First Generation

1. JOHN L. HARMON was born about 1767 in Virginia.¹ He died about 1837 in Marion County, Indiana.

I have found numerous conflicts about John Harmon and his family. The existence of a middle name is questionable - he is often cited as being John "Lincoln" Harmon. [I have found deeds with a middle initial of "L".] His place of birth as most often given is questionable. Some of the citations for his service in the Revolution are questionable. Siblings and parents attributed to him are contradictory. The places he lived and the dates he moved are contradictory, particularly when records are examined. I do believe he was married to Elizabeth Bird in Montgomery Co, Virginia in 1787 and they lived for a time in Russell Co [late 1790's] before moving to Pulaski Co, Kentucky. They apparently went to Ohio for a short time before settling in Indiana.

A migration website gave the following data about John Harmon. Born "England" [I doubt this part]. Married in Grayson Co VA in 1787 - no, it was likely Montgomery Co because his marriage record is there in Dec of that year. Pulaski Co KY in 1800. Clermont Co (? probably Hamilton Co instead) Ohio about 1811. Franklin County IN in 1812. Marion Co IN 1820.

The following items found online seem to be questionable for John's Revolutionary service:
John L. Harmon of Fincastle, Montgomery Co., VA, served as a soldier in the American Revolution from Nov. 1776 to Feb 10, 1778, when he was discharged.
John served in the 9th Virginia Reg. during the Rev. War. [This last citation is certainly in error - that particular John Harmon was from Accomac Co. Also Montgomery Co was formed from Fincastle Co, it was not a location within Montgomery Co.]

Probable Revolutionary Service, accepted by DAR:
Source: Montgomery Co., VA the First Years, by Crush & Ingmire, 1986, pg. 60. - John Harmon swore Allegiance, Capt Daniel Trigg's Company, 13 Sep 1777.
DAR #610043, Virginia Alice Buckles

The 1782 Montgomery Co VA Personal Property Tax List has the following names of interest: William Burch [probably Elizabeth Byrd's stepfather]. Several Byrds - George, Richard, Samuel & William. Several Harmans to include Daniel, Jacob, Jacob Jr, Matthias, Peter & William, but no John Harmon. Jacob Waggoner was on the list. The Land Tax list for 1782 lists John Byrd with 150 acres, Jacob Waggoner with 400 acres. Harmans listed with land are Jacob, Henry, Daniel, Mathias, William.

Russell Co VA has a few records for a John Harmon whose wife was Elizabeth. Russell formed from Washington Co in 1786. This location further south and west in Virginia from Montgomery Co. These deeds indicate that John & Elizabeth did not go to Kentucky until at least 1803, if this is the same couple. They were living in Russell Co prior to July of 1796, on the Sinking Creek, tributary of the Clinch River.
Russell Co VA DB 2, p.147
20 Jul 1796 John Buster & wife Jane to John Harman. 40 acres above the spring where John Harman now lives & from there down the spring branch to John Buster's pasture fence; to a conditional line between John & William Buster; to tract occupied by John & William Buster. Signed John & Jane Buster. No witnesses. This is apparently part of 379 acres, both sides of Sinking Creek waters of Clinch River patented to John Buster on 22 Mar 1785, when this area was still Washington County.
Russell Co DB 2, p.543
20 Jul 1796 [same day as above deed] William Buster & Mary to Jacob Waggoner. 40 acres on the line of land occupied by William & John Buster. Signed by William & Mary Buster. No witnesses. There is some indication that Jacob Waggoner was married to Jane Byrd, a sister to Elizabeth Byrd Harmon and William Buster's wife, Mary, was another sister.
Russell Co DB 3, p.407
23 Aug 1803 John Harman and his wife Elizabeth sold 40 acres on the spring branch below the spring to Peter Powers. The deed also mentions the conditional line between John & William Buster. Signed: John Harman, Elizabeth Harman
Russell Co DB 3, p.513
23 Jul 1804 Jacob Waggoner & wife Jane to Harry Smith. 32 acres on Sinking Creek, on a line of Peter Powers. Land conveyed to him from William Buster by deed 20 Jul 1796; land conveyed to William Buster by deed 16 Dec 1789 by John Buster; granted to John Buster by patent 22 Mar 1785. Signed: Jacob & Jane Waggoner.

In 1796, Jacob Wagoner appeared on the Russell Co Personal Property Tax List. In 1798, both John Harmon & Jacob Wagoner were on the Personal Property Tax List; they were also there in 1799. They were in the Upper District, which is missing for 1800. They were on the list for 1801 and 1802.

