Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1920-11-04
Ancestry of the Harper Family.

Miss Eleanor S. Cohen, of Baltimore,
recently sent US some very interesting
facts concerning the Harper family
Of Shepherdstown, Of which her SIS
ter-in-law, Mrs. Ella Harper Cohen.
was a member. The following is an
extract from a letter written by Wal.
ron Harper TO Miss Ella Harper in Oc-
tober. 1877:
Robert Harper, the father OF our
great-grandfather, was very wealthy
planter, descended in one straight line
or continued series from father to son
from Richard, who lived in Warwick
shire, England, in the year 765 A. ID.
Sir Robert Harper. Knit, was dash
| ing soldier, a Crusader in the wars
under Richard Occur De Lion III the
Holy Land in 1892. His grandson,
Sir John Harper, Knit, a son of Sir
John Harper, Knit, was father Of Sir
William Harper, Knit, who married
Margaret Coke, a daughter Of the
! eminent lawyer, Sir Edward Coke, and
was Lord Of Rushall House, Rushall in
Warwickshire. Sir John was also
| brother of Sir William Harper. from
whom descends the families Of Har-
per, who were Baronets, and each one
of whom married into families of
. Earls, Lords, etc, in England. Our
family descends in a straight line from
fathe- tn son from Sir William Har-
, per. Lord OF Rushall House" The
| first of our family settled in Virginia,
near jamestown, about the year 1880,
He was man OF means, son OF John
/ Harper, OF Noak, Oxfordshirc, Eng
land, who was descended from Sir
William Harper, Lord of Rushall
. House. Our great-grandfather, Cap
tain John Harper, born Sd October,
I 1928, and died in 1904, was wealthy, a
| Ship-owner, and did large business
with England, South America and the
| West Indies. One of his sons, Robert.
lawyer, graduate of Princeton. mar
ried Sallie Washington, daughter of
! John Washington, of Westmorcland
county, Va, gentleman, near rel
alive of George Washington. John
Harper, another son, married Miss
West, daughter of John West, who was
fifth in descent from John West.
/ Governor of Virginia, brother of the
/ Right Hon. Thomas West, Lord Della
ware. Mrs. Harper was sister to Col
Onel Roger West. of West Grove. Fair
fax COUNTY. Va. who was raised az Mt
b Vernon (by his fathers friend. General
z
Miss Craik, daughter of Dr. Craik
/ WaShington's physician. Captain
William Harper, our grandfather, was
q Revolutionary soldier G776). He
was a brother of the above Robert. and
John, and left College to take part in
the war for Freedom and was with
Washington at the crossing OF the Del
aware 25th Dec. 1776. and was at the
battles of Princeton, Brandywne, Mon.
mouth, Germantown, etc, and was al
Valley Forge
In a letter written by Mrs. Ella
Harper Cohen some years before her
death to her SiSter-in-law, Miss Eleanor
). Cohen, she gives the following in
tereSting facts:
MIR. William Harper, of Philadel-
phia, a relative of mine, sent me late
ly the Harper cOat-of-arms in sealing
wax. 1t is the most beautiful thing
ever saw. We are delighted with it
or course knew it belonged to the
family, but did not have it, He also
sent me a photograph of my twelfth
grandfather. William Harper, OF
London, engraved on the end of it be.
ing Lord Mayor of London in 1861
He is dressed in the Lord Mayors
robes, velvet cap, Elizabethan ruff
around his neck, velvet waistcoat very
1ng, huge gown with bishops
sleeves, chain with the Lord Mayor:
medal in Jewels around his neck He
hes fine, kind, benevolent face, and
the very image of my father. am SO
pleased to have it. and il was very kind
Of him 10 send it."