Harris Family History


Harris
   The name Harris has a history dating as far back as the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 when the culture from which this family sprang arrived on British soil. It was a name for a person who was the son of the ruler of the property upon which he lived. Initially, le Herisse, the name came to England with the Norman Conquest, and is of Old French derivation. Another derivation, which is probably more common shows that the name is a version of the Old English given name Harry. Although both derivations are valid time has confused them and historians now disagree on which is appropriate in a given situation. First found in Derbyshire where they had been granted lands by William the Conqueror for their assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D.
   The Coat of Arms is a gold shield with three silver mullets on a blue wavy bend between a red cross formy in chief and a green trefoil in base.
The family motto: "Fidelitas et liberalitas."
   Our lineage to this family can be traced back to PHILIP HARRIS of Virginia, who had a daughter named SARAH HARRIS. She married LAMBETH (or LAMBERT) DODSON, SR. (b. 1689 in Richmond County, Virginia), between 1720 and 1723.
   Starting around 1750, people from eastern Virginia began moving into an area along the Dan River in southern Virginia, and Dodson families joined the early migration, according to a small booklet for land entries in Halifax and Pittsylvania (formed from Halifax in 1766). Lambeth apparently left Richmond before 1739, as his name disappears from the record there. But in the 11th of November, 1747, he had acquired a 190 acre plat on Falling Creek, Halifax County. In the same book (Plat Book 1), is a plat for 400 acres on Sandy Creek, dated 17 Feb 1755. (Both locations are in the present Henry and Patrick counties.) From here the Dodson family would spread throughout the South.
   Lambeth and Sarah had the following children:

CHILDREN OF LAMBETH DODSON AND SARAH HARRIS

  • LAMBETH DODSON, JR., was born around 1710.
  • MARY DODSON was born on 3 Apr 1724.
  • ISAAC DODSON was born in 1730. He married Jennet Aubrey (?). Children: Joshua Dodson b: BEF 1768 in Pittsylvania Co.,Va.
  • ANN "NANCY" DODSON was born on 20 Jul 1734
  • JOHN DODSON was born in 1721, and died in White County, Tenn. (age 109 ??). Wife unknown. He had a son, Jesse, born in 1784 who had Samuel born 1831 who lived in Van Buren County, Tenn. A Rev. Jesse lived in Grainger, Hawkins and Claiborne counties, Tenn. and ended up in McMinn and Polk counties, Tenn.
  • CHARLES DODSON. A small booklet for land entries in Halifax and Pittsylvania (formed from Halifax in 1766) lists Charles as a land owner in 1753. Charles first appears on his own in an early North Carolina tax list, in Rowan County, in 1768, and then again in the 1771 tax list of Surry County, North Carolina, when he is taxed for two polls (Reuben and John Dodson were also on the list). In 1772, he was assessed for three polls (Reuben remains on the list, but John is gone) the Surry co. tax lists for 1773 are missing, but in 1774, Charles is not listed (through Reuben remains) in Charles McAnally's District.
  • DANIEL DODSON married a Harris. Daniel appears on the 1782 Virginia tax list with a family of nine.
  • GEORGE DODSON is listed as living alone in the 1782 Virginia tax list.
  • GENEALOGY

    PHILIP HARRIS begat...

    SARAH HARRIS, who married LAMBETH DODSON, SR. (b. Abt : 1670) and begat...

    LAMBETH DOTSON, JR., who married ELIZABETH (?) and begat...

    CHARLES DOTSON who begat...

    REUBEN DOTSON (1775-1869), who married SARAH ESTEP (b. 1781) and begat...

    JORDAN DOTSON (1805-1887), who married MARY "POLLY" WILSON (1807-1901) and begat...

    GEORGE W. DOTSON (1835 - 1877), who married NANCY JANE DAUGHERTY (b. 1843) and begat...

    HARRISON DOTSON (1862 - 1938), who married ARMINDA WOLFORD and begat...

    WILLIE DOTSON (b. 1884), who married NANCY McCOY (1887-1960) and begat...

    GREEN JR. DOTSON (1921-1957), who married JACQULENE BALDRIDGE (1926-2003) and begat...

    TERRY LEE DOTSON (b. 12 May 1950), who married CYNTHIA ANN PALMER (b. 03 Jan 1951) and begat...

    LORI ANN DOTSON (b. 07 Oct 1973), who married JEFFREY HAUSE (b. 07 Jun 1961).