Alexander Harper, Sr.

Need evidence to support as child of Bannister Harper. Seen as son of George Harper (son of Nicholas Harper from Ireland) and brother of Francis Harper.

Biography

http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~paday/genealogy/dobbers/harperalexan...

1. ALEXANDER1 HARPER was born circa 1725 [SIC] and died BY 1785. He married Margaret Kilpatrick, daughter of Alexander Kilpatrick and Elizabeth Easley, in Craven County, North Carolina. Margaret died in Dobbs County, North Carolina

Alexander Harper is named “brother in law” in the Will of John Kilpatrick, written 1760 Craven County, NC, Secretary of State Papers, NC Archives, Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina.; Harper - Pope Family Bible, Pages have been torn from the original Bible. Anna Branscombe who sent me a typed copy, (2000).

William, Elizabeth Harper Johnston, and Robert are proven children of Alexander although only Elizabeth and Robert are proven children of Margaret. It had been speculated that Margaret wife of Ephraim Spivey was also a daughter and this list of her children can be proven from other sources.

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Harper-5858

Alexander Harper was born 1708 [Westbury, Wiltshire, England], [the son of John Witherow Harper.] (??)

Alexander Harper, Sr., (1708-1788) married Margaret Kilpatrick (1710-1790 Dobbs, NC) the daughter of Alexander Kilpatrick and Margaret Elizabeth Easley. They had the following children, all in Dobbs County:

1. Francis Harper 1737–1790
2. William Harper 1730–1816 m. Sarah
3. John Harper 1727–1827 m. Ann Ormond
4. Elizabeth Harper m. Elijah Johnson
5. Alexander Harper 1730–1825 m. Courtney Coward
6. Blaney Harper 1730–1816 m.Mary "Polly"Hood
7. Hugh Harper 1733– m. Eleanor 'Laney' Ward
8. Margaret Harper 1734– m. Ephraim Spivey
9. (Perhaps) Polly Harper 1735– m. Jesse Hart
10. Robert Harper 1736– m. Nancy Ann Pope
11. (perhaps); Susannah Harper 1737– m. John Forkland

He died December 1790 in Davie, North Carolina.

comments

Given name has also been reported to be Alaxander.

Date and place of death have also been (erroneously?) reported to be December 1790 in Davie County, North Carolina, United States.

Date and place of birth has been seen (erroneously?) as Birth: April 13, 1708 Westbury, Wiltshire, England, Kingdom of Great Britain (now United Kingdom)

sources

• North Carolina Taxpayers 1679-1790, by Ratcliff, page 85

A Sister of John Kilpatrick

Alexander Harper is named brother in law in the Will of John Kilpatrick, Craven County, North Carolina, Written 18 March 1760 Probate July Court 1760.

Abstract of will:

• 25 shillings each to brother Isler Kilpatrick's daughter Rachel Kilpatrick;
• brother William Kilpatrick's son Warren Kilpatrick
• ; brother in law Henry Turner's daughter Hannah Turner;
• brother in law Aaron Grizzard's daughter Lucy Grizzard;
• brother in law Alexander Harper's son FRANCIS HARPER;
• brother in law Thomas Carter's son ALEXANDER HARPER;
• bay colt to cousin John Turner,
• rest of estate to wife Elizabeth except land to be equally divided between her brothers and sisters and my brothers and sisters;
• land to be sold at wife's death and money to be equally divided between above named nieces and nephews.
• Executors: wife Elizabeth Kilpatrick and Henry Turner.
• Witnesses: Manoah Patrick and Henry Turner

  ---

References

• Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: Jan 2 2018, 19:50:09 UTC
• http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=clucas&id... "Where then did Alexander Harper come from? There is no information regarding that. The fact that Alexander Harper married a Kilpatrick who was Irish means in all probability that Alexander Harper was Irish as well. The best clue can be found in the Dictionary of North Carolina Biography by Powell, Vol. II, page 39 regarding the biography of James Clarence Harper who was the son of John Witherow Harper III whose grandfather emigrated to America from Ireland. James Clarence was one of several children and had a brother Alexander. James Clarence Harper was a founder of Caldwell County in North Carolina. In all probablility the Alexander Harper of Dobbs County had Irish roots. More information is needed to prove his ancestry."
• http://olddobbers.net/harperalexander.html
• Research Note There is obviously more than one Alexander Harper, the Alexander born in 1725 could not have been a father to children born in the 1730s.
• Regarding above comment: Then WHY are " RootsWeb Cites Bible transcriptions, land grants, and more." and it's identical olddobbers link, listed as sources for THIS profile when they do not source Alexander Harper born 1708, but refer to Alexander Harper born 1725. The referenced sites do not match this profile. Neither say who Alexander Harper's (born 1725) father was, so we can't connect them as father/son. The bio section of THIS profile (Alexander Harper born 1708) lists an Alexander Harper (born 1730) as a son married to Courtney Coward. The sites referenced as source show that Alexander Harper born 1725 married a Margaret Kilpatrick. IOW there is nothing at that either referenced site to indicate that the Alexander Harper born 1725 is RELATED to this profile of Alexander Harper born 1708. If it does I don't see it.
• The wc.rootsweb I posted DOES, but does NOT prove where Alexander came from or who his father was, especially since "the best clue" is that Alexander may have been a brother of James who was the son of John Witherow Harper III whose GRANDFATHER emigrated to America from Ireland.
• USGWarchives It appears now that James M. Harper's father, Blaney Harper, was NOT the son of Francis Harper, Jr. but rather a younger son of Alexander Harper, who was very likely the uncle of Francis Jr., and thus the brother of Francis Harper, Sr. Alexander, who died around 1782, married Margaret Kilpatrick, daughter of John Kilpatrick and Elizabeth Easley
• http://smithharper.org/webtrees/individual.php?pid=I4939&ged=Smithp...
• http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~paday/genealogy/dobbers/harperalexan...
• Nicholas Harper (of North Carolina) and Descendants Note: document found: smithharper.og