The Harpers - A Family of Settlers
Early Settlers in Obion County, Tennessee
Biography Copyright 1998, Dorothy Chance
Accounts of an early wagon train arriving in Obion County from York County, SC
on February 17, 1825, include the names of James Harper (probably the leader of the wagon
train), his son-in-law, Samuel Hutchison, Mrs. Roseanna Harper and her son-in-law, William
Hutchison.
One account of this pioneer wagon train as later reported in the Centennial History
of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church of Troy, tells us that the train, which left
York Co., SC on the week before Christmas in 1824, "consisted in the aggregate of
43 souls, white and black."
James Harper was born April 23, 1777 in South Carolina, the grandson of William Harper who
emigrated from Ireland to South Carolina in December, 1767 and the son of Benjamin Harper
who accompanied his father William to the new world.
William Harper and his wife, Margaret, were among a relatively small number of multi
generational families who came as a group to America from Ireland during the great Scotch
Irish migrations.
Arriving aboard the ship The Earl of Donegal in Charleston Harbor on that
December day in 1767 were William Harper, age 63 and his wife Margaret, age 56; Benjamin
Harper, age 30 and his wife Martha, age 24 and their 4 year old son William; Robert
Harper, age 25 and his wife Agnes and their 6 year old son, John; Daniel Harper, age 20;
William Jr., age 18, James, age 16; John Harper, age 14 and Jane Harper, age 11.
The Harpers quickly applied for and received land grants in the the upcountry of South
Carolina where they were members of the old Waxhaw Presbyterian Church.
The second generation of this family of American Harpers were occupied with the
Revolutionary War and were divided in allegiance. Two of William's sons were
Tories. Benjamin, the father of James, was a Patriot. Benjamin was married to
Martha Knox, who's father had been on board The Earl of Donegal with the Harpers when
coming to America.
When their son, James, moved westward to Obion County, he also was accompanied by extended
family. His daughter, Mary Harper, was married to Samuel
Hutchison. Rossana Harper was the widow of James' brother, Henry Harper, and
her daughter Jane was married to William Hutchison. Another of Rossana's daughters,
Mary L. Harper married James B. Hogue in Obion Co., on October 9, 1833. (Later known
as "Aunt Polly Hogue," Mary's account of the earliest days of this community in
Obion County is recounted in her obituary where she was reported as the last living
survivor of the group who made the pioneer journey together.)
Another of James' sisters, Mary, was married to John Linn. Whether John and Mary
Linn came with the wagon train or not, they were also early poineers of Obion County where
John Linn's name appears in the 1830 census as well as in the Obion County Court Records
as a juror in the January term of 1834. Another Linn, Andrew, died in Obion Co. and his
estate was administered by James Harper.
James and Nancy Harper had 7 children.
Living In Obion County, T.J. and his wife Eliza McAlister had 8 children: Benjamin Knox
and his wife Margaret Elizabeth Smith also had 8 children. Martha S. and her husband,
Charles McAlister had 11 children; Mary and her husband Samuel Hutchison had one
daughter, Nancy, born September 18, 1837. James B. and his wife Susan B. Maupin were also
among these prominent citizens leaving for us a rich heritage. The other two,
William and Robert are said to have become doctors and moved on to Texas.
Another Harper found in Obion County at the time was Moses Harper, possibly the son
of James, Sr's brother William. Robert Harper shared the family prominence, but the
relationship to the rest of this family is unknown to this writer.
James Harper died December 17, 1838. He and his wife Nancy are buried in the Hogue
Cemetery which is a small family cemetery about two miles north and a little west of
Troy. It was unkept and overgrown in 1960 when located and visited by Turner Edward
Kirkland, a descendant living in Union City.
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