| Overview |
| Harlan Family In America |
| Most Harlans/ Harlands/ Harlins alive today are
direct descendants of Harlands who emigrated from England and Ireland.
The family genealogy is documented in "The History and Genealogy of
the Harlan Family" by Alpheus Harlan, originally published in 1914.
The first Harlans to immigrate to the American colonies were brothers,
George and Michael who came to William Penn's Colony at New Castle,
Delaware in 1687. These Harlans were Quakers and came to the new world
seeking religious freedom. A third brother, Thomas Harland, remained
in Ireland. Fifty years later some of his descendants also immigrated
to America. |
| James Harland |
From "History & Genealogy of the Harlan Family,"
by Alpheus H. Harlan
"James Harland, Yeoman and member of the Episcopal Church, was b.
about the year 1625 in the "Bishoprick, nigh Durham, England," and is
the earliest paternal ancestor known to the family in America bearing
the name Harlan. He lived and d. an Englishman, and was bur. upon
English soil, no one to-day knows where. Tradition says that the name
of his father was William." "That James Harland was married according
to the usages of the Established Church there is no doubt. That his
children were baptized and recorded therein is fully established by
the fact that the earliest record we have of his son, George, is that
he was "Baptised at the Monastery Monkwearmouth* in Oald England." We
have no record giving the name of the wife and mother. So far as is
known, James Harland was the father of three sons:"
Thomas, b. ---;d.---;m. Katherine Bullock and Alice Foster
George,b.---;d.---,1714;m. Elizabeth Duck
Michael,b.---;d.---,1729; m. Dinah Dixon
* " Monkwearmouth Monastery was founded by Benedict Biscop in the year
A.D. 672. It is situated in a town of the same name in the east
division of Chester, County Durham, and one-half mile north of
Sunderland. It receives its name from its location near the mouth of
the river Wear. Burned and plundered time and again, only the tower
and some detached parts of the church remain of the once celebrated
monastery. In 1790 the parish registers, with the exception of some of
the late records, were destroyed by fire,
and it is probable that information of untold value perished in the
flames." |
| Michael and George Harland |
Michael and his brother George were yoeman farmers
typically looking for better land. They were, or became Quakers and
migrated to northern Ireland, presumably as part of the Anglo-Scottish
"colonization" of that troubled area begun by Oliver Cromwell. They
moved to the New World after George's marriage and settled in
Pennsylvania in Chester Co. about 1687. (From: John Marshall Harlan,
by LP Beth)
Michael, a "yeoman, Friend", was born "Nigh Durham, in Bishoprick,
England, about the year 1660," and in early life emigrated with his
brothers into Ireland and settled with them in the County of Down.
Here he remained until 1687, when he accompanied his brother George to
America. "And ye beginning of ye yeare 1690," Michael Harlan m. Dinah
Dixon, "ye Daughter of Henry Dixon and settled first Neer ye Senter
Meeting House." They afterward removed into London Grove Twp., where
Michael died the "Fourth Month" (June), 1729, and was bur. in Friends'
Buring Grounds. His wife doubtless buried there also." [History and
Genealogy of the Harlan Family, by Alpheus H. Harlan] |
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My Harlan Lines |
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I am descended from both Michael and George Harlan(d) as a result
of the marriage of Jesse Harlan and Sarah Harlan. Here is an
outline. |
| James Harland, yeoman and
member of the Episcopal Church, was born about 1625 in Durham,
Bishoprick, England, and is the earliest paternal Harlan ancestor
known to the family in America. He lived and died an Englishman, and
was buried on English soil, no one today knows where. Tradition says
that the name of his father was William. James was the father of three
sons: Thomas who married Katherine Bullock and Alice Foster; George
who married Elizabeth Duck and Michael who married Dinah Dixon. The
Harlan descendants in this book are descendant from both Michael and
George. |
| George Harlan, yoeman and
son of James Harland, was baptized at the Monastery of Monkwearmouth
on January 11, 1650. He was born in Durham, Bishoprick, England and
remained their until he reached manhood, when, when he and his
brother, Michael, and others crossed into Ireland and located in the
County of Down. While he resided there he married Elizabeth Duck by
ceremony of Friends on September 17, 1678. George brought his family
to America in 1687. His first four children, Ezekiel, Hannah, Moses
and Aaron, were born in Ireland. George had six other children after
arriving in America, including his youngest son, Joshua, who is in our
direct line of ancestors. George died July 1714 and was buried on
"grounds of Alphonsus Kirk’s land" which became the Center Meeting
Grounds in Pennsylvania. George soon became one of the foremost
citizens of the colony. He had been one of the provincial governors of
the "three lower counties," now the state of Delaware, and was a
member of the Colonial Assembly. |
Michael Harlan, yoeman and Friend, was
born in Durham, Bishoprick, England about 1660. He settled in County
Downs, Ireland with his brother George and Thomas, and remained there
until 1687 when he accompanied his brother, George, to America. In the
early months of 1687, Michael along with his brother, George and
George’s family, took a ship at Belfast for America. They bought land
before coming which were within that part of the Province of
Pennsylvania now embraced in the County of New Castle. Ascending the
river Delaware they landed in the town of New Castle (now in the State
of Delaware), and settled in the present town of Centreville. Both
Michael and his brother, George, changed their surname by dropping the
"d" upon arriving in America. In 1690 he married Dinah Dixon, a
daughter of Henry Dixon, and settled near the Senter Meeting House.
