Captain John Peyton Harrison

Captain John Peyton Harrison, of Loudoun County, Virginia, and of Jefferson County, Kentucky, for a period of time before returning to Virginia, was the son of Thomas Harrison of Aquia Hall and Anne Waye Peyton (ref.10). His maternal grandfather, "John Peyton," named him in his will (ref.S2). He married twice, firstly to Frances Peyton and secondly to Elizabeth Peyton, both stated as his cousins (ref. 5).

John Peyton Harrison played an important role in Loudoun county and colonial American history. At a meeting "of the Freeholders and other inhabitants of the County of Loudoun, in the Colony of Virginia, held at the Court-House in Leesburg the 14th of June, 1774, F. Peyton, Esq., in the Chair, to consider the most effectual method to preserve the rights and liberties of North America, and relieve our brethren of Boston, suffering under the most oppressive and tyrannical Act of the British Parliament, made in the 14th year of his present Majesty’s reign, whereby their Harbor is blocked up, their commerce totally obstructed, their property rendered useless." The meeting resolutions effectively rebuked Sovereign British dominions, taxation, and unconstitutional power. It was stated that Thompson Mason and Francis Peyton, Esqs. be appointed to take the resolutions to Williamsburg which was signed by the freeholders, including "John Peyton Harrison." (Ref. 31)

John Peyton Harrison served in the Continental Army (1775-1783) as an Ensign in Capt. Johnston's company (ref. 13), 2nd and 1st Lieutenant, and Captain in the 2nd Virginia Regiment of Foot, commanded by Col. Alexander Spottswood and his successor Col. Christian Febiger, Esq., Continental Troops (ref. 2, 3).

For his service, he was granted 3,000 acres from Virginia on March 10, 1783 (ref. 14) and 4,000 acres of land in 1787 as part of his military warrant on the Miami River in Ohio (ref. 9). Survey No. 1494 for was made on August 21, 1787, whereby noted for Capt. John Peyton Harrison enters 4,000 acres of land, part of a military warrant, No. 171, on the Miami River, beginning at the mouth of Todd's Creek, which empties into the Miami about ten miles below the mouth of Caesar's Creek; at the mouth of said creek, on the upper side, is a honey locust marked M, another W E and a sugar tree No. 3; running up the river 640 poles when reduced to a straight line, thence at right angles from the general course of the river easterly for quantity. This was surveyed by Nathaniel Massie, District Surveyor, and bears the date October 10, 1792.

As far back as 1878, there were still references to John Peyton Harrison's Military Survey No. 1494 that were found as part of the property that had passed to Francis Lambert, deceased. Capt. John Peyton Harrison's survey was later described as beginning at a stone standing on the back of the Little Miami River, about six feet below the lower wing of a large railroad culvert and two poles from the center of said railroad, thence parallel to said road with its bendings...." (Ref. 22).

Additional Timeline Events:
In 1786, John Peyton Harrison and his uncle Leven Powell, Gent., were still involved in Loudoun County. On 25 Sep 1786, on the motion of Leven Powell, he was going to create a road leading from the Loudoun line near Hugh Nelsons to George Berrys, and was ordered that any one of three men be the first to review the road, John Peyton Harrison among them (Ref. 23).

In 1787, Colonel Leven Powell laid out the town of Middleburg on the road running to Ashley's Gap for his purpose devoting fifty acres on the southerly edge of the 500-acre tract of land he had purchased from Joseph Chinn in 1763; the town of course,, obtaining its name from the position it occupied approximately halfway between the major towns of Alexandria and Winchester as well as halfway between the courthouses of Loudoun and Fauquier. The first trustees were Francis Peyton, William Bronaugh, William Heale, John Peyton Harrison, Burr Powell, Josias Clapham, and Richard Bland Lee." (Ref. 24)

On 24 April 1787, "John Peyton Harrison is appointed Surveyor of the road from the Wonkopin branch to Margery Batson's plantation and it is ordered that he with the Tithes belonging to the said road do clear and keep the same in repair according to law." On the 28th, John Peyton Harrison was appointed as a surveyor of the road from the County line to the foot of the hill over Little River. (Ref. 23)

On 24 June 1787, John Peyton Harrison was among several men "sword to view a way for a road from the line of Prince William County to meet a road from Snickers Gap at the Loudoun line," and report back. In August, John Peyton Harrison is appointed to survey a road that passes through the land of his plantation, "Loudoun line in the plantation of John Peyton Harrison ." (Ref. 23) We then begin to get a sense of the location of the plantation of John Peyton Harrison from the boundaries described at the Loudoun line. (Ref. 23)

