Hazzard "Had" Harris (b. circa 1790 - d. circa
1860)
MSA SC 5496-15229
Accomplice to Slave Flight, Harford County, Maryland, 1830s - 1850s
Biography:
Hazard “Had” Harris, a black Harford County man, allegedly
assisted
numerous runaway slaves cross the Susquehanna River from the 1830s
until the 1850s. [1] Born into
slavery about
1790, Harris received freedom in 1832, at the age of 43, from his
Harford
owner, Joseph Prigg.[2] By 1850, Had
Harris
lived near William
Worthington, a Quaker, and reputed agent of the Underground
Railroad
in that area of Harford County. The two men collaborated several
times, with Harris escorting fleeing slaves across the Susquehanna at
night
from “Worthington’s Landing.” Harris’ house stood near the canal
in the area where the Susquehanna Power and Paper Company later built a
plant. According to a Harford County history, Worthington’s and
Harris’
activities enjoyed the participation of many local folk. When
fugitives
came to the area seeking aid, someone would approach Worthington:
"'Uncle Billy,' they would say in coded language, “there’re people on
the
hill.” Worthington would direct food and provisions to the
fugitives,
who remained hid in his cornfields.” At night, the runaways would be
led
to Harris, who would provide the transportation. Had Harris was
married,
to Amelia Prigg, probably a free woman of color. They produced
probably
three children, Hazzard, Jr., George, and Melia. Had Harris, Sr.,
apparently died sometime during the 1860s.[3]
Return to Hazzard Harris's Introductory Page
[1] According to Samuel
Mason,
Jr, author of “Historical Sketches of Harford County Maryland.”
[2] William Prigg willed
Hazzard,
as a boy, to his son, Joseph Prigg, in 1807. In the 1850 Census
of
Harford County, Hazzard Harris is age 59. He would have been free
by the 1840 Census, but not necessarily “head of household,” and
therefore
not listed by name.
[3] We find a Hazzard Harris,
Jr. (born April 26, 1833) who was listed as a head of a household,
married
to Elisabeth and has 3 children in the1860 Census, Churchville District
of Harford County. In 1880, Hazzard Harris is still listed in
Churchville,
with wife Mary E. Harris and 9 children. In 1900, Hazzard Harris
is living with his wife of 45 years, Mary E. Harris, and all of their
ten
children were living (although they weren’t with them.).
Had
Harris was a carpenter who in 1880 is described as an artisan/laborer
who
helped build houses in Christopher Weeks’ book “An Architectural
History
of Harford County, Maryland”. Hazzard Harris, Jr., son of
Hazzard
Harris and Amelia Prigg, died September 22, 1911 (from his death
certificate
is learned Hazzard Harris had married Amelia Prigg).
Hazzard
Harris Jr. left a Will in Harford County and on September 30, 1911 his
widow, Hester Harris, appeared in court, attesting this was his last
Will
and Testament Hazzard Tobias Harris, born in
Maryland,
opened an account with the Freedman’s Bank in Baltimore, Maryland on
October
12,1867. This was probably Hazzard, Jr. son of
Hazzard,
born in 1833, who was a carpenter, and described as an
artisan/laborer.
From the 1880 soundex, there are 2 people named Hazzard Harris: One
being
Hazzard Harris, Jr. (from above) and the other being the son of a
George
Harris, living in Cecil County. At age 37 (in 1850), George
Harris
was living in Cecil County with his wife Rebecca and 5 children, and
remained
in that County, enumerated with his son, head of household Hazzard
Harris
in 1900. On September 16, 1907, Harford County-born George
Washington
Harris died in Cecil County. His death certificate lists his
parents
as Hazzard Harris and Amelia Prigg. His son Hazzard Harris gave
this
information. George W. Harris was born about 1813, making his
father,
Hazzard Harris Sr., about 23 years old at the time of his birth.
This verifies that Hazzard, Sr. and Amelia Prigg had at least two
children,
and there are probably large numbers of their descendants in and around
Harford and Cecil Counties. Hazzard Harris, Sr. had one child in
his household in 1850 named Melia with Mary age 50 who was probably his
second wife. Hazzard Harris may have had another child, Elizabeth
Harris, and her son Hazzard Harris died in 1913 in Harford
County.
He is listed as having been born in 1843, and his fathers name is not
given.
This Hazzard is found in the 1900 Census of Harford County and he has a
son Hazzard born in l887. His wife is Cassandra, they have been
married
for 32 years, had 12 children and 10 are living.
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