Johann Michael Michael Ernst Harness, Sr.

Johann Michael Ernst aka Ernst-Hoerner, Harness

A Patriot of the American Revolution for VIRGINIA. DAR Ancestor # A050954

Johann Michael Ernst Hörner was one of 5 children born to Joachim and Apollonia Ernst- Kraft-Hörner of the village of Unteröwisheim in today's Baden-Wurtemberg, just south of Heidelberg. After the death of two of his sisters, the family (Michael, his parents, sister Anna Margaretha, and brother Conrad) came to America by 1 July 1710 when they appear on the Hunter Subsistence Lists naming those who received food allowances. Not long after they arrived, both of Michael's parents died, leaving 9-year-old Michael to live with his sister and brother-in-law. Some presume he grew up among other Palatine families in the Schoharie Valley near Albany but by 1725, Michael shows up in Tulpehocken settlement in then Chester and Lancaster Co, PA (now Berks Co.) with a number of other Palatine families who would eventually migrate to the South Branch Valley of Potomac in today's West Virginia. Among the families were the Sees (Zehs), Reeds, Stumps, etc.

It is not clear where or exactly when Michael married Maria Elizabeth Dieffenbach--either in Schoharie or while living in Tulpehocken but many of his 13 children were born in Pennsylvania. By 1742 (some claim as early as 1738 but without documentation), the Ernst family had moved again, this time to the South Branch Valley of the Potomac where they established their plantation on the north side of the South Branch River just west of today's Moorefield, WV. By 1755, they found themselves, along with their neighbors, in the middle of the French and Indian War, in which at least 3 of their sons were killed in Indian attacks.

Below is a list of documents to which Michael Harness (so named and spelled by the clerks who recorded these entries) is a signatory in Virginia (now West Virginia.) Only the record marks tell which are Michael Sr or son Michael Jr. --ME being Sr. and M or MH or a wavery cross [+] (from John Tevebaugh research.)

1742-Orange Co. Road Petition requesting road to South Branch. Signatories included Mathias Yelcomt (Yoakum), numerous Kuykendalls, and Michel Herness (Michael Harness). This is earliest known document of Harness in South Branch Valley. (Original in VA State Archives)

1747 James Coburn, Michael Harness, James Simpson, Michael Shef appraisers of John Bogard's estate. (Chalkley 1:29);

1748-Johannes Bogard appraisement by Michael Harnis, Michael Stump, James Simpson-money due Jacob Bogard. (Chalkley3:8); Names on a list of inhabitants in the Lower Part of the Manor of Wappacomo--list found by Mr. Frederick Morton (or Marion), a historian, in the Circuit Clerk's Office of the Frederick Co, VA Courthouse. VA Historical Society had a newspaper clipping of list though original has been lost. 57 names listed including following: Garret Decker, Jno Crouch, Joseph VanMeter, Thos Rennicks, Cobus (Jacobus) Hornbiek, Blandener Westfall; Peter Thorn; Abel Westfall, Anthony Bogard, Mathias Yoakam, George Yoakam, Jacob Tebebaugh, Michael Harness, Coonrat Harness, son; Margett Thorn.

1749- John Woolf's appraisement by Michael Harnis, Michael Stump, James Simpson-note of Peter Hart, Nicholas Snider, Sale to Elles? (Chalkley3:15); Inquisition on Samuel Decker, son of Garret Decker. Death by pen-knife.(whoa!) Abram Vanderpool, Abel Westfall, Hendrey Scarbrough, James Simpson, Johannes Curtracht, Conrad Hoerner (Harness), Johann Michael Hoerner (Harness), Daniel Hoornbeck, Anthony Logen, George Osborn, John Westfall, Cornelius Curtright. (Chalkley 1:433)

1751--John Miles appraisement by James Simpson, Michael Harnis, Jacob Westfall. (Chalkley 3:24)

1753--Henry Thorn's appraisement by James Simpson, Michael Harnes, Coonrod Harnes (Chalkley3:52); Michael Harness, son-in-law of Euric Westfall, decd; adm'r of estate (Ann Westfall says this is Michael Jr.) Chalkley1:58; Conrad Harness-Lt. of Foot, John Wilton, Capt of Troop of Horse (Chalkley 1:57

1782-84 Hampshire Co VA tax lists: (according to Dyke Papers, p. 219) Michael Harness, Sr.
George Harness
Michael Harness Jr.
Peter Harness
Leonard Harness (on 1784 list, Michael Stump's district) only with 7 whites.

Michael wrote his will at the age of 78 but it wasn't until March 8, 1785 that it was finally proved in court.

THE WILL OF MICHAEL (ERNST) HARNESS, SR. Transcribed by John Tevebaugh (Exact format difficult in wikitree]