Further, it is cited that in 1787, John Peyton Harrison, along with Burr Powell, Josias Clapham, and Ludwell Lee, helped found the town of Newport in Prince William County. (Ref. 27)

Then, on 29 April 1788, John Peyton Harrison, a Gentleman, is appointed a Commissioner of the turnpike road leading to Alexandria." (Ref. 23)

By 1790, John Peyton Harrison had moved to Jefferson County, Kentucky. His uncle, Col. Leven Powell (husband of his aunt Sarah), first sent George Harrison V and Cuthbert Harrison V, his two brothers-in-law, to Kentucky to look after a grant of six thousand acres of land he had received from the Continental Congress in recognition of his services to his country. The brothers remained and made their homes there (ref. 6). Records show John Peyton Harrison held a 1,000-acre land patent, surveyed on Jan 11, 1783, along Simpsons Creek (ref. 15), in Jefferson County, Kentucky. John Peyton Harrison of Fauquier Co. is recorded by Power of Attorney on September 13, 1790, authorizing Leven's son Burr Powell to pay off and convey lands given by his uncle Level Powell.

On 30 August 1792, John Peyton Harrison Gentleman resigned his appointment as a Commissioner of the turn pike road. (Ref. 23)

In 1797, John Peyton Harrison empowered Burr Peyton to settle 184 acres to the claimants, recorded in Fauquier Co., VA, on 27 February 1797 and also recorded in Jefferson Co., Ky., Jul 4, 1797 (ref. 11).

On 23 May 1803, an indenture was made between John Peyton Harrison of Stafford Co., Va. and Fortunatus Cosby of Jefferson Co. Ky. and Jno. Chambers of Mason Co. Ky. for 1 tract of land in Jefferson Co, Ky. on Goose Creek and Floyds Fork. (Ref. 30)

A public notice was made on 25 July 1804 by John P. Harrison regarding the deranged state of the Aquia Inspectors (Ref. 26).

By 1805, John Peyton Harrison was listed as a defendant, along with Samuel H. Peyton, in a court case in Stafford, Virginia, regarding an enslaved person named John, in a case against Hugh Holmes. (Ref. 25)

On June 30th, 1894, It was stated by the granddaughter (Mrs. Kate Lownds) of Captain John Peyton Harrison that she with her cousin and her mother (Mrs. Kercheval) visited the ancestral home of her grandfather at Aquia Creek, Va. She confirmed that a church was built there in the 1700s with bricks brought from England and which also included land donated by her grandfather (ref. 12). Based on this attestation, Captain John Peyton Harrison may now also be referred to as being "of Aquia Hall."

Update 04/14/2024 - Conflict between my work and a recent William Mary Scholarly Work (Capt. John Peyton Harrison versus Maj. John Harrison:

A scholarly work stated John Peyton Harrison also served as a Lieutenant in the 13th, 9th, and 7th Virginia regiments and as a militia officer (Major) and that he died in Jefferson County in 1821 (ref. 1). Then, Major John Peyton Harrison resigned his service on September 27, 1790. Further stating John Peyton Harrison died in Kentucky and "is buried in Jefferson County, Kentucky" (ref. 1, 767).

The College of William and Mary scholarly work contained errors it was later found. My work has identified that it is one Major John Harrison who married Mary Ann Johnston, the daughter of Benjamin Johnston, who died on 23 Jul 1821 in Jefferson County, Kentucky, and was buried there. Numerous Jefferson County records always identify him as John Harrison and his wife Mary Ann, including land deeds, wills, and other records, including Benjamin Johnston. Thus Maj. John Harrison should be referred to as "Maj. John Harrison of Louisville, KY," or "John Harrison of Jefferson Co., KY." Maj. John Harrison, of Jefferson Co., KY, is NOT Capt. John Peyton Harrison and it is happenstance that both men were noted in Jefferson County at one period, and they can be separated based on their names, which are unique in records.

