HARRIMAN FAMILY
OF ENGLAND AND NEW ENGLAND

Updated 2017

PART OF THIS  LINE DESCENDS FROM HANNAH DUSTIN

Matthew Harriman, Sr.  (26 Jan 1652 Rowley MA to 28 Oct 1743 Haverhill)
m. (1) Elizabeth Swan (2) Mary Caller

Matthew was the third child and the second son of Leonard and Margaret.   Elizabeth was born September 30, 1653 to Robert and Elizabeth Acy Swan.  Her father served in King Philip's War as a soldier.

Matthew was a member of the Rowley church at the time of his marriage to Elizabeth, but he already owned a home in Haverhill prior to the wedding. Three days before Christmas in 1672,

Matthew Harriman married Elizabeth Swan in Haverhill, MA.  He is mentioned as living at Fishing river in a house next that of Thomas and Hannah Dustin, which is on the east side of Little river, near Primrose street.  Children of Matthew and Elizabeth:

 

1. Eldest son, Mathew JR., b. 26 Jan 1673; d. October 28, 1743 age 70: SEE NEXT GENERATION

2. Elizabeth, born 20 Nov 1675:  Daughter of Matthew Harriman and his wife Elizabeth Swan. She was the first wife of Thomas Gordon, and they married about 1697. 

3. Hannah, born 29 Nov 1677:  Hannah was the daughter of Matthew Harriman and Elizabeth Swan. She married Thomas Haynes in Haverhill on 22 December 1703 and they had children Lidiah, Hannah, Mehetable, Sarah, Jonathan, Joseph, and Elizabeth.

4. Mary, born 17 Dec 1679
5. Margaret, born 6 Oct 1681
6. Abigail, born 7 Nov 1683
7. Mehitabel, born 13 Jun 1686
8. John, born 16 Jun 1688
9. Leonard, born 12 Mar 1689/90
10. Nathaniel, born 18 Jun 1692
11. Richard, born 9 Feb 1694/5
12. Abner, born 23 Aug 1699

 

Matthew Harriman, JR.  (26 Jan 1673 MA - 28 Oct 1743 Haverhill MA) m. Martha Page on December 19, 1700.  He died at the age of sixty October 28, 1743 at Haverhill and is buried in Haverhill, cemetery unknown.

Matthew was the eldest son of Matthew and Elizabeth Swan Harriman. Matthew Jr. was named in his grandfather Leonard Harriman's will.  Jr. was 18 at the time his grandfather died and gave to Jr. all his guns and ammunition.  This had to have been a thrill for the 18 year old young man. 

"To my eldest son, MATHEW HERRIMAN, I give and bequeath all my lands and meadows in ye bounds of Haverill . . . and to his son MATTHEW my grand child I give my Armes & Amunition." 

Matthew Jr. served with Lt. Col. Saltonstall's command which was constantly arms, equipped and exercised for battle.  The general court in January of 1710 equipped all the soldiers with snowshoes even.

 

Martha and Matthew Harriman, Jr., had the following children:

 

Joseph Harriman

Stephen Harriman:   (SEE NEXT GENERATION)

Moses Harriman

Joshua Harriman

Nathaniel Harriman

Philip Harriman

Mehitable Harriman

Elizabeth Harriman

Mary Harriman

Lyman Harriman

 

 

 

NEW:
Stephen Harriman was born after the turn of the 1700s - on April 25, 1703.  He would live but 57 years, dying in 1760.  That does not mean his life was quiet!  The 20 year old Steve married the 20 year old Patience Roberts on, of all days, Christmas Day in 1723 at Plaistow, MA. They then filled their home with children, eight in all; Hannah Margaret, Mehitable, Stephen, Jr., Edmund, Susanna, Ebenezer, James and Asa.  Asa was born in 1737 and would become part of Roger's Rangers as an adult.

 

When the Harrimans had been married about 4 years, Stephen decided to pledge himself to follow his church, by "owning the covenant."  He was admitted to his church on the very last day of 1727.  The Congregationalist Church believes strongly in Jesus Christ. Members are those who publicly accept "ownership of the Covenant" of the church. Members covenant with God and each other to study the scriptures and to follow the ways of God and Jesus.  They commit to proclaim the gospel of Jesus to others.  Each member attends a membership class and are voted into the church.  No one can keep another member from joining.