"In the Name of God, Amen. I. Michael Ernest.
of the South Branch, in the County of Hampshire, State,
of Virginia, being in Good health at present, an[d] Considering
the uncertenty of Humen Life and that it is Nessessary for
all Persons while the[y] have the happeness to Enjoy their Sences
& Memory perfect, to Set[t]le and Dispose of their affairs, in
Such manner, as may Prevend[t], any Dispute, or Lawsuits
after their Death, amongst their Friends and Relation[s]. I
Therefore to prevent the same as Much as Possible in my
own Family And Dispose of my Estate in man[n]er Following
First I Recom[m]ant[d] my Body after my Decise[decease] to the Earth from
whence it Came, to be Buriet[d] in a Decent Man[n]er, and my
Soul unto my He[a]venly Father, and it is my Disire that all
my Funeral Expence and other Lawfull Debts to be paid
as sun[soon] as Convin[i]ent Can be Done after my Decise[Decease]//
Item I Give and Devisse unto my beloved Wife Elizabeth,
one Third pard[t] of my Pland[t]ation, Massuage or Tenement
Ordgard [orchard] and all belonging do[to] it. Induring[and during] her Life, as also
Two Slaves, one Negro Man Named Manuel & one wench
Named Rachel to Labour for hir[her] During hir Life. And if
Said wench Should Bear any Children, the one halfe of
them to be my Wife's own for hir and hir Heirs for Ever
And after her Decise[decease], the above Named Manuel & Rachel
and the other Halfe Increas[e] of Said Negro[']s Childern to be
Returned unto My Son, Jacob Harness, to be his own for him
and his Heirs for Ever. And I give and Devisse also to my
beloved Wife the one Third of all my other Effects. Or Moveables
and also hir Thirds in the Mony Left by me to be hir own for
Ever.
Item I give Tross[?entrust] and Devisse unto my Youngest son
Jacob Harness my Plantation, DwellingHouse, Baron
Ordgard and all utent[s]ials of Husbandry, & all the Household
Furniture (my Wife's part Exeppted), the Living Stock an[d]
also my Shlaves, ex[c]ept one for Peter, (in Short he is to
have Every thing Left by me on the Plantation and he is Like=
wise to have one Equal part of the Money Left by me, and
this is for the Good Cause, and Reason, that I have Furnishet[d]
and Suployed{supplied]my Elder Sons with Land and other Necasaries
before in Former Times, all to be his with out any Mollastation
for Ever.
Item I Give and Bequeath to my Son John Harness, one
Equel Part of the Money Left by me, for him and his
Heirs for Ever and no more//
Item I Give and Bequeath to my Son George Harness, one
Equel part in the money Left by me to be for his
Share for Ever and no more//
Item I Give and Bequeath to my Son Leonart[d] Harness, one
part of the money Left by me to be for his Share for Ever
and no more//
Item I Give and Bequeath to my Son Peter Harness, one
Negro Named Will. As[and] also one Part of the money
Left by me for his Share to be his own for him and
his Heirs for Ever.
Item I give and Bequeath to my Gran Son Michael Herness
and his Sister, Elizabeth Robinson, one Equel Share
of the money Left by me, to be Dividet[d] amongst
them for their part and no more//
Item I Give and Bequeath to my beloved Daughters
Elizabeth Yoakem and Barbara Zee &
Lickewise and: Dorothea Horn[b]eck & and
Margaretha Trumbo Likewise Each one of
Them to have on[e] Equel Part, or share in the
money Left by me. To be Equelly Dividet[d] amongst
all my Childern, above here Mentionet[d].
And Lastly I do here by Nominate Opoint[appoint] my Son
John Harness and my Sonen Samuel Hornbeck
Whole and Sole Executors of this my Last Will and
Testament
And I Do Here by Revoke and Make Void all Former
Wills, Declaring this to be my Last Will & Testament
and no other. In Wittness here of I have here
unto Set my hand Sign an[d] Seal This __________
____ Day one Thousend Seven hundert and Seventy
Nine
Signed Sealed, and Pupplishet Michael ME (his mark) Ernest
By the Testator in presence
Of us
Anthony Baker
Joseph Petty
Jacob yoakum
At a Court held for Hampshire County this 8th Day of March 1785
This last Will & Testament of Michael [Ernsst lined out] Harness dec'ed was
presented in Court by John Harness one of the Executors Therein named
proved
by the Oaths of Joseph Petty & Jacob Yoakam Witnesses thereto and
Ordered to be recorded, and on the Motion of the Said Executor who made Oath
according to Law[,] Certificate is granted him for obtaining a Probate
thereof in due Form giving Security whereupon he together
with Jacob Yoakam & Daniel Teverbaugh his Securities entered
[into and acknowledged Bond in the penalty of Five
thousand pounds for his due and faithful Administration
of the said decedant's Estate & performance of his duties.]
Test.
And Wodrow Clerk]
This last portion in brackets was missing from the original copy, but taken from the Will Book. The entire will was copied into Hampshire County, Virginia, Will Book 2 (1780-1794), pages 111-113, [the index reference is to page 112] from the original which was presented as shown above, and ordered to be recorded. The copyist altered spelling and changed capitalization in many, many places, but did not alter the names or meaning at any point. The original will has, written on the verso of the third page:

Recorded / Will Bk 1-22
In \ Page 18"
/
According to John Tevebaugh, there is another so-called "Will Book"of Hampshire County miscellaneous wills [but with no appraisals or sales], 1756 through 1860, for surnames A-J. This is a typed transcript labeled Hampshire County Wills, Vol. 1. On page 15 of that book, Michael Harness's will was entered, but without some sections [eg., slaves], and with name spellings "corrected [read, confused]" and word order changed. This recorded copy differs in many ways from the copy submitted by John Harness to the court on 8 Mar 1785.

Sources

• Johann Michael Ernst Hörner; His Birth Family, Marriage and Life Span (2013) by John L. Tevebaugh
• Johann Michael Ernst Hoerner and His Harness Children: What the Documents Say by John L. Tevebaugh, 2001
• The Parents, Birth & Siblings of Johann Michael Ernst Hoerner aka Michael Harness, Sr. by John L. Tevebaugh
• Henry Z. Jones, Jr., The Palatine Families of New York: A Study of the German Immigrants Who Arrived in Colonial New York in 1710 (2 vols., Universal City, CA, 1985)
• Henry Z. Jones, Jr., and Lewis Bunker Rohrbach, Even More Palatine Families; 18th Century Immigrants to the American Colonies, and Their German, Swiss and Austrian Origins (3 vols., 2600+ pp.; 2002)
• Helen Yoakum Black Letters contributed by Sara Patton

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http://www.wvgenweb.org/hardy/harness/father.htm