26 Jun 1798. John Harman appeared on a jury list for the Court of Quarterly Sessions. Russell Co Order Book 2, p.467.

Russell Co DB 4, p.351 - here is a deed showing that John Harmon, Jacob Waggoner & William Buster lived near each other - all married to Byrd sisters.
4 Jun 1810. Peter & Elizabeth Powers to Harry Smith. 30 acres on waters of Sinking Creek begin west side of Harmans Spring Branch below the spring to an old line of a survey granted John Buster, corner to tract Smith bought from Abraham Crabtree [which Crabtree bought from John Buster], down the Spring Branch to the east side ...corner to a tract Smith bought from William Buster ...corner to a tract Smith bought from Jacob Waggoner. Part of a 379 acre tract granted John Buster 22 Mar 1785 and conveyed to John Harman from Buster 20 Jul 1796, conveyed to Peter Powers from John Harman by deed 23 Aug 1803. Signed: Peter Powers. Elizabeth Powers.

The Pulaski Co KY 1810 census does have on p.537 a John Harmon, age 26-45, with lady of the same age. 3 males 16-26 [William & Richard fit here so possibly there were another son?], 1 males 10-16 [John B. & James would work, maybe one of them was counted as over 16]; 1 female 10-16 [Jane], and 3 females -10 [Mildred, Mary & Elizabeth] There is not a 4th daughter to be the Emilie suggested - another reason to believe that Emilie & Mildred have been confused and are actually the same lady [Milly would be a nickname for either]. Another John Harmon is in the same census - his children aren't a match and he was a slave-owner which I doubt this John ever was. Jacob Waggoner & Jacob Jr. are also found on this same Pulaski Co KY census.
In the Pulaski Co KY records there is a marriage from Henry Harmon to Agnes Green. Bond 26 Jul 1810. Surety: William Harmon, Thomas Green. Could Henry be one of those young men in the household of John? Another son, or perhaps a nephew. Some databases do show John & Elizabeth with a son Henry, but I've no indication other than this marriage record.
Another marriage Bond dated 18 Feb 1801 from Sally Harmon to John Taylor is interesting in that she married with "consent of Grandfather, Jacob Harmon". There later is a Jacob Harmon in Boone Co IN that I don't believe has been proved to be of this family. This could indicate families traveling together. An online database at WorldConnect by George M. Findley gives Jacob Harmon, born 1730 in Augusta Co VA and married to Sarah Lorton, as a possible father to John Harmon.

One of the databases on line gives a birthplace for John Harmon's youngest child Charles as Hamilton Co Ohio in 1811. This doesn't agree with the migration record found above and Hamilton was a county of its own by this year. I do believe Hamilton Co is the correct place for their time in Ohio.

Found Online:
The Harmons had left Pulaski County, Kentucky in 1810, and settled in Hamilton County, Ohio, where their youngest son was born. John and Elizabeth returned to Pulaski County in 1812 and sold the land they had entered in 1803. This transaction was signed by both of them.
Here is the deed of sale of John Harmon & wife Elizabeth in Pulaski Co., KY, Deed Bk 2, pp 264-265. It is dated 16 Sep 1812. John Harmon and Elizabeth his wife of Hambleton County, State of Ohio to Ezekiel Cox of Pulaski Co KY. For $216.20 sell Cox a tract of ninety acres by survey dated 2? of Aug 1807, granted to said Harmon by virtue of a certificate #608 granted by Pulaski Co Court in 1803. On the waters of Pitmans Creek; chesnut standing on William Wilkersons line; Geo. Taylor's line; James McCawns line; Malcum McCawns line, an old military line. Signed by John Harmon, Elizabeth Harmon. No witnesses
William Fox of the County Court certified that John & Elizabeth Harmon and produced the deed on 16 Sep 1812, acknowledged by John Harmon; Elizabeth was examined separately and released her dower.

I also found a Kentucky Land Grant reference from Kentucky Land Grants by Jillson which is online at Ancestry by subscription. John Harmon received one of the grants, referred to as one of those "South of Green River", in Pulaski County. The survey was made 26 Aug 1807 and mentions Hickman Creek [Pitman/Hickman may have been misunderstood in one or the other of the documents] as the Watercourse. The grant was for 90 acres and is recorded in Book 10, p.478.

Son James was married in Franklin Co IN in 1816.

Son John B. had land patents in Jackson Co IN where he married in 1818. Then in the early 20's both James & John B. were in Marion Co. I found no U.S. patents for their father.

