Thomas Harrison, Lord of Gobion's Manor
Thomas Harrison, Lord of Gobion's Manor, (1568-1625) was an English Lord and Noble. He presided benevolently over the Estate of Gobion's Manor. He was the first native English ancestor of the Harrison family of Virginia that did not immigrate to America.
Biography
Thomas Harrison was born in Gobion's Manor, St. Giles, Northamptonshire in 1568. His parents were Robert Harrison and Elizabeth Fitz-Geffery. His father was a descendant of the noble Harrison family, tracing their lineage all the way back to Norse Vikings that had arrived in England with King Cnut the Great. He had purchased the 300 acre Gobion's Manor from the noble Turpin family, thus becoming Lord of the Manor. When his father died in 1598, Thomas succeeded him as the Lord of Gobion's Manor.
In 1581, at the age of 13, Thomas married Elizabeth Bernard, a descendant of Joan of Acre, daughter of Edward I of England.
In 1621, Lord Harrison sold his estate to the Corporation of Northhampton, although the exact reason remains unclear. In 1625, at, the age of 57, the Lord of Gobion's Manor died in his own estate. His wife, Elizabeth, outlived him by 5 years, dying in London in 1630.
Issue
Thomas Harrison married Elizabeth Bernard and had 9 children:
- Benjamin Harrison I (1593-1677): Immigrated to Jamestown, Virginia in 1630, founder of the Harrison family of Virginia. Married Mary Stringer.
- Thomas Harrison II
- Richard Harrison of London
- Elizabeth Harrison
- Ann Bernard Harrison
- Johnathan Harrison
- Ursula Harrison
- Francis Harrison
- William Harrison: Had a son, Edward.
Legacy
Thomas Harrison symbolized the end of an era in the Harrison family. In other words, it was the end of being an English noble family, with a pedigree dating from 1374, to an immigrant family. Benjamin Harrison I founded a prominent family in the Americas, while others of his children and family left England for the New World.