in Bible. Father of Col. J.D. Harris Jr., grandfather of Gov. Robert Maxwell Harris. He married Elsie "Eloy" Cravat(t) in 1828. |
| Alsey Harris born in the year | Elsie "Eloy" Cravat(t). No further data given. (Born 1810) |
| Alisa Pitchlynn was born 28 NOV 1863. | Here begins a grouping of children of John T. Pitchlynn by his second wife. Note Alisa's (Alice) birth date is given as "28" and not "27", as in the two prior entries. From experience, it is not uncommon to find early dates fluctuating by a few days or even months due to the typographical or mis-read entries. |
| Sallie Leona Pitchlynn was born Dec. 31, 1867 | Daughter of John Pitchlynn and third wife. |
| Willie Pitchlynn was born April 22, 1868 (William B. Pitchlynn) |
Child of John Pitchlynn and third wife, Lavina Colbert. (John & Lavina married on 30 APR 1867.) Willie died 28 JAN 1886. |
| Annalee Morris was born Jun. 29, 1871 | Second entry for this person, see notes above. |
| Miss Lular Harris was born Jun 30, 1873 | Daughter of Gov. Robert Maxwell Harris. Married Charles Creddington "Charley" Harkins, 15 DEC 1892. Lula died 1918. |
| Jesse D. (Daniel) Gardner born 11 MAR 1875 | Son of Gideon Gibson Gardner and Emily Frances Harris, a daughter of Col. J. D. Harris. |
| R. M. (Robert "Bob" Madison Gardner) Gardner MAR 27, 1877 | Son of G. G. Gardner and Emily F. Harris. |
HARRIS BIBLE PAGE 2 - BIRTH PAGE - COLUMN TWO
| BIBLE ENTRY | MY NOTES |
| Elizabeth Harris born June 5, 1848 | Begins a grouping of the children of Col. J.D. Harris. She married W. H. Morris, 24 SEP 1870. She died in 1907. |
| Robert Maxwell Harris born 1 APR 1850 | Chickasaw Gov. Married first, Lucy McCoy, 4 JUL 1872, second, Jennie Wyatt (Wiatt), on 25 OCT 1892. He died 11 NOV 1927. |
| Miss Emily Francis Harris born 18 FEB 1853 | The first three children are by wife Catherine Nail. |
| Isabella Harris was Arabella Harris was born August 31, 1861 |
This entry was scratched out. It is probably related directly to the next entry, and may have been a mistake in name or birth date. These names may also be the formal names for the next entry. |
| Ida & Ada Harris was born SEP 1, 1861 | Note this birth date for the twin sisters of Col. J.D. Harris and second wife Mrs. Mary Jane (Moore) Colbert, is one day later than the scratched out entry noted above. For the spouses of each see the "Marriage Page." Ida died 23 MAR 1886. |
|
Gano Morris was born July 17, 1866 (18 JUL 1867) (Jonathan F. "Gano" Morris) |
Son of Elizabeth Harris and W. H. Morris? |
| Asilee E. Harris was born OCT 1, 1870(6?) | Unknown. Probably Mildred Emma Harris daughter of Gov. R. M. Harris. |
| J. Morris was born SEP 1874 (Joseph Daniel Morris) |
Son of Elizabeth Harris and W. H. Morris. |
| Robert D. (Shed?/Ned?) born 28 DEC 188(1?) | Unknown. |
HARRIS BIBLE PAGE 3 - DEATH PAGE - COLUMN ONE
| BIBLE ENTRY | MY NOTES |
| Aaron Harris died JUN 29, 1849 | See first "Birth Page." |
| Chat | Nothing else given with this entry, but is probably an erroneous beginning for Catherine, the next entry. |
| Catharine Harris, wife of Joseph Harris, died July 23, 1855, Aged 26 years | Catharine Nail, first wife of Col. Joseph D. Harris, Jr. |
| Elizabeth Peachlin (sic, Pitchlynn) died Feb 4, 1863 | Elizabeth "Bettie" Harris. First wife of John T. Pitchlynn. Husband John known to have died before 8 SEP 1873, as a guardianship agreement was signed on that date respecting his minor heirs, Alice and Susan. (He died 8 JAN 1873.) |
| * Susan Peachlin died JAN 14, 1867 |
See notes on next page about Susan Pitchlynn. |
| Joseph McKiny (sic, McKinney) died JAN 4, 1860 - date changed to 1870. | Possibly a son of Sarah "Sally" Harris and Henry McKinney? |
| * Gano Morris died 21 NOV 1871 aged 4 years, 7 mos., 7 days | Johnathan F. "Gano" Morris. |
| Fany Morris died FEB 7, 1871 | Possibly a child of Elizabeth Harris and W. H. Morris? (Elizabeth Francis or Francis Elizabeth is a common name combination.) |
