William Alexander Harper, Jr.

Husband of Anne (Young) Harper. Son of William & Margaret (Knox) Harper.

Came to America on the "Earl of Donegal" in December of 1767.

In December, 1767, the ship, The Earl of Donegal, arrived at the post of Charleston, S. C., carrying a load of immigrants from Ireland. Duncan Ferguson, the ship's master, signed a sworn statement that all those aboard were Protestants.

Among those who came (to USA) aboard that ship were William Harpe r and his family. They were: William Harper, age 63, and his wife Margar et, age 56; John Harper, age 14; and Jane Harper, age 11 years. On the sam e ship there were fire others whom we have been able to identify as sons of William and Margaret. They were: Daniel Harper, age 20; William Harper , Jr., age 18; and James, age 16; also Benjamin Harper age 30 and his wi fe Martha, age 24, and their little son, William age 4; also Robert Harpe r, age 25 and his wife Agnes, and their son, John age 6.

William Harper and his sons who were over 16 years of age made application for land grants in Craven (Graves sic) County of which present Lancaster County was a part.
According to the law no person under 16 could be granted land in his own name. William Harper, Sr. applied for and received 250 acres on Wi ld Cat Creek in Craven County, said land being in what is now Lancaster County. He was granted 100 acres for himself and 50 each for his wife and the two children, John and Jane. Each of the boys over 16, not married , received 100 acres in his own name, namely Daniel, William Jr., and Ja mes.
The two married sons, Benjamin and Robert, each received a 200 ac re grant, 100 for self and 50 each for wife and child.
All grants were in the same Wild Cat Creek section. All the Memorials (titles to the land) were filed in the South Carolina office(See McAlister, Harper and Turner Family History for exact langu age)

and all are worded very much alike as follows:

WILLIAM HARPER: A Memorial exhibited by William Harper to be registered in the S. C. Office of a Plantation or tract of land contg. 250 acres, situated in Craven County on the Waters of Wild Ct, bounded on all sides by vacant land. Survey certified January 10th and granted th e 13th day of May, 1768 to the Memorialist at the Quit Rent of 3 pounds sterling money per hundred acres to commence ten years from the date h e hath hereunto set his hand the 6th day of Sept. 1768. /s/ Wm. Carsen, Dist. Surveyor
The ship, Earl of Donegal, had come into harbor at Charleston in December, 1767, and William applied for his grant in January, 1768, losing no time thus getting settled.
With their children around them, William and Margaret Harper of Ireland, settled down in present Lancaster County to the job of cleari ng new ground.
They attended old Waxhaw Presbyterian Church. Just when William a nd Margaret died we have no record to date.
William Harper was definitely too old to take part in the Revolutionary War. There is proof, however, that two of his sons, Benjamin and William, Jr., took active parts in the war. There is a probability that Robert also served.

(Above taken from material contained in The McAllister, Harper and Tur ner Families, A Genealogical Familial Outline, Copy number 159 of 200, 199 0 by Alberta Kitchell Allen, Caldwell Avenue, Rives, Tennessee 38253, No rights reserved.

A number of names of persons arriving on the Earl of Donegal can later be found in the Fishing Creek Area of Chester Co. at a little la ter time.

A Knox family is also on board and seems to be related to the Harpers. The Knox family includes John Knox, age 50 (250 acres); Elizabeth Knox age 40; Hugh Knox age 10; Sarah Knox, age 17 (100 acres ); James Knox, age 16 (100 acres); William Knox, age 50 (aka the Rev.) (1 00 acres); another William Knox, age 24 (100 acres)
Other families of interest to Harper researchers are Wylie, White , Cunningham, Blair, Brown (Walter 30, Margaret 30 and John 6.), Kelso, Caldwell, Kirkpatrick.
1008. William Harper129, born 1704 in Ireland; died in Waxhaw District , SC. He married 1009. Margaret.