Marion Co Deeds:
DB A, p.379
11 Feb 1825 Chesley W. Ray and Nancy his wife of Marion to John L. Harmon of the same. $18 paid by John L Harmon. North end of the West half of the SW quarter of S14 T17 Range 2 East. Middle stake between section 14 & 15 on the Bank of Eagle Creek. High bank on the north side of Wrays Branch, along said branch. Six acres. Signed: Chesley Wray, Nancy Wray. Presence of John C. Hume. Chesley & Nancy ack & relinq. Rec. 22 Feb 1827

There is said to be an estate record, Monroe [? shouldn't this be Marion?] Co IN, recorded 15 Aug 1837 which names Elizabeth and lists all children. I finally found this reference - it was a Deed, not an estate record, in Marion Co Deed Book I [the letter, not the number 1], p.353-354. It effectively proves a number of relationships and was the land deeded by Chesley Ray to John L. Harmon in 1825.
13 Mar 1837 Between Elizabeth Harmon, widow of John L. Harmon deceased, late of Marion Co IN, and William W. Harmon, John B. Harmon, Alexis Jackson [married to Mary Harmon], Charles Harmon, Hiram Harmon, Chistly Ray [Chesley Wray, married to Nancy Jane Harmon - her 3rd husband], James Harmon, Hiram H. Lewis [husband of Mildred Harmon], Nathaniel P. Walter [2nd husband of Sarah Harmon Adams], Richard Harmon, all the legal heirs of the said John L. Harmon, deceased, to Cyrus Cotton. Consideration of twenty [presumably dollars since this statemtent seems unfinished], for six acres.
The description of the tract: Begin the middle stake of the section line between sections 14 & 15 on the West bank of Eagle Creek, then South to a stake, then East until the line strikes the high bank on the North side of Wray's Branch, along said bank, across the half quarter of land to the line of Charles Harmon's 40 acres which he bought of Alexis Jackson, then West to the beginning. It is the North end of the West half of the Southwest Quarter of Section 14, Township 17 North, Range two East. Except for a small piece of ground, fenced in as a grave yard, where John L. Harmon and [again there seems to be a missing word] is buried.
Signed: Elizabeth (x) Harmon, Wm. W. Harmon, John B. Harmon, Alexis Jackson, Charles Harmon, Nathaniel P. Walter, Chesley Wray, James Harmon, H. H. Lewis, Hiram Harmon, Richard (x) Harmon.
Wit: Smith Isaac, John C. Hume.
13 Mar 1837, the following appeared before Smith Isaac, JP to testify to the deed: Elizabeth Harmon, the widow, William W. Harmon, John B. Harmon, Alexis Jackson, Charles Harmon, Nathaniel P. Walter, & Chesley Wray
4 Apr 1837, the following appeared before Isaac: James Harmon & Hiram H. Lewis
18 Apr 1837, In Hendricks Co before Joel Hodges, JP, Hiram Harmon & Richard Harmon acknowledged the deed
It was recorded 15 Aug 1837
There is one problem with this deed. There are usually 11 children cited - only 10 are represented in this deed. The daughters' names were added by me and are not recorded in the deed - but they are proved by Indiana marriage records. There was said to be a daughter Elizabeth who is not named in this deed - was she perhaps buried with her father in the family grave yard noted above?

John Harmon's father is said to be a Jacob Harmon. I have found indications of two Jacob Harmons living in old Augusta Co [parent county of most of western Virginia and Kentucky] and each of them apparently also had a son named Jacob. I have a document outlining more about them. John's mother said to be Sarah Lorton - one of the Jacobs and his son did live near the Lortons in the New River settlement. I have found no proof there was a daughter named Sarah, nor proof that one of the Jacobs had a wife named Sarah. I have found no proof of a link between any of the Jacobs and John Harmon, although three of them can be easily eliminated as possibilities.
Another researcher has suggested John's father was a William Harmon. I find little to indicate that either. To me, one of the most telling bits of evidence is that John & Elizabeth used names from her Bird family among their children [her father John Bird, mother Sarah, brothers William & Richard, sisters Mildred & Mary] - but they didn't use any of the given names found among the Harmons of old Augusta such as Jacob, Adam, Mathias or Mathew, Daniel, George....
Also, associates of John Harmon, i.e. the Byrd/Bird family/Busters, Waggoners, etc. do not seem to be associates of the other Harmon families found in Augusta Co.

JOHN L. HARMON and ELIZABETH BYRD were married on 16 December 1787 in Montgomery County, Virginia. ELIZABETH BYRD was born in 1771 in Virginia.² She died in 1869 in Carroll County, Illinois.

Said to be the daughter of John Byrd who was "from Spotsylvania Co VA." I have not found a great deal support for this. John's son Henry testified that he was born 1764 in Prince Edward Co. I found the name John Byrd in Fincastle Co as early as 1772 - he was the first court clerk in that new county.