 

Mom Patience died in Haverhill on August 26, 1742 at 39 years of age.  Dad Stephen and the children laid her to rest and in 1743, just 20 years after his first marriage, Stephen wed Elizabeth Griffin who no doubt was a great help with the family.  Elizabeth died in 1746, brief years after her marriage to Stephen.

 
 

Asa Harriman (5 Mar 1737 in Haverhill - 29 Nov 1823 Prospect ME) m. Elizabeth  Todd (1730 Plaistow NH - 1799); marriage Sept 4, 1760.    Roger's Rangers

 

Asa and Elizabeth had one son born in Haverhill (Joshua Jewitt Harriman born 5/20/1762).  They had two sons born in Plaistow NH (Asa and James Harriman, born 1763 and 1765 respectively. Note: James died young.)  Then mom and dad and the three boys moved to Bucksport Maine where they have 5 more children (Benjamin Buck born 1768 SEE NEXT GENERATION, Joseph Kimball  born 1770, Susannah born 1773, Elizabeth born 1775; Stephen born 1777).   Asa married (second) Widow Abiah (Goodell) Perkins, of Kittery.  I have read that Stephen was their son; but have not researched this.  Abiah and Asa had John, Edward, Thomas and Samuel.
 

In 1775 in Bucksport Maine, Asa's family was one of 21 in the entire town and nearby Orland Maine had 12 families.  The Harriman family, and all the other residents, were living in very stressful conditions.  Google Books: The Maine Historical Magazine, Volume 1. (Google books)

 

Asa served in the militia as follows (partial):

• First Crown Point Expedition May-Dec. 1756

• Fort William Henry in New York State but escaped. (reenlisted 1757)

• Member of that famous band of Indian fighters called "Roger's Rangers."

• He moved to Bucksport ME between 1763 and 1767 and then he served as First Lieutenant of the First Continental Regiment raised on the Penobscot River. 

• Volunteered twice to serve with soldiers from NH with Gile’ s Company Volunteers, to fight with the Northern Continental Army, once in October 1777 in Saratoga. The 2nd Battle of Saratoga Oct. 1777 was a turning point with the surrender of General Burgoyne, which encouraged the French to join the Americans in the fight.

• 2nd term of service for Asa was August 19, 1778, where he again joined volunteers from NH to join the Northern Continental Army to fight this time in the Battle of Rhode Island known as the Battle of Quaker Hill. Units of the Continental Army under command of John Sullivan attempted to recapture the island of Rhode Island (now known as Aquidneck Island to distinguish it from the state of Rhode Island in which it is located), from British forces. The battle ended inconclusively but the Continental Army had to give up its goal of capturing the island and securing Narragansett Bay for American and French ship traffic."

"He (ASA)  stated to Otis Harriman, when an old man, that he was a member of that famous band of Indian fighters called "Roger's Rangers." In Jan., 1762, a petition was signed by about three hundred and fifty persons, one of whom was Asa Harriman, asking the general court of Mass. that six townships be laid out on the Penobscot river for settlers. This petition was approved March 2, 1762. In June, 1764, Asa Harriman and his family were "warned out" of Plaistow, New Hampshire, after having resided there about eight weeks. In Dec. 1767, Asa Harriman was one of the signers of a petition to annex the north parish Haverhill to Plaistow. In the spring of 1768, probably, he moved to Bucksport, Maine, where in 1775 he is mentioned as one of the twenty families of the town. In the Penobscot Expedition, which covered the attack and defeat at Castine, Asa Harriman was a lieutenant in Capt. Ebenezer Buck's company of Volunteers, Col. Josiah Brewer's regiment, Gen. Lovell's brigade. He entered service July 30, 1779, and was discharged Aug. 14, 1779; also enlisted Sept., 1779, as a private in Capt. Ebenezer Buck's company, Col. Josiah Brewer's regiment. These companies must have been stationed at Camden. In 1781 Ezekiel, Peter and Asa Harriman moved from Bucksport to Orland. There Asa was afterward appointed surveyor of lumber.  He died in Prospect, Nov. 29, 1823. Otis Harriman describes him as in his age a tall, powerful man, straight as an arrow and of pleasing manner. His anecdotes of his French and Indian war experiences were many and his coming a delight to the younger element.  http://dunhamwilcox.net/me/me_bio_harriman.htm

 

 

                                                                                                

Benjamin Buck Harriman (04 Nov 1768 in Bucksport, ME-_______________) m. Mary ___   Chaney (18 Mar 1767 Plaistow NH - 04 Apr 1841 Maine); marriage 17 Feb 1791 Plaistow NH.

