The earliest Harrar my family has found is John Harrar, born between 1725 and 1730, probably in Germany, although the Harrars are believed to be of English origin. John emigrated to America around 1760 and settled in the Philadelphia area.

Birth

Born between 1725 and 1730 in Germany.

Marriage

John was married twice. The name of his first wife (with whom he had all his children) is unknown. The second wife’s name was Mary. She was mentioned in his will and she died in 1801.

Children

1. John Harrar. He was born in 1754-5 in Germany and died March 7, 1822.
2. Daniel Harrar. Born February 5, 1756, in Frankford, Philadelphia, PA, and died September 27, 1846, in Montgomery County, PA.
3. Joseph Harrar. Birth date unknown. He died in 1823 in Germantown, PA. He never married and was not mentioned in his father’s will.
4. Michael Harrar. Michael was mentioned in the will. His life dates are unknown. He may have never been married.
5. Catrine Harrar. Mentioned in her father’s will. She married a Phillips.
6. Susannah Harrar. Mentioned in her father’s will. She married Henry Maag on April 2, 1782, at Old Swede’s Church in Philadelphia, PA. Henry was born in 1753 and died in October 1834. According to Daniel Harrar’s pension papers, he lived in Frankford and was his “brother-in-law.”

Emigration

From the memoirs of a later John Harrar (1816-1911) of Philadelphia:

My great-grandfather, John Harrar, came from Germany to America in the year 1760, to Philadelphia; bringing his wife and two sons, Daniel and John, and John was my grandfather. His father first lived on the west side of Penrose Ferry Road near Point Breeze, the house having an old style Mansard rood, which my father called to my attention when passing by on the road in my boyhood.

Residence

John Harrar seems to have lived in Cheltenham and Oxford townships, and possibly in Lower Dublin and Passayunk. In his will written in 1794 he describes himself as a farmer “residing in Falls Township, Bucks County, Pa,” and he leaves real estate consisting of one or more houses. There is no record of these holdings in the courthouse at Doylestown nor at Philadelphia City Hall.

1760

The west side of Penrose Ferry Road near Point Breeze in Philadelphia, PA.

1774

Provincial tax, Cheltenham Township (PA Arch Vol 14 3rd Ser. p 318)
John Harrow 57 Acres Tax 9.12.0
Samuel Leech, Assessor

John Harrow Lower Dublin Township (PA Arch Vol 14 3rd Ser. p 363)
2 horses
4 cattle Tax 2.13.4

1779

Oxford Township
John Harrah, Widow Chapple’s Est. Tax 21.
Daniel Harrah d amt Tax 1
John Harrah Jun’r not taxed

1780

Effective Supply Tax Oxford Township
John Harrow Valuation 570 Tax 13.5.2
Daniel Harrow Valuation 300 Tax 6.19.6

1781

Effective Supply Tax Oxford Township (Pa. Arch 3d Ser Vol xvi p 19)
John Harrah, farmer Valuation 39 Tax 1.1.0
Michael Harrah, Jun’r lab’r Val 4 Tax 1.8

Passyunk Township
John Harrah, farmer, Valuation 39 Tax 1.1.0
Michael Harrah, Jun’r Lab’r Val 4 Tax 1.8

1782

Moreland Township
John Harrow Valuation 60 Tax 0.7.6 (Vol xvi 3d Ser p 251)

1794

Per his will, John lived in Falls Township in Bucks County, PA.

Occupation

Farmer

Military Service

From the memoirs of a later John Harrar (1816-1911) of Philadelphia:

How long he [John] lived on Penrose Ferry Road is not known, but during the war of the Revolution he was farming not far from Valley Forge, near the line of Philadelphia and Montgomery Counties. His two sons, John and Daniel, wanted to go into the American army, but he was reluctant as he wanted to have them help on the farm. At this time 1777 the British army, being in possession of Philadelphia, were foraging around the country and seizing the horses worked on the farms. So that if the British troopers hove in sight, the only way to save the horses was to mount htem and ride to or in the direction of Valley Forge. As one of the horses was finally lost, the two sons were allowed to enlist. They had active service in the battles of Germantown and Monmouth, in which [son] John had his right and left hand comrades shot down beside him.

(Philadelphia County included Montgomery County until September 10, 1784, when Montgomery was set aside as a separate county.)

Death

John died on July 20, 1799, and was attended in his last illness by a Dr. Herman. His funeral services were conducted by the Reverend Helmuth of “Old Zion” German Lutheran church of Philadelphia.

Will

John Harrar’s will was written on March 26, 1794, in Falls Township, Bucks County, PA, and probated in 1799 at Philadelphia City Hall.

Will of John Harrar
Philadelphia Wills, Book Y, #168, recorded p. 168

In the name of God Amen, the 26th day of March, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-four, I John Harrar, of the Falls Township in the County of Bucks, farmer, being of perfect mind and memory, thanks being given to God therefore; calling to mind the Mortality of my body, and knowing it is appointed for all men once to die, do make and ordain this to be my last will and testament.

That is to say principally and first of all, I give and recommend my Soul into the Hands of God that gave it, and for my Body I recommend it to the Earth, to be buried in a Christian and decent manner, at the discretion of my executors, nothing doubting but at the General Resurrection I shall receive the same again by the Almighty Power of God.

And as touching such Worldly Estate wherewith it has pleased God to bless me with in this life, I give, devise and dispose of the same in the following manner and form:

IMPRIMIS. It is my will and I do order that in the first place all my Just Debts and Funeral Charges to be paid and satisfied.

ITEM. I give and bequeath unto Mary my belived Wife, (and I do appoint Henry Maag my son-in-law Executor of this my Last Will and Testament) all the rents issues and profits of my Rail Estate, during the time she remains my lawful Widow, together all my Household Goods and Movables.

And at her decease, it is my will that the following Division may be made amongst my children.

VIZ. I give to my eldest son John Harrar the Sum of Thirty pounds. To my son Daniel Harar, whom I also appoint Executor to this my Last Will and Testament, the Sum of Sixty Pounds; to my son Michael Harar the Sum of Thirty Pounds, likewise my large Bible.

To my daughter Catrine Phillips the Sum of Thirty Pounds, and to my daughter Susannah Mack (Maag) the Sum of Thirty Pounds.

And to my step-daughter Mary Stone the Sum of Five Pounds, and to my other two step-daughters, Sarah and Rebecca the Sum of One Shilling and Eighteenpence each.

And I do hereby utterly disallow, revoke and disannul all and every other form of Testaments, by me in any ways before this time named, willed and bequeathed. Ratifying and Confirming this, and no other, to be my last Will and Testament.

In WITNESS whereof, I have hereunto Set My Hand and Seal the Day and Year above written.

John Harrar

Witnesses: Jonathan Thomas, Aaron Walton, Abraham Bankson. The Exors. Henry Maag & Daniel Harrar sworn the 24th day of July, 1799, before Jo. Wampole, D Reg.

Sources

“Harrar Genealogy: The John Harrar Family of Pennsylvania” by James Aitken Harrar, M.D., 1945. (Download pdf file.)