Lenham Parish Register Lookup - HARRISSON

[JenClark]

Hello John...welcome back 

We've all barked up the wrong tree before, try not to worry too much...

Not sure how much use I am going to be, on first glance I can't see your John Harrisson in the 1861 census, or a remotely matching baptism anywhere yet either....

I did have a look at the Kent Parish registers on Find My Past, and the below Harrissons are the only ones I could find in that local area between the years 1785-1805, excepting the Challock baptisms:

St Mary Magdalene, Davington, Kent
Baptisms:
10 Nov 1793 - Sarah Harrisson daughter of William & Frances Harrisson
12 Jan 1800 - George Harrisson son of William & Frances Harrisson
28 Mar 1802 - Mary Harrison daughter of William & Frances Harrison
21 July 1805 - James Harrisson son of William & Frances Harrisson

St Mary, Norton, Kent
Baptisms:
6 Mar 1786 - William Harrison son of William & Frances Harrison
25 Apr 1788 - Frances Harrison daughter of William & Frances Harrison
28 Nov 1790 - Robert Harrison son of William & Frances Harrison

St Michael & All Angels, Throwley, Kent
Baptisms:
6 Mar 1796 - James Harrison son of Robert & Mary Harrison
29 July 1798 - Henry Harrison son of Robert & Mary Harrison
1 Jun 1800 - Frances Harrison daughter of Robert & Mary Harrison

St Peter & St Paul, Charing, Kent
Baptisms:
19 Jan 1786 - Frances Harrisson daughter of Robert & Mary Harrisson
6 Dec 1787 - Robert Harrisson son of Robert & Mary Harrisson
23 Dec 1789 - Elisabeth Harrisson daughter of Robert & Mary Harrisson
14 Dec 1791 - George Harrisson son of Robert & Mary Harrisson
11 Dec 1799 - Elisabeth Ann Harrisson daughter of William & Elisabeth
4 Oct 1801 - William Harrisson son of William & Elisabeth Harrisson

Not a single John 

I did find your John Harrisson's burial as below though:

St Mary, Stalisfield, Kent
John Harrisson buried 7 Aug 1881, aged 87yrs, abode: Charing

I couldn't see any Harrison/Harrisson baptisms in Stalisfield itself during the right time period...

Curious....

I guess he could belong to William & Frances Harrisson who had children in Norton & Davington between 1786 & 1805, as the is a gap between 1793-1800 when they could have been in another village perhaps. It is the right time period for your chap who was born abt 1794-96 by the census records and his burial.

Nothing concrete to go on I'm afraid...I'll let you know if anything else turns up

Jenny

[JenClark]

Ok, John...I think there might be a flicker of hope 

I just saw a tree on Ancestry that features William Harrison & Frances Drury (Drewry) who appear to have married on 13 Dec 1783 in Eastling, Kent.

https://www.ancestry.com.au/family-tree/person/tree/71087709/person/432109093105/facts

The tree follows the line of their daughter Frances Harrison born 1788 Norton, Kent who apparently married Robert Whenn on 18 Apr 1818 in St Marylebone, London. The key detail that stood out for me in the tree is that there is a Frances Harrison (born abt 1830 at Throwley) living with this family in the 1851 census

1851 census - Chadwell Heath, Dagenham, Essex
Robert Whenn Head Married 67yrs Shopkeeper b. Norwich, Norfolk
Frances Whenn Wife Married 63yrs b. Norton, Kent
Frances Harrison Niece Unmarried 21yrs House Servant b. Throwley, Kent
John Whenn Son Unmarried 18yrs Carpenter's Apprentice b. Dagenham, Essex

Now Frances also features in her own family's census return in 1851, as Fanny Harrison 22yrs, born Throwley, Kent....but I think it is the same person recorded at both places. She may have been visiting her aunt at the time of the census and was also recorded by her parents at her usual place of abode....this has happened a few times in my own family. I checked the Kent baptisms on Find My Past and there is only one baptism for a Frances Harrison in that time period, and that is on 5th Dec 1830 and she is a daughter to your John & Margaret.

Robert Whenn died in 1859 and the tree states that in his will he names his brother-in-law John Harrison of Throwley, Kent!

There appears to only be one John Harrisson/Harrison living in Throwley in the 1850s and that one is yours 

I can't see the will online anywhere, but perhaps you can contact the tree owner and see if you can get a copy??
If not the probate index is on Ancestry and using the dates and places from that you can order a copy of the relevant documents (usually including a will) for £1.50 through the below link:

https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/#wills

I suggest chasing the children of William Harrison & Frances Drury to see what else might pop up to link your John to this couple.....good luck!

Jenny

[qxjd5]

Again sorry for the delay in responding but Jenny nailed it in her last posts.

My kids gave me an Ancestry DNA test for Christmas and it has just linked me with a descendant of William Harrison and Frances Drury. The dates work as there is a gap between children born in Davington and I reckon John was probably born c. 1796. The Census return for 1881 gave John’s birthplace as Davington (although other censuses gave other places …).

I would have liked a record of his birth but I think after over a decade chasing John’s parents this is strong enough for me to move on to another generation and start tracking down his father William.
 
Many, many thanks to you, Lis and others for all your help.

John

[JenClark]

Hey John,

Great to hear that the DNA has confirmed what I suspected regarding William Harrison & Frances Drury....always lovely to see things dropping into place 

So glad that I could help

Jenny