One of my1026 fellow Harris family researchers once indicated to me that William M. Harris, Sr., was the son of William David Harriss, the son of David Harris, the latter from Virginia.  While in Athens, GA I gathered all the material I could on the supposed father and grandfather of William M. Harris.  I could find no document that unquestionably connected the three, yet the documents I copied gives strong circumstantial evidence of a connection.  Hopefully, one day appropriate evidence will emerge.  That would be most satisfying.

Following from Harris researcher Ted McLellan, quoted by Martha Harris Poplin:1027

“William M Harris, age 49 born GA, is in the 1850 census of the southern division of Marshall Co, MS with his wife Lucinda and family but by the time of the 1860 census Lucinda has apparently died and he (age 59 born GA) is in Crittenden Co, AR. He owned 10 slaves (ages 60m, 35m, 25m, 22m, 18f, 16m, 14m, 10f, 2m, 1f according to the Slave Census.) He is listed in that census as W W Harris but it is not uncommon for the census enumerator to misread his field notes and mix up the initials M and W when completing the census form. William's son Cicero Harris is with him as well as M S Harris who is listed as a female in this census but was listed as a male in the 1850 census.

”Also with him is a male who appears to be the one listed with the family in the 1850 census as Henderson Harris, age 22, but is listed here (age 33) with a first name that looks like Iny and a middle initial E.

”The 1870 census of adjacent Cross Co, AR shows W M Harris, age 69 born GA, with a probable new wife, L T, age 38 and two small children, C L (male), age 4, and M H (female), age 1. With them are I E Harris, age 40, and C Harris, age 34. The last two are the same ones with him in the 1860 census.

”William M Harris apparently died before the 1880 census was taken because Edward (I E in 1870), age 51, and Cicero (C in 1870), age 44, and Mary H (M H in 1870), age 11, are listed together, and are still in Cross Co, AR.”

On June 20, 2001, Marvin Harris wrote:1028

I am quite certain that William M. Harris, Sr. is the father of your Felix.  According to Georgia census records, all fits:

1830  Clarke County, Georgia census [p. 312]:
 
4 males under 5 [probably Albert, William M., Jr., Tyree, and Henderson]
1 male under 45--William M. Harris, Sr.
1 female 20-30--Lucinda Scogin Harris ? 
 
1840 Clarke County, Georgia census [p. 208]:
 
2 males under 5 [Jesse P. and Joel M.]
3 males 5-10 [Robert, Felix, and Cicero]
2 males 10-15 [Tyree and Henderson]
2 males 15-20 [Albert H. and William M., Jr.]
1 male 30-45 [William M., Sr.]
1 female under 5 ["Child"]
1 female 30-45 [Lucinda]

1850 Marshall County, Mississippi (p. 216/7, Dwelling #114):
 
Harris, William M. 49m Farmer VRE=$1,800 b. GA
-----, Lucinda 49f b. GA
-----, Albert H. 26m b. GA
-----, Tyree 24m b. GA
-----, Henderson 22m b. GA
-----, Robert 19m b. GA
-----, Felix G. 18m b. GA
-----, Cicero 16m b. GA
-----, Jesse P. 13m b. GA
-----, Joel M. 11m b. GA
-----, M. L. 10m b. GA
 
William M. Harris, Jr. (erroneously listed as William H. Harris) has married and has established his own home.  I assume that the female has died.

1840 Clarke County, Georgia, census for William M. Harris (p. 208):1026

2 males under 5 1 female under 5 6 slaves
3 males 5-10 1 female 30-45
2 males 10-15
2 males 15-20
1 male 30-45
John Espy, age 84, with the family; also Rev. or military service

The ages of the males here match the ages of the William M. Harris family in Marshall County, Mississippi, in the 1850 census. There is also William M. Harris (father of Cincinatus Harris) in this Marshall County, MS, census. Although there were 9 sons in each census, M. L. Harris was born to the William M. Harris, Sr. after the 1840 census, thus making 10 sons in all. By the time of the 1850 census, William M. Harris, Jr. had married and moved out of the household. Hence, this William M. Harris is adjudged to be the father of William M. Harris, father of Cincinatus. The assumption needs to be verified.

