Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1889-05-02
HARRISON'S CENEALOCY.
Ancestory OF the Present President
of the United States.

! Ancestory OF the Present President
of the United States.
He Descended from Master John
Harrison, VirgInia's First Gov
nor, ard is No Relation to Crom-
wells Mlnion--His Family Tree
and Crest.
There have been many statements
made to the effect that he president
was descendant from CromwelPs
General Harrison, writes the Washing
ton correspondent of the Chicago Trib-
une. The president has been written
to on the subject, and his widely-pub-
lished reply went to show that If he
did not believe that the associate Of the
"bloody Cromwell' was his ancestor
he was not entirely sure of the fact.
j am able to asseSerate and conclu-
sively prove, i think, that the presi-
dent of the United States is no more
descended from the regiciGe than he is
from the regicide's chief.
Mr.. b. L. Blackboard originally OF
Fredericksburg, Va, but IA resident of
Washington for the last five decades,
has made horaldry and genealogy his
fad for Tnnry years, and has maze an
especial study OF the lineage &nG ances-
try OF the old Virginia families. He
fought beneath the Stars and Bars in
the rebellion, and in his democracy he
is noteworthy and unrelenting. These
facts gave an additional emphasis when
he said to me the other day:
'As an old Nirginian | resent the
idea that the descendant of one of the
Oldest of our Virginia families and the
) president OF our country should for n
moment be considered to have sprung
from regicides. The glaring character
of the misstatement can be shown in a
few words. CromwclHs General Har-
rison is merely supposed TO have come
to America after CromwelPs death, in
, 1860. Now, as l will prove TO you, the
: ancestor of the president was govern
ing Virginia in 1923, twenty-seven
years before the Cromwellite is said to
, have come TO America.
MASTER JOHN HARRISON.
"AmOng the second importation of
Virginia colonists under John Smith
about the year 1909 was one Master
John Harrison, gentleman. In 1923 the
Virginia Company, as private corpora
ton, was eXtinguished, and Master John
Harrison was made governor of Vir-
ginia. To him u. lG45 was born n son,
e who in due time became known as Ben
! iamin Harrison, of Surrey. This son
was the first great landed proprietor OF
his name in Virginia. He was buried
? at Westover on the James river, and a
monument was erected on the lawn OF
, the family estate. Ghe monument,
which is still eXtant, bears the follow
f ing epitaPh:
Here lyeth the body Of Honora-
bic Benjamin Harrison, Esquire,
> who did justice, loved mercy, and
walked humbly with his God; was
al;yeva loyal 10 his Prince and
greaS Sc3ofactor TO his country.
This worthy man." continued Mr..
Blackford, left three sons. The eldest
was a Benjamin Harrison, OF Berkeley,
who died in April, 17l0, at the age OF
4 thirty-seven. A monument was erected
5 10 his memory in Westover at the ex-
\ pense of the state. He left son named
Benjamin, who married n daughter OF
Robert Carter, of Corotoman, called
) King Carter, and n celebrity in those
9 days. This Benjamin Harrison was,
$ with his two daughters, killed by
G lightning. OF his sons the first was
> Benjamin, the great-grandfather OF the
president, and one OF the singers OF the
Declaration OF independence. 1t could
not have been said of him that he was
I always loyal to his prince, but it can be
, said that he was the father OF a ruler
D and the great-grandfather of ruler oil
u a country far more great and happy
than ever prince or king drew bounty
2. from.
p The signer of the Declaration OF
j Independence married Miss Bassett.
5 They had three sons. Benjamin, Carter
J, Ga member OF congress) AID William
= Henry, ninth president of the United
. States. There was one daughter, who
k married Randolph n. Wilton.
| president Harrisons son, John
I Scott, was the father Of the president
r and | think you will admit that the
n succession from Master John to the
: gentleman who succeeded Mr.. CIeve-
: land has been clearly shown"
Y U.RRIsoN's FAMILY TREE.
2 Mr.. Blackboard rapidly drew partial
, genealogical tree, which tells its own
\ story at n glance:
MASTER JOHN II ARRrsoN,
: First governor of Virginia in 1923
q BENJAMIN HARRISON, OF SURREY,
= Born 1915
Il His son,
: BENJAMIN HARRISON, OF BERKELEY,
@ Died April ITO.
:, His son,
BENJAMIN HARRISON,
u Killed by lightning.
His son,
BENJAMIN HARRISON
Great grandfather Of the President.
J. His son,
y WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON,
. President Of the United States.
u His son,
D., JOHN SCOTT HARRISON,
. Father of
u THE PRESIDENT.
IS '"Hugh Griggsby." continued my
i genealogical enthusiast, who insisted
s on supplementing his facts with docu.
> mentary evidence, 'in his book on the
Convention of 1776,' says OF the Harri.
y son family: OF all the ancient families
a IN the colony that of Harrison, if not
the Oldest. is one OF the Oldest"