I have identified that the Lexington Reporter newspaper in 1821 identifies Major John Harrison of Louisville. Died in July 1821, aged 67 years" (Ref. 21), which can only be attributed to John Harrison. Further, according to the History of the Ohio Falls Cities and their Counties (Ref. 28), Major John Harrison came to Jefferson Co., Ky., in 1785 and married Mary Ann Johnston in 1787. The work of Sam Brown of Benbrook, TX, 1998, has it right (Ref. N 2). Maj. John Harrison as the one who died on 23 Jul 1821 in Jefferson County, Kentucky. I did locate the will of Maj. John Harrison, which corroborates. (Ref. N 1 and N 2)

Burial Location of John Peyton Harrison:
Capt. John Peyton Harrison's final disposition is not known. It is most likely that John Peyton Harrison lived out his days at his Loudon Plantation or Aquia Creek, Stafford, Virginia, ancestral home. The last three references I found for him make reference to "Aquia" and "Stafford, " and finally, a direct granddaughter descendant made reference to his home in Aquia, Stafford, Virginia. It is logical that he was buried there or in his family's Aquia Cemetery location.

Revolutionary War Service:
Captain John Peyton Harrison should not be confused or records combined with Private John Harrison, a different person, who served in Captain Gabriel Long's company and married Nancy Miller and Betsey Headley. Private John Harrison was the son of Cuthbert Harrison and Frances Osborne Barnes; please refer to FamilySearch profile ID GX5Y-T6G and see NOTE below.

The Revolutionary War service records collection of Captain John Peyton Harrison has all been identified and cataloged into a record collection by the experts at the National Archives and made available to fold3.com and on the National Archive's site. The National Archives confirmed the alias names on his service record are all belonging to Captain John Peyton Harrison: "J P Harrison, Jno P. Harrison, Jno Pey Harrison, John P. Harrison, John Payton Harrison, John Peyton Harrison, Peyton Harrison, P. Harrison, P John Harrison."

National archives catalog id: 570910
Record Group: 93
Image count: 49
https://catalog.archives.gov/id/142180321
https://www.fold3.com/image/22395109
I also found additional images associated with these records on Ancestry (from its image DB, not user-supplied).

References:
(1) College of William and Mary ScholarWorks, Ward, David Lawrence, "A School for Leaders: Continental Army Officer Training and Civilian Leadership in the Trans-Appalachian West" (2019). Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects. Paper 1563898986. http://dx.doi.org/10.21220/s2-4c04-0z38
(2) Sons of the American Revolution, John Peyton Harrison, SAR Patriot #: P-176188
(3) Daughters of the American Revolution, Ancestor #: A052239
(4) The National Archives, Catalog ID: 570910, Record Group: 93, collection of 49 Rev. War service records of Captain John Peyton Harrison: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/142180321
(5) Virginia Genealogies: A Genealogy of the Glassell Family of Scotland and Virginia, 1891
(6) A Brief History of the First Harrisons of Virginia Descendants of Cuthbert Harrison, Esq. of Ancaster, England From A.D. 1600 to A.D. 1915, by Henry Tazewell Harrison Published April 2, 1915
(7) The Baltimore Sun, June 17, 1906, pg. 11; Aug 5, 1906, pg.14; Aug 12, 1906, pg 17
(8) The Richmond Times Dispatch, Jul 3, 1904, p11
(9) History of Warren County, Salem Township, By J. L. Mounts, M.D.
(10) PEYTON, of England and Virginia By Rev. Horace Edwin Hayden, pg 510-511
(11) Early Kentucky Settlers, The Records of Jefferson County, Kentucky, 1988, pg. 402
(12) Evening Star, Washington, DC, Jun 30, 1894, Pg. 16
(13) The Orderly Book of the Second Virginia Regiment: September 27, 1775-April 15, 1776 by Brent Tarter
(14) The Blackwell Family, by Stella Pickett Hardy, The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 24, No. 1 (Jan. 1916), pp. 99-102 (4 pages)
(15) Kentucky, U.S., Land Grants, 1782-1924, Book 4
(16) Kentucky Court of Appeals Deed Books Vol. IV Ky Records Series Vol. 9 by Michael L. Cook, CG, and Bettie A. Cook, CG, pg. 338
(17) Loudoun County Road Orders, 1783-1800 by Patricia B. Duncan and Ann Brush Miller, 2015
(18) Loudoun County Revolutionary Patriots, Box/Folder "H," John Peyton Harrison
(19) Combs &c. Families of Nelson Co., KY, April 6, 1791, Hite/Level Powell patent with references to John Peyton Harrison 1k acres
(20) Genealogy of The Peyton Family..., by Avery H. Reed, 1963, pg. 24
(21) Kentucky Obituaries 1787-1854, compiled by G. Glenn Clift 1821, from the Kentucky Reporter, Lexington, 1821 "Major John Harrison, of Louisville. Died in July, 1821, aged 67 years."
(22) The Western Star, Lebanon, Ohio, Thursday, February 14, 1787, "Petition for sale, Saturday, February 16, 1787, At 10 o'clock A. M. on said day, the following described real estate, of which Francis Lambert, late of said county, dec,d, died seized, viz: "Situate in the County of Warren, in the State of Ohio: being part of John Peyton Harrison's Survey, No. 1494"
(23) Historic Roads of Virginia, Fauquier County Road Orders, 1784-1800, Ann Brush Miller, Research Scientist, Virginia Transportation Research Council, October 2021.
(24) The Project Gutenberg EBook of Legends of Loudoun, by Harrison Williams
(25) District court record. https://sites.rootsweb.com/~vacfrede/crd/fbgdc.htm
(26) Alexandria Daily Advertiser, Jul 31, 1804
(27) Wikipedia, Ludwell Lee, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwell_Lee, Career section.
(28) NSDAR A052239
(29) Jefferson County, Kentucky bon and power of attorney book 2, 1799-1805, John P. Harrison sold to Cosby & Chambers a tract of 1000 acres of land on the waters of Goose Creek & Floyd Fork. Any other references for one "John Harrison" in deeds and B&P of Atty books do not belong to Cpt. John Peyton Harrison, but to Maj. John Harrison, son of Charles Harrison.
(30) Jefferson County, Kentucky deeds, book 06, pg. 151, 23 May 1803 between John Peyton Harrison of Stafford Co. Va. and Fortunatus Cosby of Jefferson Co., Ky. and Jno. Chambers
(31) History and Comprehensive Description of Loudoun County, Virginia
by James W. Head, 1908, https://www.newrivernotes.com/history-of-loudoun-county-virginia/
(767) Sons of the American Revolution, Kentucky Society, "Patriots Buried in Kentucky"; "Ancestry.com"; "Fold3."