|
Daniel Harris died OCT 11, 1874 |
Joseph Daniel Harris, Sr. |
HARRIS BIBLE PAGE 3 - DEATH PAGE - COLUMN TWO
| BIBLE ENTRY | MY NOTES |
| Daniel Pitchlynn died DEC 5, 1859 aged 10 mo, 11 days | Son of John T. Pitchlynn and Elisabeth "Bettie" Harris. Actual date calculation is 10 mos., and 10 days. This illustrates the frequent problem with making "Aged" calculations and entries in documents and on gravestones. They are difficult to make, and often wrong. No one knows what dates were used in the calculations, - was the date of death counted or the next day? - etc. |
| Jonas (James?/John?) Pitchlynn died | Possibly John Pitchlynn, d.11 JUN 1874, or J. Henry Pitchlynn, d. 23 AUG 1879, both sons of John T. Pitchlynn and Lavina Colbert. |
| Thomas Jefferson Pitchlynn died OCT 26, 1862 aged 10 mo, 21 days | Another son of John and Bettie Harris. Actual calculation of "Aged" is 11 mo, 21 days. |
| Susan Pitchlynn, the wife of John Pitchlynn, departed this life JAN 14, 1867 aged 16 yrs old & one mo. (16 yrs & 10 mos or more specifically 16 yr., 9 mos, 26 days) | If the death entry for Elizabeth Peachlin, given above, is in fact for Elizabeth "Bettie" Harris, John T. Pitchlynn's wife, and the triple birth date entry for Alice Pitchlynn is correct, and Alice Pitchlynn is a known daughter of John T., then she would have to have at least a second wife to be the mother of Alice, as Alice was born in NOV 1863, and Elizabeth died in FEB 1863. Now, the issue becomes, who was Susan. If the 1867 death date is used, and the "Aged" calculation approximately correct, then she could be the Susanna Frazier listed on "Birth Page" one. But, a 1867 death date precludes her being the mother of Sallie and Willie Pitchlynn as noted above. (Note with a 1867 death date and the aged 16 years calculation, she would have been only about 13 years old when Alice was born.) |
| *It is now know that John T. Pitchlynn had a third wife, Lavina Colbert, married 30 APR 1867, and who was the mother of Willie (William ) Pitchlynn. | |
| * Sally Snow(?) died JAN 4, 1870 | Unknown. |
| Henry McKinny (sic, McKinney) died 10 APR 1862 | Husband of Sarah "Sally" Harris. |
HARRIS BIBLE PAGE 4 - MARRIAGE PAGE - COLUMN ONE
| BIBLE ENTRY | MY NOTES |
| Daniel Harris and Alsey Cravat were married _____ 10th, 1828 | Joseph Daniel Harris, Sr. and Elsie "Eloy" Cravat(t). |
| Jos. D. Harris and Martha Jane Colbert were married July 30, 1856 | Col. Joseph Daniel Harris, Jr. and Martha Jane (Moore) Colbert. She married B.F. Colbert, first. |
| Jonathan F. Morris was born July 18, 1867 (Gano Morris) |
Appears to be a grouping of three Morris children, Elizabeth Harris and W. H. Morris. |
| Annie L. Morris was born June 28, 1871 | This is the third birth entry for her. |
| Morris was born SEP 13, 1874 | No first name readable. Joseph Daniel Morris. |
| J.C. McCoy, Jr. and Ada Harris was married June 5, 1877 | Ada and Ida Harris, twin daughters of Col. J.D. Harris and second wife, Mary Jane (Moore) Colbert. J.C. McCoy, Jr. and T. J McCoy were brothers. Ada Harris married second, John Morris. |
| T. J. McCoy & Ida Harris was married FEB 1879 | Both McCoy brothers were murdered in 1880. |
HARRIS BIBLE PAGE 4 - MARRIAGE PAGE - COLUMN TWO
| BIBLE ENTRY | MY NOTES |
| Joseph Harris and Catherine Nail married AUG 8, 1847 | Col. Joseph Daniel Harris, Jr. and first wife. |
| John T. Pitchlynn and Elizabeth Harris was married DEC 5, 1855 | His first wife. See notes above. (Also see on this web site the transcripts of the murder trial of John T. Pitchlynn which was a result of their marriage party.) |
| ____ Harris and Emily F. Harris was married JAN 8, 1870 | She married a man named Ben Harris. She is daughter of Col. J.D. Harris. |
| Joseph J. McCoy born JUL 20, 1878 | Son of James C. McCoy, Jr. and Ada Harris? |
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