John Harmon 1750-1838 and Jacob Harmon, Sr.
John Harmon 1750-1838 bought land in Greene Co. Tenn. in 1795. He was a Revolutionary War veteran from Bedford, Co. Va. He left a will written in 1838 in which he names three sons John, Peter and Jacob. His will seems to prove that Jacob Harmon who married Catherine Misemer in 1801 and who died in Greene Co. in 1843, was the son named in the will. DAR memberships have been granted to descendants of that Jacob Harmon on the record of John Harmon who is stated as his father on the applications. None seems to have been questioned.
John Harmon and three men bearing the names of the three sons named in his will were all gun-makers, and pottery was produced on the farms of Peter Harmon and Jacob Harmon. Some of the potters worked both places.
Today I found a posting here from June 7, 1998 which has the following statement that apparently was never challenged:
" This Jacob is not the son of John Harmon (1750-1838)of Greene County, Tennessee. Tax records and deed records verify this."
This statement refers to the Jacob Harmon who married Catherine Misemer.
Can anyone comment or elaborate on this statement? First of all it is difficult for me to understand how kinship is likely to be established by the use of tax records and deeds unless the relationship is spelled out in a deed, which is not common. Normally Census records and wills or Family Bible records would be used for this purpose.