Melvin T. Harmon who drew up the Harmon Family Tree made these statements:
"I have found three positive statements that neither John Harmon or his wife, Elizabeth, were born in 1617. 1. Elizabeth died 1699. 2. She was over 90 years old when she died. 3. She was ten years older than John."
He then states that Elizabeth was probably born about 1609 and John in 1619. He gives no surname to Elizabeth.
When I published my first book, My Harmon Heritage--Descendants of John Harmon and Elizabeth Southwell, I had no idea what a Pandora's box I was opening. Upon being challenged for sources of Elizabeth's maiden name, I found that my only source was a naive "This is the way it has always been in my family's records." Since that time I have been trying to discover if Elizabeth could be a Southwell or if she was a Cummings or a Potter or a Sampson as others have suggested. I will examine some of my findings here:
The Ancestral File favorite by far for Elizabeth's surname is Cummings. My research has shown that Elizabeth Cummings did indeed marry a John Harmon. However, contrary to the Ancestral File, her John was NOT our John Harmon.
Quoting Artemus Harmon from Harmon Genealogy--Comprising All Branches in New England printed by Gibson Bros., Inc. Washington, D.C. 1920 page 138:
"John Harmon was one of the few persons in Saco [Maine] who owned horses in 1674. Carriages were unknown. On July 28, 1674, Richard Cummings, John Harmon, and others with their horses were allowed use of Humphrey Scammon's ferry, near the mouth of Saco River. In a list of the inhabitants of Saco dated July 5, 1653, no Harmons appear.Elizabeth Harmon, born at Old Orchard, the only dau. of Richard Cummings, m. 1st her cousin, John Foxwell, and after his death she m. John Harmon, previous to 1680. Mr. Harmon became the sole heir to that part of the Boynthon Patent which fell to the wife of Cummings. The dau., Elizabeth, an only child of John Harmon and his wife, Elizabeth, m. Joseph Banks, of York, to which place Harmon removed before 1690. Banks thus acquired Harmon's right, but in 1714 conveyed one half of it to Peter Weare and others. John Harmon and Thomas Cummings were the administrators of the estate of Richard Cummings, who d. abt 1676. Thomas did not long survive his father. John Harmon was sent by Saco, as Deputy to the Assembly in 1681."
The John Harmon who married Elizabeth Cummings is a son of James.1
This John was born abt 1650 and married in 1673 Elizabeth Cummings Foxwell. John married 2nd in York, Me., abt 1675 Deborah Johnson. He died in York, Maine in 1695. John Harmon and Elizabeth Cummings had one child, Elizabeth. A descendant of this daughter supplied the information that Artemus Harmon used in his book. (See pg. 139 last paragraph.)Someone has given the birthdates of our Elizabeth and John to this Elizabeth and her John and that is how the Ancestral file record reads.
As mentioned previously, I have no documentation to prove the origin of the Southwell Elizabeth as John's wife. Later generations of Harmon married into the Southwell family. According to Savage's Dictionary of First Settlers, the Southwells did not come to America until much later--abt 1721. They did, however, come to the Suffield area at that time and Harmons married into the family. I have revised my book so the second edition will not carry the Southwell surname for Elizabeth.
The Ancestral File has an Elizabeth Sampson, daughter of Henry and Anne Plummer Sampson. Elizabeth is married (according to the Ancestral File) to John Harmon, son of Francis. Her husband John has a birthdate (approximated) of 1623 and almost the same death date as our John. Hers is 3 Mar 1661. We have 7 Mar 1661 both at Springfield, Hampden, Massachusetts. This Elizabeth was born when her father was about 13 years old if the estimated dates are correct.
I have the following reservations about this Elizabeth:
1. There is a question mark by her name in the Ancestral File.
2. The estimated ages do not seem to be logical. Our Elizabeth was born
probably between 1609 and 1617. She died in 1699--supposedly 90+ years
old.
3. This John and Elizabeth had a daughter, Sarah Jane Harmon born abt 1651
in Plymouth, MA. Our John was having children in Springfield,
Massachusetts in 1651.
4. Sarah Jane married in New Jersey and raised her children there. None
of our John's descendants that we know lived in New Jersey.
5. It appears to me that Elizabeth Sampson and her husband, John Harmon,
have been assigned the death dates and place of our John and Elizabeth.
