Individual Details

This record is obviously the father Jacob, his brothers Adam & Valentine, and others closely associated with this family at New River.
Order Book 1, Augusta Co
19 Nov 1746 Road from Adam Harmon's to the River. Adam Harmon, overseer with these workers: Geo. Draper, Israel Lorton & son George, Thos. Looney, Jacob Hermon and three sons, Jacob Castle, John Lane, Valentine Harmon, Adren Moser, etc.

This record of Jacob could have been either the father Jacob who was killed in 1756, or his son who apparently married Israel Lorton's daughter Sarah, but I believe it to be the younger Jacob.
18 Jun 1752. Jacob Lorton & Jacob Harmon's bond as administrators of Israel Lorton. Sureties Tobias Bright & Wm English.

Not this Jacob but included here for clarity:
Augusta County Order Book VI
16 Aug 1758 Jacob Harmon took the oaths and naturalized. [only the Jacob killed by Indians in 1756 can be excepted from being this Jacob - that leaves at least three living Jacobs. Two, father and son, living at Peaked Mountain, and the younger Jacob at New River that could have been naturalized.] There may well have been others.

In 1751 Jacob Harman took up 160 acres on the headwaters of Neck Creek, but he likely never made any improvements on it. There are reports of an old family cemetery but it is more likely that of the Cecil family. Jacob’s son, Jacob Harman, Jr., was already settled on Tom’s Creek, when he and his wife, Sarah, sold the Neck Creek land in 1773 and it became part of the Samuel Cecil estate.

Related Deeds from 1754 and 1768 show that a Jacob Harmon did live on the New River near the Lortons and he was not killed by Indians in 1756. He is listed as Jacob Harmon Jr, in 1754 and in 1768 the deed states that the tract had been his since 1754 - and his wife's name was Sarah.
2 Feb 1754 Patton to Jacob Harmon JR, 625 acres, Tom's Creek, Jacob Lorton
10 Feb 1754 Jacob Harmon to Wm Byers, 170 acres conveyed to Harmon by Patton 1 Feb 1754 on Tom's Creek.
and then
23 Feb 1768. Jacob Harmon and Sarah to Joseph McDonald. 455 acres, part of tract conveyed to said Jacob by Col. James Patton, 2nd Feb 1754 on Toms Creek of New River, corner William Byers, corner Lorton's land now James Bane's, by the Beaver Dams.
The 170 acres sold to Byers in 1754 and the 455 acres sold to McDonald in 1768, totals the 625 bought from Patton.

There is a record of a hunting party to Kentucky [Longhunters] 1767-69 from an unknown source, posted on the VaGenWeb, Tazewell Co, website. Said to consist of Morris Griffith [for whom Morris Knob is named]; James Burke [who discovered Burke's Garden]; Moses Higgenbotham; Rees Bown; Thomas Maxwell; Wm Webb; James Moore; John Pogue; John Ridgel; Wm Wynne; Wm Butler; Jesse Evans; Elisha Cary; Wm Webb; John Taylor; David Ward; Peter Harmon; Samuel Ferguson; Wm Garrison; James Ogleton; Wm Wynne; Jacob Harmon; Wm Harmon; Benjamin Joslin; Wm Asbury.
Maxwell and Joslin were both later associated with the Harmons in Kentucky.

This is probably Sarah Lorton's brother who also had land from Patton, bought and sold at about the same time:
2 Feb 1768 Jacob Lorton and Lydia his wife sold to James Bane/Byar, 560 acres they had received by deed from James Patton, 2 Feb 1754 on Tom's Creek, a pine by the Beaver Dams, corner to Jacob Harman's land; corner to the Price's land. Wit: William Preston, Robert Lusk, George Dair, Thomas Tosh, Daniel McNeill, Robert Cowan, John Buchanan, Francis Smith, Robert Breckinridge, Thomas Loyd, Peter Wright.

17 Aug 1769 Settlement of the estate of Col. James Patton, William Thompson , an executor. Included cash of Doctor Walker on account of Jacob Harmon in full of the Horseshoe Bottom. Cash of Jacob Lorton.

