[isaiahharrisondescendents.FTW]

"SETTLERS ALONG THE LONG GRAY TRAIL". Book 975.51 R68Ha5 by HoustonHarrison (1935) found i n the Family History Library Salt Lake City.
Pages 307,308, 312-13

Reuben Harrison the youngest son of John Harrison, Sr., and wifePhoebe, was born near Lewes , Deleware, and accompanied his father andmother, in the little band os sixteen, on their re moval to orange,later Augusta, now Rockingham County, Virginia. He married, as hisfirst wi fe, Lydia Harrison, his cousin, identified as the daughter ofJeremiah Harrison, She is ment ioned as late as 1772, when she joinedher husband in deeding land to Christopher Waggoner . (See page 187)

Upon establishing his home, Reuben settled directly on the earlyIndian Road, about a mile so uth of his father, at what is now knownas the old Allebaugh place, on the Valley Pike, a sho rt distancesouth of Lacey Spring. The site of his lawn is marked today by a fineold coffe e tree which stood by his house, and which may be readilyobserved from the Pike--"The Long G rey Trail." The early road onwhich he located is said to have run immediately in the rear o f thepresent residence, and traces of it may be found here, as well as afew miles further n orth, at the old Daniel Mathews place, now locustGrove.

The greater part of Reuben's land was acquired by him throughinheritance from his father, Jo hn Harrison, Sr., and his brother,John Harrison, Jr. The story is told that he had so muc h land thathe gave a part of it away, explaining, in doing so, that he wantedsome neighbors . He is listed as owning 1,204 acres in Rockingham, in1789, but this being late in his lif e by no means represented all theland he had handled, or possessed, in his day. By the 178 9 dateseveral of his children had received their share.

As early as 1756, Reuben Harrison was appointed "Constable in ye lowerend of Augusta County. "

Page 310
Last Will and Testament of Reuben Harrison
In the Name of God Amen. I Reuben Harrison of the County ofRockingham and State of Virgini a being Seventy one years of age andSensibly feeling the decline of nature although of perfe ct mind andmembory Calling to mind that all men are mortal and born once to Diedo make an d ordain this my Last Will and Testament in manner and formas followeth to wit first of al l and In primis I give and bequeath mySoule into the hands of almighty God who gave it and m y Body to theEarth to be decently intered at the discretion of my executors in achristian l ide manner not doubting but I shall receive the same againat the resurrection of the Just an d as touching my worldly estatewherewith it hath pleased God to bless me with in this lif e I giveand bequeath in the following manner to wit.

Firstly all Just and Lawful Debits and funeral charges to be paid.
Secondly I give and bequeath unto my well beloved wife Mary Harrisonthe full and entire priv ileges and sole benefits and prophets of allmy old plantation with all the buildings and Imp rovements thereonduring her natural life or as long as she continues my widow and ather dec ease or marriage the above all plantation to be the propertyof my son Abner Harrison foreve r also one Late Survey contan...gthirty acres that I purchased from Josiah Harrison also a S mallsurvey of four acres adjoining to the above thirty acres I give andbequeath in the som e manner as the above old plantation also fiftyacres of another survey adjoining to said ol d plantation on the westside thereof as above I likewise give and bequeath unto my above named wife Mary Harrison one female Mulato Slave named Jude also all myhousehold and kitchen f urniture with two Beds Bedsteads and Beddingsthat she may choose with her several suits of a pparel and one horseor Mare that she may choose out of my stock the saddle and bridle andth ree milk cows and Six sheep at her choise.

Thirdly I give and bequeath unto my eldest daughter Lucrese Harrisonone Survey of land conta ing Twenty acres more or less it being thesurvey where the Negroes now hath a field.

Fourthly I give and bequeath unto my eldest son Nathanel Harrison oneNegro Slave named Jacob

Fifthly I order and it is my will that a certain obligation that Ihave again.. my second so n John Harrison for the sum of Eighty twopounds priceable bearing date the twelfth day of Ma rch in the year ofone thousand Seven Hundred Ninety and four that at my Decease myExecutor s Deliver said obligation to my said Son John his heirs andso forth without money or rewar d in full for his part of my Estate.

Sixthly I give and bequeath unto my son Joseph Harrison one NegroSlave named Lonee--

Seventhly I give and bequeath unto my two sons Joseph and ReubenHarrison a Tract of Land tha t I have in Green Brier containing fiveHundred acres to be Equally divided by my under name d Executors beingthe Land whereon the said Joseph and Reuben Harrison now lives andalso I g ive and bequeath unto my above named Son Joseph my largestill and also I give and bequeath u nto my above named son Reuben oneNegro Slave named Peter.

Eightly I give and bequeath unto my Son David Harrison three Hundredand Twenty three acres o f Land in too surve's it being the land henow lives on.

Ninethly I give and bequeath unto my Son Samuel Harrison five Hundredacres of land in two su rveys to wit two Hudred and fifty acres whereWilliam Jerry Holmes formerly lived and two Hun dred and fifty acreslying on the west of my other lands known by Executors.

Tenthly I give and bequeath unto my two daughters Rachel the wife ofJesse Harrison and Hanna h Harrison the meadow Survey Including theround bottom with another survey containing one Hu ndred and fiftyacres to be Equally Divided by my Executors between the above namedwomen an d also my above named Daughter Rachel to have female slavenamed Jin and Hannah is to have Ne gro Slave named Rome and what everlands I have not already Specified I do order my Executor s to sellfor the highest price that may be Either a public auction or otherways and to conv ey the same by Deeds in fee simple to the purchasersthereof and the money arising therefro m to be Equally divided amongstand between my Eight Sons to Wit Nathaniel John Josiah Josep h ReubenDavid Samuel and Abner Harrison and as touching my personal Estate notalready Speci fied I order my Executioners to sell at Public auctionand the money arising therefrom to b e among and between my fourdaughters equally divided to wit Lucresy Harrison Lidey the wif e ofJohn Neely Elizabeth the Wife of Thos Warren Ann the wife of JohnChrisman.

Eleventhly and lastly I constitute and ordain my two well afectionetand trusty sons Nathane l Harrison and David Harrison the whole andSole Executors of this my Last Will and Testamen t and I do herebyrevoke disannul and dissallow all former wills and Testaments.

In Testimony wherof I have herunto affixed my seal and subscribed myname this second day o f May in the year of our Blessed Lord God oneThousand Eight Hundred and two 1802.

Reuben Harrison (SEAL)
Signed Sealed pronounced published and Declared in presants of us andwe in his presants an d in presants of each other have hereuntosubscribed our names
Wm. Dunlap
Joiah Harrison
Andrew Bowman
Samuel Lacey

From Ancestral File (TM), data as of 2 January 1996.