I may have found Elizabeth Harmon in the 1830 census. There is an enumeration for the household of a William Harmon listed next to John B., Richard, James, and Chesley "Ray" and John Adams who were married to Harmon girls. However, this William is marked as age to 10-15 - I suspect he may have been a grandson helping out. The other members of this housheold were two young girls, 1 age 5-10 and the other 10-15. Then there was an older lady, age 50-60 - Elizabeth Harmon would have been about 59 in 1830 and she was certainly living in Marion Co although she doesn't appear under her own name.

Although many databases give her death as 1837; I believe I found Elizabeth Byrd Harmon living with her son Richard in Carroll Co IL in 1850. She was 79 years old, b. VA, and blind. The 1837 date seems to have come from a deed of the heirs of John L. Harmon, dec'd, which included Elizabeth Harmon, widow.

Her mother is said to have been a Sarah, who married William Burch after the death of John Byrd. Probable sisters of Elizabeth included Milard who married Edward Smith. Edward Smith was a witness to the marriage of Elizabeth Byrd to John Harmon according to an online database. Jane Byrd who married Jacob Waggoner is said to be another sister to Elizabeth.

Found online:
Byrd Family Association, The Early Byrds of Grayson County, Virginia and Many of their Descendants (Baltimore, MD: Gateway Press, 1992), pp. 1, 2, 63, 64. "(1787) Dec. 6, JESSE VAUGHN and ELIZABETH BYRD, sur. William Vaughn; consent of parents William and Mary Vaughn, and William and Sarah Burch." This recorded marriage apparently never took place as Elizabeth Byrd married another man, John Lincoln Harmon, three weeks later. Hereinafter cited as Byrds of Grayson, VA.

Volunteer Lookup: A BRIEF OF WILLS & MARRIAGES IN MONTGOMERY & FINCASTLE COUNTIES, VIRGINIA 1733-1831, Anne Lowry Worrell, originally printed in 1932.
John Harman m. Elizabeth Bird dau of William and Sarah Burch (step daughter of William)

Deed Book H; pp 353-354 Marion Co., Indiana
Indenture made March 13, 1837--Elizabeth Harmon, widow of John L. Harmon and William W. Harmon, John B. Harmon, Alexis Jackson, Charles Harman, Hiram Harmon, Chistly Ray, James Harmon, Hiram H. Lewis, Nathaniel P. Walters, Richard Harmon, all legal heirs of John L. Harmon, deeded to Cyrus Cotton--$20--6 Acres of land commencing on section line at middle stake Sections 15 & 10 in west bank of Eagle Crek; south 12 rods; east to high bank on north side of Wray's Branch to line of Charles Harmon's 40 acres of land which he bought from Alexis Jackson, etc; except a small piece of land fenced in as grave yard where John L. Harmon is buried.

Found online:
"Elizabeth died in the home of her daughter, Jene (Harmon) Wray in Illinois at the age of 99 years." By 1870 when Elizabeth would have been age 99, daughter Jane was widowed and living with her son Mark in Knox Co, IL - so I'm not sure Elizabeth lived quite this long. I did not find Elizabeth Harmon after the 1850 census.

PostIt Note:
Prince Edward,Virginia is the location of her birth
Mt. Carmel, Carroll, ILL. in 1869 is the location and year of her [Elizabeth's] death
Posted by "Andrea" to my WorldConnect database
amelzer2000@yahoo.com

JOHN L. HARMON and ELIZABETH BYRD had the following children:

+2	i.	William W. HARMON.
+3	ii.	Richard HARMON.
+4	iii.	John Bird HARMON.
+5	iv.	JAMES HARMON.
+6	v.	Nancy Jane HARMON.
+7	vi.	Mildred\Emeline HARMON.
+8	vii.	Sarah HARMON.
+9	viii.	Mary HARMON.
10	ix.	Elizabeth HARMON1,3 was born (date unknown). Shown as married to Britton Caldwell in some databases. Thomas C. Harmon believes it was the Elizabeth, daughter of Richard Harmon that married Caldwell on 10 Apr 1830 in Marion Co IN. Some databases give Nathaniel P. Walters as spouse of Elizabeth but I found his marriage record and he married her widowed sister Sarah Adams. The deed of the John L. Harmon heirs in 1837 omits any mention of a child Elizabeth and there is no available husband as they are all accounted for - in fact there are only 10 children listed as heirs, not 11. There is a suggestion that someone other than John L. Harmon was buried in the family grave yard that was excepted from the 1837 deed. I suspect Elizabeth did not marry and may have died young and unmarried, if there was a daughter named Elizabeth. Post'em Note: Andrea <amelzer2000@yahoo.com> 2002-07-24 11:53:40 Elizabeth was born abt 1807 in Pulaski,Ky. No proof offered for this statement.
+11	x.	Hiram H. HARMON.
+12	xi.	Charles HARMON.