HARMON, (or Herman or Harman), Christian, of Westmoreland Co PA

Catherine Harmon was born 16 Mar 1764 and died in New Richmond, Ohio, 21 Jul 1833. She was probably married in Westmoreland Co PA about 1782 to Jacob Light. It has long been thought she was one of two Catherine Harmons known to have been in Westmoreland co PA. Now in 2017, DNA evidence indicates she was the daughter of Christian Harmon and his wife Christina Magdalena Lenhard.

Philip Harman and Christian Harmon each had a daughter named Catherine Harmon (or Harman) in Westmoreland Co PA. Both fathers died about 1777-1779, and both girls received an amount of money at the settlements of the estates. Catherine Harman, daughter of Philip, received 230 pounds, 6 shillings, 5 1/2 pence from her father’s estate. Westmoreland County Petition Docket 4 Dec 1779. Catherine Harman, daughter of Christian, received a one-eleventh share of her father’s estate, 2 May 1780, that is, 1 pound, 8 shillings, ¾ pence. The obvious difference in the Catherines is that one was fairly wealthy, and the other had nearly no inheritance.

Both families usually spelled their names Harman. Note that Jacob Light and his wife Catherine Harmon did not name any of their children Philip, Andrew, Barbara, Christian or Christina.

 

Christian Herman, or Harmon, or Harman, is believed to be the baby born and baptized 25 Dec 1725 in Erdmannsweiler, Villingen, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany, son of Johann Georg and Catharina (Schuler) Herman. He died in Hempfield Twp, Westmoreland Co PA on 17 Feb 1779. He was buried in Old Harrod’s Reformed Church Cemetery, Grange, Sewickly, PA.

Christian and his father Johannes likely arrived in Philadelphia in 1752.

On 4 Nov 1756 in Franconia Twp, Montgomery Co PA, he married Christina Magdalena Lenhart, daughter of Johann Peter and Anna Maria Margaretha (Becker) Lenhart. Her gravestone reads that she died 4 May 1820, aged 91, therefore, born ca 1728 likely in Germany. Her father immigrated ca 1748. After Christian’s death, his widow married Ernest Frederick Dumboldt, possibly ca 1783.

Frederick’s will was written 15 Dec 1790 and mentions the “children of my first wife,” calling several but not all by their names, and his youngest stepchildren Frederick and Barbara Herman. Frederick was the chief beneficiary of the will. He did not name his stepdaughter Catherine Light who was in Detroit or Western Ohio by the time of the will.

The children of Christian and Christina are believed to have been:

1. Christina HARMON, b 6 Oct 1757, Indianfield, Montgomery Co PA, died 29 May 1838 Jacksonville, Indiana Co PA, married Frederick Marchand.

2. Peter HARMON, b 23 Mar 1759, Indianfield, Montgomery Co PA

3. Anna Elizabeth HARMON, b 2 May 1763, died 8 Feb 1826 Westmoreland Co PA, married Jacob Byerly.

4. Anna Maria HARMON, b 2 Jul 1762, Lancaster Co PA, died 12 Apr 1848 Westmoreland Co PA, married Philip Michael Byerly.

5. Catherine HARMON, born on 16 Mar 1764. Catherine died in New Richmond OH, on 21 Jul 1833 of cholera. About 1782, she married Jacob LIGHT, son of John LIGHT & Catherine –?–, probably in Westmoreland Co PA. Born on 10 Aug 1757 in PA, Jacob died in New Richmond, Clermont Co OH, on 13 May 1831. They had the following children:
i. Elizabeth (1783-1858)
ii. Mary (1785-1859)
iii. John (1787-1872)
iv. Susannah (1789-1858)
v. Daniel (1791-1874)
vi. Catherine (1793-1846)
vii. Samuel (1796-1797)
viii. Jacob (1798-1870)
ix. David (1800-1888)
x. Peter (1803-1880)
xi. Benjamin (1805-1874)

6. Anna Margaretha HARMON, b 18 Jun 1766, Lancaster [now Lehigh Co] PA, died 1820 Westmoreland Co PA, married Francis Byerly. She is sometimes called Maria Magdalena Harmon.

7. Frederick HARMON, b 16 Oct 1769, Westmoreland Co PA, died 30 Oct 1854, Fairfield Co OH, married Elizabeth Margaretha Boyer.

8. Maria Barbara HARMON, b 9 Sep 1773, Westmoreland Co PA, d. 3 Mar 1870, Indiana Co PA, married Christian HOOVER, b 10 Feb 1776, Brothersvalley Twp, Somerset Co PA, d 20 Feb 1850, Armstrong Co PA Their children:
i. Madelin HOOVER
ii. Samuel HOOVER, b. 8 Sep 1796
iii. George HOOVER, b. 24 May 1799
iv. Catherine HOOVER, b. bef 1800
v. Philip HOOVER, b. ca 1892
vi. Christian HOOVER, b. 6 Oct 1809

 

Although probably not our ancestor, I will continue to include the documentation I have for the second Harmon family of Westmoreland County.