 

The first child born in Bucksport was Benjamin Buck Harriman.  According to Google Books' The Maine Historical Magazine, Volume 1, he was born to Asa Harriman and his wife Elizabeth Todd Harriman.                                  

 

Benjamin Buck Harriman, son of Asa Harriman, married Mary Chaney, daughter of Duston and Sarah Mount Chaney Harriman.  Buck and Mary Harriman had the following children:

Capt Lyman Harriman was born on 21 Apr 1797 in Tunbridge, VT. He married Susanna "Susan" Partridge on 03 May 1821 in Prospect, ME. He died on 04 Jan 1848 in Prospect, Waldo County, ME; buried Batcheldor Cemetery, Prospect, ME.

Benjamin Harriman was born in Nov 1794 in Plaistow, NH.. He died 28 Feb 1863 in N. Searsport ME.

A son Joseph Harriman was born 2 Nov 1794 and died in infancy on Jan 15, 1795.

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Capt. Lyman Harriman (21 Apr 1797 in Tunbridge, VT -04 Jan 1848 in Prospect, Waldo County, ME) m. Susanna "Susan" Partridge (12 Jan 1801 Prospect ME - 7 June 1868 Prospect, Maine); marriage 03 May 1821 in Prospect, ME.                                                

Benjamin Buck Harriman, son of Asa Harriman, married Mary Chaney (Marey Cheney), daughter of Duston

and Sarah Mount Chaney Harriman.    (THE CHENEY LINE DESCENDS FROM HANNAH DUSTIN)

 

             

NOTE:

CHILD AMANDA S. HARRIMAN IS MY ANCESTOR SEE NEXT GENERATION

CHILD Alvara Harriman is actually "Alvra".  (Alvra, same name as my great grandmother Alvra Cunningham Southworth),

 

NEWS ITEM:  On January 26, 1825 a Norfolk VA news item relayed that the schooner Mary and Margaret, of Prospect, Maine, Master and Owner Capt. Herriman, from Baltimore [Prospect Maine], bound to Boston, laden with Flour, Corn and Iron, parted both cables in the snow storm on Sunday evening last, and went ashore in Lynnhaven Bay, within about forty yards of the inlet. The sch. has bilged, the crew are all safe, and the principal part of the cargo will probably be saved, though in a damaged state."

Research of Bob Brooks, May 2006, indicates that the schooner Mary and Margaret was owned by Lyman Harriman of Prospect, and was lost in 1833.

NEWS ITEM:  (8 Feb 1825): "The sch. [schooner] Mary-&-Margaret, Herriman [owner], of Prospect, from Balt. [Baltimore] to Boston, went ashore, in Lynnhaven Bay, within about 40 yards of the inlet, on the evening of 23rd ult. (having parted both cables) and bilged. Principal part of the cargo would be saved, damaged."  

NOTES ON SCHOONER:   Capt. Lyman Harriman owned the ship and was master from at least 1821-1825.  Research of Bob Brooks and John Arrison in May 2006 on the Mary & Margaret reveals that it was a vessel 97 x 73 x 22 x 7, built in 1821 in Winterport, Maine (Wasson & Colcord, pg. 432] and at that time Lyman Harriman was listed as its master. No other master is listed for this vessel in Applebee's and other books consulted. Applebee's records that it was registered in 1823 in the port of New York, which meant that it was in overseas trade. As Bob Brooks explains, "the term 'registered vessel' has a very specific meaning because a ship in coastal trade was required to be documented with an 'enrollment' whereas a ship clearing for a foreign port was required to be documented with a 'register.' " It was recorded as lost in 1833 in Wasson & Colcord.

Census (1830): Lyman Herriman: 2 males under 5, 1 male 30-40; 2 females under 5, 1 female 5-10, 2 females 20-30

Census (1840): Lyman Harriman: 1 male 5-10, 1 male 15-20, 1 male 40-50; 2 females 10-15, 1 female 15-20, 1 female 30-40

Census (1850): Susanna Partridge Harriman living with her married daughter's family.  Susannah is 45.  Daughter is Sarah J. Glidden, age 23; son-in-law is Alonzo Glidden, age  27, a stone cutter.  Living with them are children Alvora (Alvra, same name as my great grandmother Alvra Cunningham Southworth), age 3; Lyman W. Glidden, age 4; John D. Glidden age 1.  All children born in Maine.