In order for this Elizabeth to have been over 90 years old at her death
as was the Springfield Elizabeth, she would have been born abt 1609 or
before. Elizabeth Sampson's father--according to the Ancestral File was
born 1610. Henry Sampson's father has a complete birthdate of 24 Jun
1575--making him 45 years old when Henry was born--not impossible, but
somewhat questionable.
6. Therefore, could it be possible that Henry was born earlier? If so,
then he may be old enough to be the father of a daughter born in 1609.
This needs further research.
7. It has been suggested that Elizabeth Sampson might be a second wife of
our John. This is not possible because our John's wife outlived him by
38 years.
8. I think the biggest drawback is that Sarah Jane married Captain Samuel
Doty. Our John's Sarah married Charles Ferry and her family is well
documented.
In the Book, Goff-Davis Ancestral Lines--The Ancestry of Moulton Babcock Goff and his wife, Agnes Hopkins Davis, Lois B. Goff suggests that Elizabeth may be a Potter--a relative of Vincent Potter. Goff's sources are currently being investigated.
Who is Elizabeth, the wife of John of Springfield and Suffield?
With that mystery remains another mystery--who are John's parents? Is our John the son of Francis as has been supposed?
According to Walter Goodwin Davis, author of The Ancestry of Lydia Harmon 1755-1836. 1924 Stanhope Press. Boston, page 4 there are several possible Johns:
1. John, a son of Edmund Harmon of London was apprenticed to Francis Cooke
of Plymouth for seven years in 1634; his name appears on the records of
Plymouth in 1643 and 1645. In 1657 he was at Duxbury; in 1662 and 1665
he obtained grants of land from Plymouth; selling both in 1669. There is
no evidence that this John had a wife and family. In his later years he
became decrepit and in 1680 there was a debate before the court whether
the town of Taunton or Plymouth should care for him.
2. John (age 12) the son of Francis (age 43); with sister, Sarah age 7
were passengers from England on the "Love" in 1635. Where did this
Francis settle? There was a Francis made a freeman on 6 May 1646; A
Francis and wife Sarah were at Medfield with children born between 1651
and 1667 among them a son, John born 6 Apr 1651. This Francis is
unlikely the same as the emigrant as this Medford man died in 1692--when
the emigrant would have been 100 years old. The son, John born in 1651
is fully accounted for in Medfield records and the name of this family
has gradually become Hammant.
3. John Harmon settled in Springfield in 1644 with wife, Elizabeth and two
children, John and Samuel and had other children recorded between 1645
and 1657. He died 7 May 1661 and his wife married Anthony Dorchester.
This is our ancestor. I think it is interesting that Mr. Davis lists him
as a separate individual from the John who emigrated with Francis. This
John also had a son, John, who married Mary Dorchester and is fully
accounted for.
4. A Nathaniel Harmon of Braintree married Mary Bliss of Rehoboth and her
father, Thomas, mentions them in his will in 1647. He had children in
Braintree in 1640 and 1642 and numerous others after 1652. Mr. Davis
feels that Nathaniel is the ancestor of his John who later settled in
Maine. The John Harmon, founder of the Wells-Scarborough Harmon family
has never been fully identified. He married a daughter of William
Roberts of Oyster River, New Hampshire, by the name of Sarah. In 1667 he
was a servant to John Symonds of Kittery and in 1675 was a soldier in the
Narrangansett Fort fight with the Indians. In 1677 he was granted land
in Wells, Maine and in 1726 moved to Scarborough.
It is not helpful that so much error has been perpetuated through the years. This type of research requires original sources which may not be available at this time. The fact that Elizabeth Cummings and Elizabeth Southwell have been named mothers of our John's children has compounded the error. Artemus Harmon's record of Elizabeth Cummings which distinctly names her children needs to be brought to the attention of the submitters of the Cummings surname as that of our John. It is easy to eliminate Sarah Sampson as she has different children and a different locality than our John. Your help and input is most appreciated.
1 James Harmon, the immigrant, was born probably in England and came to Saco, Maine when it was first settled. He married Sarah Clarke, daughter of Edward Clark and Barbara. Harmon, Artemus. The Harmon Genealogy. Gibson Bros., Inc. Washington, D.C. 1920.