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Harris family (possibly runaway slaves)

Harris family (possibly runaway slaves)

Posted: 20 Jan 2012 10:21AM GMT
Classification: Query
Surnames: Harris
Searching for information about James Harris (1832) husband of Emma Woods (1835 – 1900). I have found a lot of info about their children but only limited about James and Emma Harris.

The last I have about James Harris is that he lived in Camden, Bothwell, Ontario in 1881. Emma Woods died in Lambton, Ontario, Canada 1900).

Re: Harris family (possibly runaway slaves)

Posted: 20 Jan 2012 8:01PM GMT
Classification: Query
I found a James Harris on 1881 census in Camden Bothwell, aged 49 with a Martha, 14, and Mary Jane 22 but it says he is a widower.

This is the same information that is on the George Family Tree on Ancestry.ca
Martha and Mary Jane are two of the daughters listed.

1871 census Camden Bothwell
HARRIS
James, 39, Ontario, African, widower
Willis Andrew, 14
James W, 12
Mary Jane, 10
Catharine, 8

These names are also the children on the family tree.

1861 census Gore, Kent
HARRIS
James, b Upper Canada,36
Emma, b US,26
Andrew, b UC,6
James W, b UC, 4
Fidelia, b UC,2
Elizabeth, b UC ,1,

There is an Emma Harris on 1871 census in Camden as well with the rest of the children listed on the family tree.
But 1871 and 1881 census say that James is a widow.
Why aren't they living together on 1871 census.
1881 census says Emma is a widow but James is on the census as well.
Are these two different families?

Re: Harris family (possibly runaway slaves)

Posted: 24 Jan 2012 11:31AM GMT
Classification: Query
No it is one family, thank you for your help
I've seen that before and I have no idea why it is listed as so but that was incorrect. But this was the not first time I've found errors in old records.

Re: Harris family (possibly runaway slaves)

Posted: 15 Apr 2015 3:35PM GMT
Classification: Query
Surnames: Harris, Crowder
Hi there,

I also have Harris family that lived in Bothwell, Camden, Ontario that I believe were runaway slaves (or at least free blacks who left the United States). My great great great grandfather was William Harris, who appears in the Ontario census for a number of years and is described as being born in Pennsylvania and "African," as are all his children. His wife, Patience, however, is described as "white" or "German," though she was born in the United States.

Later, William and Patience's daughter Elizabeth Ann Harris marries Charles Crowder, a French Canadian. In the census, she and her children are listed as "African." However, the family oral history is that she was Native American. This tradition largely starts after the family moves to Michigan. Old photographs describe the women in her family as "squaws," the family bible refers to her daughter Ruth's "Indian name," and the older generation genealogists stand pretty hard by the Native American story, though I am less convinced.

Our Harris's are likely related. I'll let you know if I stumble upon anything else about them.

Re: Harris family (possibly runaway slaves)

Posted: 15 Apr 2015 4:46PM GMT
Classification: Query
Very interesting! Mine moved to Port Huron, Detroit and Flint Michigan

Re: Harris family (possibly runaway slaves)

Posted: 15 Apr 2015 4:51PM GMT
Classification: Query
Mine too! Well, Port Huron and Flint, anyway.
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