1009. Margaret, born 1711 in Ireland; died in Waxhaw District, S C.

Children of William Harper and Margaret are: i. Mary Harper, married Unknown Blair. Notes for Mary Harper: Only clue to the existence of Mary Harper Blair is the will of Daniel Harper who names her together with the other siblings.

504 ii. Benjamin Harper, born 1735 in Ireland; died June 12, 1801 in Lancaster County, SC; married Martha Knox. iii. Robert Harper, born 1742 in Ireland; married Agnes.

Notes for Robert Harper:

Robert Harper's family has not been firmly followed. One Robert Harper lived in Chester County, SC and reared a large family. His will is on file in the Chester records. In the _History of Harris county, Georgia, by Louise Calhoun Barfield, published by the Columbus Office Supply Co., in 1961, pages 447 - 478 there is a sketch entitled "Harper family" from the family recor d of J. P. Wright of Auburn, Alabama. This record states that his ancest or John Harper of Harris County, son of Robert Harper, was born in Craven  County, NC. and that he lived in present Lancaster County, SC about 17 60, died 1789-1790 at Lick Creek or Hardin Community south of Washington, GA. There is a tradition in the Harper family that some member of members came to America, liked it, returned and brought the rest of the family . In 1759, a Robert Harper received a grant in Craven County, SC, during  the period of boundary line dispute between North and South Carolina. Both states granted land in present Lancaster County.

iv. Daniel Harper, born 1745 in Ireland; died July 15, 1791 in Old Waxhaw, SC; married Sarah Dickey.

Notes for Daniel Harper:

Daniel Harper took out a grant in Craven County in 1769. Sometime  after his arrival he set up practice in Chester County in partnership with Dr. James Knox who may have been the same James Knox who came on the same boat as the Harpers. Dr. Harper married the widow, Sarah Dickey Cantzon, a niece of Jo hn Witherspoon, President of Princeton University. She was the widow of D r. Jean Cantzon (Canson), a Frenchman who had practiced medicine in the Waxhaw and vicinity.

There is a story to the effect that Dr. Harper was a Tory and that during the Revolutionary War he fled to Antrim, Ireland with his wife and stepchildren. It is said he was warned not to return but disregarded that warning, returned and was killed by the regulators. Judge Witherspoon testified that he had see the regulators' _Book of Doom_, and had seen Dr. Harper's name therein. (Early Settlers of Alabama, Saunders and Stubbs; New Orleans; L. Graham & Son, Ltd. Printers, 2070211 Baronne S t. 1899. Pg 518.)
Dr. Harper lies buried in the Old Waxhaw Presbyterian church Cemetery in Lancaster County, SC. The inscription on his tombstone is as follows: HARPER In memory of Daniel Harper M. D. who departed this life in the 46th year of his age. Jesus, into Thy faithful hands my naked soul I trust And my hope waits for Thy commands to raise them from the dust.
Dr. Harper's will is on file in Chester County, S.C. the followin g abstract gives the main facts:
Dr. Daniel Harper, in partnership with Dr. James Knox, named in h is will the following: his wife, Sarah Harper; his brothers, William Harp er, Jr., Benjamin Harper and James Harper; his sister, Mary Blair; his nephew, Thomas Blair and his nephew's son, Daniel Blair; his cousin, William Foster; his stepdaughters, Dorcas and Polly Canson; his stepso ns, Moses and John Canson. The Will was dated July 11, 1751 and was probat ed in Jan. 1792. It was witnessed by Henry Foster and William Watson.
(Chester County Wills, Book A, p. 282, SC Archives, Columbia, SC.)

Notes for Sarah Dickey: Niece of John Witherspoon, President of Princeton University.

v. William Jr. Harper, born 1746 in Ireland; died September 19, 1813 i n Lancaster Co., SC; married Ann Young Bet. 1770 - 1775.