On September 26, 1826 William M. Harris and Hendley Harris bought from John H. Richardson for the the sum of $50 sixty-three acres of land on the Oconee River in Clarke County, Georgia. Witnessed by Ransom/Nichols and Richard Richardson, J.P. Recorded April 2, 1844.

Residence in 1828 was Athens, Georgia, for his name appears in a list of names with letters in the Athens, Georgia post office (The Athenian, Vol **. No. 27, Tuesday, July 8, 1828) However, the same newspaper lists him with mail at the Watkinsville post office. The list included W. B. Harris, Osborn Harris, William Harris, and Tyre Harris. This William Harris may not be William M. Harris, of course.

The Estray Records, 1837-1873 in Clarke County, Georgia show that William M. Harris lived in 218 District in 1839: "William M. Harris, 218 District, 23 February 1839, appraised by Henry L. Edwards and Benjamin Davis before William P. Paryear, J. P." (Robert S. Davis, comp. *Records of Clarke, County Georgia 1801-1892, p. 73).

William M. Harris is in a list of men in 1832 for militia fines, 1814-1833. Other sections of the reference book are entitled "Militia Fines and Oaths."

According to the 1850 Marshall County, Mississippi, census, William M. Harris (Sr.) had real estate valued at $1,800.

Susan Nockton says William M. and Lucinda moved with their children to Marshall County, Mississippi in the 1840s. This coincides with the two censuses: 1840 in Clarke County, GA and 1850 in Marshall County, MS.

Date and place of death are reasoned as followed: Though he is on the 1850 Marshall Co, MS census and not on the 1860 Marshall Co, MS census--but his son William M. is--I assume he died before the census and in that county.

In 1840 he had 3 males slaves under 10, 1 male 36-55, 1 female under 10, and 1 female 36-5, for a total of 6 slaves. (1840 Georgia Slave Index)

William M. Harris and family were in Marshall County, Mississippi by 1846, for the tax roll for 1846 was as follows:

William M. Harris--6 slaves under 16 years of age
1 free white poll (20-60 yrs)
1 clock--value $10 @@ 1%
State tax $4.20
William M. Harris, Jr.--1 slave tax $.50
Albert H. Harris--1 free white poll tax $.50
David Harris--1 slave tax $.50

1860 Census of Tyrongee, Critten Co AR

Name Age
W N Harris 59 m farming GA
Ivey E Harris 33 m farming GA
Cicero Harris 25 m farming GA
M D S Harris 20 f GA
W J Noriss 28 m physician VA
Hiet Pucket 20 f MS

1870 Census of Smith, Cross Co AR, Post Office Wittsburg:

Dwelling #173; Family # 242
Name Age
W M Harris 69 m w b GA farmer
L T Harris 38 f w b NC keeping house
C L Harris 4 m w b AR
M H Harris 1 f w b AR

Dwelling #173; Family # 243
Lusk, L. L.  27 f w b GA (Lusk is written over Harris)

Dwelling #173; Family # 244
Louis, M. A. 42 f w b NC

Dwelling #173; Family # 245
Harris, T. E. 40 m w b GA farm labor

Dwelling #173; Family # 246
Harris, C. 34 m w b GA farm labor

From Allen, Randall A., and Danny Knight, comp. Estate Records of Troup County, Georgia 1827-1850. Atlanta: Troup Co Hist Soc-Archives,1987: HENDON, ANDREW Returns G, p. 188 Date: 8 January 1850 Executor: Gillum Scogin Return, 1849. Slave: Larkin. NOTE: The returns state that Andrew Hendon held funds for Lucinda (Wife of William M. Harris), which were her legacy from the estate of Robinson Hendon. [p. 139]

Although the Goodspeed biography of Edward Harris reported that Lucinde lived until 1879, this was probably in error, since Lucinda was absent in the 1870 census record.