One immigrant was Burr Harrison (1637-1706), the eldest son of Cuthbert Harrison of Winchester, England. Burr immigrated to Virginia and settled in Stafford County. Burr Harrison married Lettice, the widow of Edward Smith and became guardian to her children: William, Edward, and Katherine Smith.
Another Harrison (Benjamin, 1673-1710, Surry County), was the great-grandfather of William Henry Harrison of Berkeley Plantation, who became President of the United States in 1840. In 1888, his grandson, Benjamin Harrison, also became President.
Because many of the parish and court records of this period in Virginia have been destroyed, the first identified immigrant of our branch of the family is Rebecca _____. Her name appears with her son Gabriel in court records of 1675 when she takes responsibility for his debts. Researchers believe this Gabriel was descended from William Harrison, her husband.
Her son Gabriel Harrison (c. 1657-aft. 1747) had a son of the same name. This second Gabriel Harrison (c. 1680 - aft. 1747) married Grace Edwards, perhaps the daughter of John Edwards. Their three sons were Nathaniel, Arthur, and Benjamin.
Nathaniel Harrison (c. 1718 - 1796) married Olive Smith. (see Smith, C. ) Their children were Nathaniel, Gabriel, Charles, Cuthbert, Olive, and Polly.
Olive Harrison (1754- after 1818), daughter of Nathaniel and Olive, married Stephen Smith (c. 1755-1818) the son of Cuthbert Smith and his first wife, Tabitha Jones whose parents were Tabitha Bird and Richard Jones. Their children were Harrison K., Sterling W., John I., Cuthbert, Gabriel, Elizabeth (Pearson), Martha K., Olive (Turbifield), Rebekah M., and Stephen A.
The daughter, Elizabeth "Nanny" Smith (see Smith, N. ) married Drury Pearson .
The relationship between these
two Smith families, if any, and whether they in turn had an earlier relation
to the Harrison family, is not known. The unusual name of Cuthbert is shared
by the Burr Harrison (who was the guardian of the Smith children of his
wife) and Gabriel Harrison family