Notes for William Jr. Harper:

William Harper, Jr. came to America in December 1767, on the ship  the Earl of Donegal, in company with his parents, brothers and sister and other immigrants from Ireland. Like his father and brothers he applied  for the received a grant of land in the Wild Cat Creek section of pres ent Lancaster county, then known as Cravan County, South Carolina.

Wild Cat Creek is a tributary of Big Lynches Creek and is in the northeastern part of the county.
After a short stay in Charleston the Harpers came directly to the Waxhaw traveling by way to the Great Road that ran from Charleston to Salisbury, North Carolina. At the forks of the road in the present Pleasant Hill section of the county they necessarily turned right and followed the rocky river road to their destination.
According to the ship's list William gave his age as 18 but according to his tombstone he was at least 21 years old at the time of his coming to South Carolina.
In 1770, Ann Young, an Irish immigrant, was admitted to South Carolina through the port of Charleston.

William and Ann (Young) Harper, presumably members at Old Waxhaw Presbyterian Church until the organization of Shiloh A. R. P. Church i n 1801, both lie buried in the Shiloh cemetery where their tombstones be ar the following inscriptions:

In memory of William Harper who died Sept. 19 1813 Aged 67 years. Remember me as you pass by As you are now so once was I As I am now so must you be Prepare for death and follow me.

Sacred To the Memory of Ann Harper who departed this life 16th July 1841 Aged 95 years & 7 months and 14 days.

Since William and Ann Harper's daughter, Sarah, was born in 1778, it is assumed that they must have married before the Revolutionary War.

William Harper, Jr., served in the American forces as private und er General Francis Marion. From an indent on file in the South Carolina Archives we copy the following: (William Harper, Rev. Soldier File, so uth Carolina Archives, Columbia, SC)

WAXHAW December the 29th, 1785
1781 State of South Carolina to William Harper August 8th to 35 days in the Cavalry under to Captain William Deason with General Miran (Marion) Sept. 12 at Utaws. (Signed) William Deason at 20 S per day 35.0.0

In addition to serving in Francis Marion's cavalry he also furnis hed supplies for the Continental Hospital at Camden, South Carolina for wh ich he received payment. In directing that the money due him be paid to a representative he wrote the following note in 1786:

Waxhaw 17 Janry 1786

Gentlemen: please to Deliver Wm. Hugh White Such indent or indent s as may appear to be due me from the State of South Carolina or from th e United States and his Receipt. . . .

(William Harper, Jr. moved into the present Elgin Community, Lancaster county about 1790 and lived there until his death in 1813)

Notes for Ann Young: Traditionally, Ann Young says was William's sweetheart in Ireland and followed him to America. She lies buried beside her husband.

In 1770 arrived in the Port of Charleston.

vi. James Harper, born 1751 in Ireland. Notes for James Harper: Scant record of James Harper. The name of a James Harper is on the (To ry) list of South Carolina Loyalists Exiles. (Report on Loyalist Exiles fr om South Carolina, 1783, edited by Robert W. Barnwell, Jr. SC Archives.

vii. John Harper, born 1753 in Ireland. Notes for John Harper: Not mentioned in his brother Daniel's will, so may have died young.

viii. Jane Harper, born 1756 in Ireland. Notes for Jane Harper: Not mentioned in her brother Daniel's will. No further record, but the name of Jane has been popular in the Harper family for generations.

Marriage 1 Margaret Knox b: ABT 1711 in Ireland•Married: ABT 1735 in Ireland 1 Children1.Has Children Benjamin Harper b: 1737 in Ireland 2.Has Children Robert Harper b: 1742 in Belfast, Antrim, Ireland 3.Has No Children Daniel Harper b: 1747 in Ireland 4.Has No Children William Harper b: 1749 in Ireland 5.Has No Children James Harper b: 1751 in Ireland 6.Has No Children John Harper b: 1756 in Ireland

• Reference: FamilySearch Family Tree - SmartCopy: Nov 15 2023, 7:45:04 UTC