My Genealogy Hound

LEWIS C. HARRY, one of the leading farmers of township 8, range 5, Randolph County, was born near York Springs, Adams County, Pa., April 12, 1834. He is the second in order of birth in a family of ten children born to Lewis and Sarah (Comly) Harry, both natives of the Keystone State. The father is of Welsh descent, and was born in Delaware Township, Chester County, July 27, 1791, and his wife was born April 18, 1810. They were members of the Friends’ Church. The exact date of the birth of the grandfather of our subject, Jesse Harry, is not known, but he died in 1818, when about eighty years old, in Chester County, Pa., which was also the county of his birth.

The parents of the mother of our subject were Samuel and Susannah (Wyerman) Comly, natives of Philadelphia and Adams County, Pa., respectively, and of old English descent. Samuel was born October 7, 1773, and Susannah September 5, 1779. In the year 1837 the Comly family removed to Washington County, Pa., and five years later went to Putnam County, Ill., settling on a farm near Magnolia, then a small town.

April 26, 1832, Lewis Harry was wedded to Sarah Comly, in Adams County, Pa., where they continued to reside until the spring of 1838, when he followed the family of his father-in-law into Washington County, of the same state. Here he continued to reside until the time of his death, which occurred the last day of March, 1865. The mother continued to live with her son Lewis C., and with his family removed to Randolph County, where he purchased a tract of sixty acres on section 5, township 8, range 5. On this place the family now reside. The place is under the best possible cultivation, and a good income is realized from the crops raised thereon.

Mr. Harry of whom we write this brief life history was married June 12, 1870, to Mary J., a daughter of James and Margaret (McCaslon) Simpson. The Simpsons were natives of Limevedy, County Londonderry, Ireland, where Mrs. Harry was born March 25, 1843. In the year 1854 she, with her sister Anne, left her native island for America, landing in Philadelphia. They went from there to visit an aunt in Washington County, Pa., where she and our subject first met. To them were born five children, of whom three survive. They are, Lewis S., Robert J. and Jesse W. The deceased children are Annie Mary and Frank. The mother of our subject is in her eighty-fourth year, hale and hearty, and in the possession of all her native faculties, and is still making her home with him during the closing years of a long and peaceful life. She and her son are yet members of the Society of Friends, but do not attend their services, as there is no church nearer than St. Louis. Mrs. Harry, the wife of our subject, is a devoted member of the Methodist Church, as were her people before her.

Our subject is a true-blue Republican in his political affiliations, and has been since the birth of that party. He is liberal and open-hearted, and no worthy movement is allowed to fail for want of support on his part. He is pleasant, affable and courteous, and has many warm friends.