It is also believed that Jacob went on a Longhunter expedition in 1769 with a large company including James Dysart, Obadiah Terrel, John Baker [my ancestor] and others.

In 1770, a Jacob Harmon was taxed in Fincastle Co with two other males over age 16. His son Jacob testified years later to a birth date of 2 Mar 1755, so he could have had two older brothers - one was certainly Israel. Jacob was close enough to 16 that his father might have counted him.

In 1771, Jacob released his interest in his deceased father's 1000 acres on Pine Run in Montgomery County because of non-settlement and non-payment, but in 1776, he and Valentine Harmon made an agreement with William Preston to have possession of the Pine Run land for another year. By 1778, William Sayers [or Sawyers[ was in possession of this tract.

In 1773, Jacob and his wife Sarah sold the Neck Creek land that had been his father's as noted earlier.
Jacob Harman, Jr. had purchased his lands on Tom’s Creek from James Patton in 1754, but divided the tract and sold 170 acres to Byars, and the remaining 455 acres to the McDonalds, and the junior Harman left the Tom’s Creek neighborhood.

[Fincastle] “16 Aug 1773 – Jacob Harman son & heir at law to Jacob Harmond dec’d and Sarah his wife of Fincastle Co for the one part and Nathaniel Morgan of Fincastle for the other part. For 30 pounds current money of VA Harman sells to Morgan a tract of land containing 160 acres in Fincastle on a branch of New River called Neck Creek .
Witnesses: Stephen Trigg, Daniel Trigg
Recorded: Nov 1773 on oath from Stephen Trigg, Daniel Trigg and William Ingless ordered to be recorded. John Byrd.
Montgomery Co VA DB A


Jacob is said to have married Sarah Lorton. The Lortons and Harmans did live in close proximity. A marriage license was issued in Augusta Co, Jun 15, 1751, to Jacob Harman. [This record does not name the bride and could also be the younger Jacob living near Peaked Mountain in the northern part of Augusta Co., and has been attached to several different marriages - but the timing seems about right for this particular Jacob.] The Lorton researchers say Sarah was a daughter of Israel Lorton whose wife's name was Rachel. She had a brother, Jacob Lorton. Records are found in the Chalkley Chronicles naming both Israel and Jacob Lorton in connection with the New River settlement.

There was a case recorded in the Chronicles that locates the Lorton family and relationships with neighbors.
March & part of May, 1753
Michael & Augustine Price vs. Lorton and Patton. In July 1748, the Prices agreed with Israel Lorton to purchase from Lorton, land on New River. Lorton had bought 3 tracts from James Patton. 1 - 400 acres at the mouth of Jones [Tom's] Creek, where Lorton entered and improved, called Lorton's First Improvement; 2 - 400 acres at Horse Shoe Bottom called Lorton's Second Improvement, 3 - 400 acres at Beaver Dam.
The Prices bought the 1st and 2d tracts in 1751. Tract 1 is in possession of Michael Price & Philip Horloes; Tract 2 is in possession of Augustine Price and his brothers Daniel & Henry Price. An amended bill was filed, but Israel Lorton died. Jacob Lorton and Jacob Harman were Lorton's administrators.


Jacob Harman was on the tax list in Montgomery Co in 1782, but probably moved to Lincoln Co KY the next year. In 1787, he was living next to Valentine Harmon in Lincoln Co.
23 Jun 1787: Valentine Harmon - 1 tithe over 21, 2 slaves, 3 horses, 23 head of cattle
23 Jun 1787: Jacob Harmon - 1 tithe over 21, 1 tithe 16-21, no slaves, 2 horses, 25 head of cattle.
Three of Jacob's children were listed in Lincoln Co that same year - Israel, Jacob Jr and son-in-law Jonathan Taylor married to his daughter Lovis.