Philip Harmon, or Harman, was born about 1740 in Germany and died by scalping in 1777, Four Mile Run, Westmoreland Co PA. Letters of Administration were granted to his widow on 19 Sep 1778. His wife’s name was Barbara Lutz; an unidentified source says she remarried and had six more children.

Philip’s death was described in a biographical sketch written about his son, Andrew Philip Harman, who was captured and lived some time among the Indians, entitled “The Andrew Phillip Harman/Harmon Family from Germany to Westmoreland County,” as follows:
“Andrew Phillip Harman was b. ca 1740 in Germany. He was among the early settlers in Westmoreland County and settled there in violation of the law which forbade settlement of a section until it was first purchased from the Indians. He and his family settled in Western Pennsylvania in the 1760’s and tradition says they had little else but a rifle, an ax, and a mattock and that the first summer they lived in a hut built against a rock. He came with his wife Elizabeth [sic], his sons Andrew, John, and Phillip, and his daughter Elizabeth. Andrew and his family were the first white men to settle in this valley. When neighbors finally came the dangers increased because while the indians might ignore one lone family they could not be expected to do so when his neighbors became more numerous.
“The Harmans lived between Stahlstown and Donegal on Four Mile Run. Living where they were, they couldn’t transport grain from the east for bread and were glad if they could get enough for seed for their crops. They lived on the product from their garden, wild berries and fruits, and game.
“In 1777, Andrew Harman and three of his neighbors were returning from a sale north of the area when they were attacked by Indians and killed. One of the men lived long enough to ride away on his horse and was found the next day by his neighbors.
“Harman’s widow and three sons moved to their blockhouse over the winter and in the spring tried to resume clearing and planting the land. One morning Elizabeth Harman saw some neighbors’ horses in a field of grain and sent the two oldest boys (the oldest, Andrew, was only 14) to drive them off. Three hostile Indians were lying in wait and captured John, but Andrew ran towards their cabin. The Indians overtook him and asked if there were other men in the cabin and he said there were – a lie that probably saved the lives of his family. They started down Four Mile Run and were able to capture a young horse which they used to carry utensils and skins they had with them.
“On the journey one of the Indians showed they boys a pocket wallet which they recognized at once. When asked where they had gotten it the Indians replied that they had taken it from a white man they had killed the year before. It was their father’s wallet and at least one of the Indians had been among those that had killed their father the year before.
“Andrew and John soon learned they had been captured by Senecas. John died the first winter after they were captured of a sickness which also killed many of the tribe. Andrew lived and was adopted by the Chief, Cornplanter, and lived with them about five years.
“After the old chief’s death they sold Andrew to an English officer for a bottle of rum. He lived a year or two in England and then was exchanged at the end of the Revolutionary War and sent to New York. He made his way home from there and walked into his mother’s home six years after his capture. Everyone had given him up for dead and settlers came from miles around to see him.
“Andrew married Catherine Sandles in 1790 but he never lost his love for the wilderness and spent much of his free time hunting and fishing until he died at the age of 74 in 1838. Andrew and Catherine had eight children, three girls and five boys.
“The youngest brother, Phillip (b. Sept 6, 1769) also stayed and settled in the area. He married Elizabeth Humm and had nine children, four girls and three boys.
“There are still many Harmans living in the Stahlstown area. The family intermarried with many other of the pioneer families including the Campbell, Hines, Roadman, and Stahl families who stayed and settled in Westmoreland county for generations.”
Note that the sketch given above makes no mention of girls in the family.

The DAR has considered Philip Harmon’s death on the frontier as patriotic service; therefore, any descendants are eligible to join that organization.

Philip and Barbara Harmon had the following children:

1. Andrew HARMON was born in 1763 in Donegal Twp, Westmoreland Co PA. Andrew died in Mahoning Twp, Indiana Co PA, in 1838. About 1790 when Andrew was 27, he married Catherine SONDLES in Westmoreland Co PA. They had the following children:
i. John (1792-)
ii. Jacob (1793-)
iii. Philip (1795-)
iv. Elizabeth (1799-)
v. Andrew A (1805-)
vi. Frederick (1807-)
vii. Barbara A (1808-)
viii. Peter (1812-1870)
ix. Catherine (1815-)

2. Catherine HARMON.

3. John HARMON was born ca 1764 in Donegal Twp, Westmoreland Co PA. Having been kidnapped by Indians the year following his father’s death, John died during the winter of 1777-1778; he was 13.

4. Philip Henry HARMON was born on 6 Sep 1769 in Donegal Twp, Westmoreland Co PA and died there on 2 Jul 1834. In 1803 when Philip Henry was 33, he married Elizabeth HUMM. Born ca 1784, Elizabeth died in Donegal Twp, Westmoreland Co PA and was still living in 1850. They had the following children:
i. Philip (1804-1850)
ii. Andrew A
iii. John Philip (1808-1880)
iv. Samuel
v. Maria
vi. Elizabeth
vii. Rachel
viii. Catherine (1825-1881)
ix. George (ca1826-)

© 2008, 2017 Kathy Alvis Patterson

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