Negative References:
(N 1) "History of the Ohio Falls Cities and their Counties" Vol I, 1882, pages 497, pg 50.
(N 2) Maj. John Harrison (abt 1754-1821), by Sam Brown of Benbrook, TX, Major John Harrison died in Louisville, KY on 23 July 1821
(N 3) Jefferson County Deed Book 5, Noting Major John Harrison of Louisville, Jefferson County, KY, and Mary Ann, his wife. Also noted in other deebooks.
(N 4) Jefferson County, Kentucky bond and power of attorney book 2, 1799-1805

Reference sites:
S1. https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/29WN-PWB
S2. https://www.colonial-settlers-md-va.us/getperson.php?personID=I2891...
S3. https://mykindred.com/cloud/TX/familygroup.php?familyID=F14606&tree...
S4. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/242708622/john-peyton-harrison

NOTE: The namesake and several images belonging to Captain John Peyton Harrison were previously posted incorrectly on a former find-a-grave memorial belonging to Private John Harrison, of Captain Gabriel Long's command, b. 18 Aug 1744 and d. In 1827 but improperly taking his service record and namesake. That John Harrison married Nancy Miller and Betsey Headley. That memorial had labeled him in error as "Captain John Peyton Harrison," due to a merge on a third party site which then we understand resulted in mass copying and pasting to many other sides and thousands of tree. Both the profiles of this Capt. John Peyton Harrison and that of Pvt. John Harrison on this site and others has been resolved administratively. Simply put, do not confuse this Capt. John Peyton Harrison with Pvt. John Harrison, two different people, the latter having no middle name.

DAR identified John Harrison, a "Private" in Capt. Gabriel Long's company and is not or ever will be this Capt. John Peyton Harrison. This was due to the FamilySearch profile (29WN-PWB) for Captain John Peyton Harrison b. 1748 and d. 1806 was consumed by user edits, which disconnected his family and appropriated his name as a result by adding details, spouses, children, and parents with that of Private John Harrison. FamilySearch itself created the profile in 2012 for Captain John Peyton Harrison b. 1748 d. 1806, and NOT John Harrison b. 1744 d. 1826.

Captain John Peyton Harrison's profile has been restored through administrative action on familysearch (29WN-PWB). A new profile has been created for Private John Harrison for his wives, children, and known parentage (GX5Y-T6G), as genealogical proof standard evidence confirms. Additional work is being done to curate both profiles further after initial genealogical proof standard pieces of evidence were provided.

NOTE: Further administrative action had occurred to remove the profile of John Harrison, which formerly assumed the identity of this Capt. John Peyton Harrison. Therefore through this action, a new profile was created (MEMORIAL ID 249039846) to correct the former issues noted below to reflect the correct identity as Private John Harrison.