Later he moved to London Grove Township where he died in June 1729 and
was buried in Friend’s Burying Grounds. Michael and Dinah had eight
children, including his oldest son, George, who is in our direct line
of ancestors. |
| Joshua Harlan, son of
George and grandson of James, was born November 11, 1696/7 in the
Province of Pennsylvania, (now in) New Castle, Delaware and died in
June or July 1744, in Kennet Township, Chester County. He was buried
in the Friends’ Burying Grounds at the "Old" Kennet Meeting House. He
married Mary Heald in January 1719 at a Ceremony of Friends at the
"Old" Kennet Meeting House. Mary was born November 15, 1697, at Adwood,
Cheshire County, England, and was the daughter of Samuel Heald and
Mary Bancroft. Joshua and Mary had seven children, including their
oldest son and second oldest child, Joseph, who is in our direct line
of ancestors. |
George Harlan, son of Michael and
grandson of James, was born October 4, 1690, in the Province of
Pennsylvania, (now in) New Castle Co., Delaware and died in 1732, in
West Bradford Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. He was buried in
Friends Burying Grounds at Bradford Meeting House. He married Mary
Baily in December 1715 at a Ceremony of Friends at Kennet Meeting.
Mary was born September 10, 1688, in Chester Co and their in September
or October, 1741, in West Bradford Township. She is buried at Bradford
Meeting House. Mary was the daughter of Joel Baily and Ann Short, and
the widow of Alexander Stewart. George and Mary had seven children,
including their oldest child, John Harlan, who is in our direct line
of ancestors. |
| Joseph Harlan, son of Joshua and
grandson of George, was born May 17, 1723, in Kennet Township, Chester
County, Pennsylvania and died there December 22, 1803. His first wife
was Edith Pyle, the daughter of Samuel Pyle, a physician, born
February 3, 1726 in Kennet Township and died there December 1, 1771.
His second wife was Sarah Harlan, the daughter of his first cousin
George Harlan (son of Aaron and grandson of George, above) and
Elizabeth Hope. Joseph and Sarah had one daughter. Joseph and Edith
had seven children, including Sarah.
Click here to see a copy of an
Articles of Agreement between Joseph and his oldest old, Joshua. |
John Harlan, son of George
and grandson of Michael, was born about 1716 in Kennet Township,
Chester, Pennsylvania and died in Newlin Township, also in Chester. He
married Sarah Wickersham, a Friend, on May 4, 1740, at the "Old"
Kennet Meeting House. Sarah was the daughter of Thomas Wickersham and
Abigail Johnson. They had five children, including their second oldest
child and oldest son, Jesse, who is in our direct line of ancestors. |
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Jesse Harlan, a son of John
and grandson of George, married his third cousin, Sarah Harlan,
a daughter of Joseph and a granddaughter of Joshua. Jesse was born
about 1743, in Bradford Township, Chester, Pennsylvania. Sarah was
born July 25, 1748 in Kennet Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania.
After the birth of their children they moved to Maryland and then
onward to Albemarle County, Virginia, where they both died and were
buried. Jesse and Sarah were married September 10, 1764 in an
Episcopal ceremony at Holy Trinity (Old Swedes) Church, Wilmington,
Delaware. It is by this marriage that we are descendent from both
George and Michael Harlan. Jesse and Sarah had five children,
including including Joseph and Jesse, who are both in our direct line
of ancestors as a result of the marriage of first cousins once removed
- Thomas Samuel Harlan, son of James White Harlan, grandson of Joseph
Harlan, and great grandson of Jesse and Sarah, and Mary Fleming
Harlan, daughter of Jesse and granddaughter of Jesse and Sarah Harlan.
Source: History and Genealogy of the Harlan Family, by Alpheus H.
Harlan |
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