Lincoln Co KY
21 Aug 1787 Valentine Harmon was to pay Jacob Harmon 225 pounds of tobacco for nine days attendance and traveling 100 miles as a witness for him at the suit of Bohannon’s executors.

In 1788, Jacob had only the 1 title, no slaves, 2 horses. Recorded 30 Oct along with Valentine
1789. Both Jacob & Valentine recorded on July 19. Again Jacob had a single tithe and 2 horses
1790. List is difficult to read
1791. One Jacob Harmon recorded on 12 Sept and another on 13 Sept with identical entries - 1 tithe over 21, 2 horses [Since Jacob Jr has been listed previously, presumably one of these entries his his
1792 On List 3 - 5th of Dec Jacob has 1 tithe, 2 horses, 8 cows and 80 acres and was recorded next to Jacob Harmon - 1 tithe, 4 horses, 10 head of cattle, 200 acres.
1793. List seems incomplete. No Jacobs listed.
1794. On List 3 - Jacob Jr has 1 tithe, 5 horses, 7 cows, 250 acres and another Jacob has no horses, 7 cows, and 80 acres [this must be Jacob Sr.]
1795 12 May. Jacob Jr., 1 tithe, 4 horses, 9 cows, 200 acres on Dicks River and the next entry is Jacob Sr., 2 tithe, 3 horses, 5 cows, no land
1796 List again seems incomplete. No Harmons.
1797 11 March. Jacob Harmon Jun, 200 acres Dicks River, 1 tithe, 4 horses and next
Jacob Harmon Sr, 1 tithe, 1 horse, no land
1798 Records missing
1799 12 May Jacob Harmon, no land, 1 tithe, 3 horses. No Jacob Sr, but Stephen listed.
1800 Jacob Harmon, 200 acres Dicks River, 1 tithe, 5 horses next to Stephen Harmon.
1801 8 Jun Jacob Harmon Sr, 1 tithe, no land but listed next to Jacob Jr. with the usual 200 acres on Dicks River (entered by Joseph Bledsoe), 1 tithe 4 horses


Pulaski was actually formed out of Green & Lincoln Counties in 1798.
The 1799 Tax list, Pulaski Co KY
Jacob Harmon, 100 acres, Sinking Creek, Entered & surveyed for Wm Harmon.
2 males over 21; 2 males 16-21; 2 horses
It is speculated that the two young males were Jacob's grandsons Stephen & Samuel - another reason that they were thought possible children of William and not Israel. The truth is - they could be anyone, related or not.

By 1800, Jacob was not claiming the land and had 2 males over age 21, 3 horses.

1800 Second Census of Kentucky Online at Ancestry.com, which is actually a tax list since there is no existing census for Kentucky in 1800.
Jacob Harmon was listed as paying tax in Pulaski Co, 28 July 1800.

After that year, Jacob appears to have gone to Livingston Co where his son Israel was living. He was still alive in 1803.
Court Records Livingston County, KY
6 Jun 1803
Ordered that Jacob Harmon be exonerated from paying poll tax on account of Infirmity.

Birth	Ca 1730	Pennsylvania
Marriage	15 Jun 1751	Augusta County, Virginia - Sarah Lorton
Death	Aft 1803	Livingston County, Kentucky

Spouse	Sarah Lorton ( - )
Child	Israel Harmon (1754 - 1805)
Child	Jacob Harmon III (New River) (1755 - 1839)
Child	John Harmon (1757 - )
Child	William Harmon (1758 - )
Child	Lovis Harmon (1760 - )
Child	Rebecca Harmon (1762 - 1819)
Child	Valentine Harmon (1769 - 1799)
Child	Mary Harmon (1771 - )
Child	Rachel Harmon (1774 - )

Father	Jacob Harmon (New River) (1705 - 1756)
Sibling	?Adam Harmon ( - 1756)
Sibling	Peter Harmon (1732 - 1800)
Sibling	Christina Harmon (1738 - )
Sibling	Valentine Harmon (1740 - 1808)
Sibling	William Harmon (1745 - )
Sibling	John Harmon (1748 - )