 

Capt. Lyman buried at Ferry Cemetery in Prospect, Maine; Susan buried at Prospect Ferry Cemetery in Prospect Maine.                

 

 

                                                                                                               

Amanda S. Harriman (23 Sep 1828 -18 Apr 1916) m. (1)  Richard M. Sargent   14 Jun 1846 (2)  James Cunningham (18 Oct 1823 - 1900) in Maine.  James was a Ship's Carpenter.      http://catorfamily.com/genealogy/cunningham.html

 

Amanda and James Cunningham had three children:

 

1) George "Melvin"  Cunningham (b. 1851 Maine); at the time of his birth his mom Amanda was 23 and his dad James was 28.    Melvin married Delia Maria Colcord.  During the Civil War, he lived in Searsport when the 1863 battle of Portland Harbor was fought.  He and Delia had a daughter, Georgia G. Cunningham who was born around 1886 in Maine (likely Searsport).  Georgie would grow up to marry Ross Elmer Beckwith.  By 1920 Melvin and Delia were living in Belmont, Waldo County, Maine.  In 1921 Melvin lost his brother, Dustin who passed away in Natick MA.   Melvin though the oldest had outlived his two younger siblings.  By November 18, 1922 he outlived his wife who died on that date in Belmont.  She was 60. 

 

2)   Dustin Harriman Cunningham (b. July 21, 1853 in Searsport when Melvin was 2 years old).  Dustin was a member of the Meridian Lodge.  He never married. 

 

3) Henry Bright Cunningham, Sr. (born Oct. 21 1855 in Belfast, ME; Melvin was 4 and Dustin 2).  Henry Bright Sr. died July 18, 1907 when Melvin was age 56.  Henry was 52. Henry is buried at Grove Cemetery and he was a member of the IOOF.

 

Henry married Vandalia "Vannie" Harriman Crocker on September 22, 1877 when he was 21 years old.  My father told me that Vannie used an expression of  "Don't do so", which he occasionally heard from her..."Don't do so, Bobby!"  Vannie died sometime after 1920 when she came down with pneumonia and died within three days!   For the full biography snippet, see http://snippetbiographies.blogspot.com/2012/12/vannie-cunningham-her-way-of-no.html  After the death of Henry, Vannie married Samuel Nichols Rackliffe.

 

Henry's death certificate stating that he died at 52 of arterial disease.  He had been a shoe trimmer (factory type job likely as there were many shoe factories in Maine during that period of time.)  His home was on Union Street in Belfast.

 

 

 

Census (1900):   Mother, Amanda (age 71; widow) living with her son Henry Bright Cunningham's family at 32 Union St., In Belfast, Maine.

 

Amanda died of breast cancer in Belfast Maine on April 18, 1916.  Death Cert:

 

According to findagrave.org Amanda died in Belmont, but this conflicts with the Death Certificate.  She is buried at Grove Cemetery in Belfast along with many Cunningham and Southworth family members.  Her grave is located in Grove Cemetery range 23, lot 22 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FOR MORE ON AMANDA HARRIMAN AND HER HUSBAND JAMES CUNNINGHAM, SEE:

http://catorfamily.com/genealogy/cunningham.html

 

Let's exchange information
 

     catorfamily@gmail.com

 

Asa Harriman m.
Elizabeth Todd

NOTE regarding John Harriman, brother of Leonard Harriman:  "John Harriman settled in what is now New Haven, Ct. and died in 1681. He took the "oath of fidelity," July, 1644, and received the "charge of freeman," April, 1646. In his will he calls himself "stricken in years," and names only one son. His son's name was John, born 1647, graduated at Harvard College, 1667. He was a minister, and preached twenty years in New Haven and vicinity. In 1690, he removed to Elizabethtown, N. J., and was settled over the church there, until his death in 1704. Some of his descendants, it is believed, are now found in New England; but are somewhat numerous in the Middle States."

Note: From Stephen Gauss, Harriman Family Association: Harriman Family Association research now shows that Leonard Harriman was born in Uldale, Cumbria, England. 

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