5

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JOHN HARRIS and JANE ADAMS (10)

 

JOHN HARRIS married twice. The second wedding was in Chelmsford and he brought up his family there. It is reasonable to expect that this is where he lived during his first marriage.

The second wedding, to Jane Adams, was held in 1712. In the years immediately preceding this there is only one burial for Harris. This is for Mary Harris in 1710. This matches with a wedding in 1706 between John Harrie and Mary Wenden. This would lead us to expect a birth for John around 1781. The nearest is this in Chelmsford is the following:

Baptism. St Mary the Virgin, Chelmsford.
1685/6 Jan 28  John son of John and Margaret Harris.

John Harris is, however, a common name, and we cannot rule out other baptisms in the surrounding area.

Assuming that this is the right baptism, then we know from the will of John’s grandfather that his mother was Margaret Freeborne. When A (probably Alexander) Freeborne died in 1692, he left legacies to John’s parents and to his grandson John Harris.

John appears to have been an only child.

Soon after John’s second marriage, the baptismal record has him as “maker of malt”. Chelmsford had many breweries.

If we are right about his baptism and first marriage, then he was a rather young 19 when he married Mary Wenden.

Marriage. St Mary the Virgin, Chelmsford.
1706 Nov 31  John Harris and Mary Wenden

This is followed by a burial for Mary Harris in 1710.

Burial. St Mary the Virgin, Chelmsford.
1710 Apr 2  Mary Harris.

This comes from an index of burials. The parish register may tell us more details about her, including whether she was the wife of John Harris.

We have found no children from the marriage.

 

 JANE ADAMS. We are on safer ground with Jane. She was of Chelmsford when she married John in 1712. There is just one baptism that fits well with this date in the Chelmsford area.

Baptism. St Mary the Virgin, Chelmsford.
1688/9 Jan 29  Jane daughter of John and Martha Adams.

We have been unable to find her mother’s maiden name.

Jane was the youngest of at least six children. There may have been others who died young.

Her father was a tallow chandler, making and selling candles.

She was still a spinster when she married the widower John Harris.

Marriage. St Mary the Virgin, Chelmsford.
1712 Oct 19  John Harris widower of Chelmsford and Jane Adams spinster of Chelmsford

The church of St Mary the Virgin, St Peter and St Cedd has been the parish church of Chelmsford for a thousand years. In 1914 it was raised to the status of cathedral when Chelmsford became a diocese, but in the Harrises’ time it was simply their local church.

Chelmsford was a market town and the seat of the assizes.

It was in this church that John and Jane had their five children baptised. At the second baptism, we learn John’s occupation.

Baptisms. St Mary the Virgin, Chelmsford.
1714/5 Jan 5  Jenny
1716 Nov 25  John.  Maker of malt
1718/9 Jan 4  Elizabeth
1723 May 19  Isaac.  Labourer.
1726 Apr 19  Robert

By the time of Isaac’s birth, John had slipped down the social scale and was now a labourer.

 

The most plausible burial for the older John Harris is the following:

Burial. St Mary the Virgin, Chelmsford.
1749 Apr 2  John Harris
If we are right about his baptism, he would have been in his early 30s

And for Jane:
1775 Aug 15  Jane Harris

This would make her a more venerable 87.

 

NEXT GENERATION: 9. HARRIS-KERR

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