John Harman was a large red headed man according to one of his descendants.
He was a blacksmith and farmer in Redbank Township in Armstrong County. He was married three times and had at least 15 children. He was a son of Daniel Harman and Elizabeth and was born in Millersburgh, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania according to an 1854 marriage record at the Jefferson County Courthouse. There is a birth record at the Salem Evangelical Church in Killinger, Upper Paxton Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania (about 3 miles from Millersburgh) that is believed to be his. Johannes Herman (Herman is a surname variation for Harman/Harmon) was born on 17 December 1807 and was baptized at the church there. The parents were Daniel Herman and Elizabeth and the sponsors were Johannes Miller and Rahel.
John Harman's oldest son in the 1850 census was Hiriam age 22. There is a birth and baptism record at the Salem Evangelical Church for a Hiram born 22 November 1827 and baptized 28 September 1828. The parents were Johann Hermann and Catharina and the sponsor was Elizabeth Hermann.
John Harman's three wives were 1) Catharine Harman (daughter of Jacob Harman), 2) Elizabeth Brooks, and 3) Lydia Bish (first husband was Jacob H. Freedline).
John Harman probably married Catharine Harman sometime prior to the birth of their son Hiram in 1827. A Bill for the Specific Performance of a Contract, James Kerr versus the Administrators of Jacob Harman, Deceased, Number 11 June 1842 at the Armstrong County Courthouse names the children of Catharine Harman who was deceased. The children who were minors at that time were Hiram, Levina, Anna, Uriah, Elizabeth, Sarah, and John. These names are the same or variations of the names of John Harman's older children in the 1850 census. There are census and other records for Uriah Harman (1833-1907) but no later records have been found for any of their other children. If anyone knows who John and Catharine Harman's daughters married, please contact me.
John Harman's second wife was Elizabeth Brooks. She appears in the 1850 census with him but is deceased by 1854 when he weds his third wife Lydia Freedline. Their children were Emilene, Emanual, William J., Mary Catherine, and Hannah. Elizabeth's maiden name is given as Brooks on the death certificates for three of her children.
1) Emeline (1843-1923) married Daniel Wolfe (1824-1890) about 1858 and had at least 14 children. Twelve children lived long enough to become adults.
2) Emanuel (1844-1919) married Judith Hinderliter (1837-1900) and Mary A. Hartman (1848-1937). He had at least 3 children to his first wife.
3) William J. (about 1848-before 1880) married Mary A. Mauk (1856-1905) about 1871. They had at least 3 children. She later married Michael Boyer (1836-1911) and Boaz D. Blose (1844-1921). William J. was in Company D, 107th Pennsylvania Infantry during the Civil War and applied for a pension in 1876.
4) Mary Catharine (1849-1931) married Henry Troutman (1844-1898) about 1870. The 1900 census states she was the mother of 13 children with 11 living.
5) Hannah (1850-1926) married John J. Smith (1842-1918) about 1866. The 1910 census states she is the mother of 17 children with 12 living.
John Harman's third wife was Lydia Bish (1815-1900). She had 8 children to her first husband Jacob H. Freedline (1814-1854). She was married to John Harman on 12 September 1854 according to a marriage record at the Jefferson County Courthouse. Their children were Irvin, Cornelius, and Susanna, and possibly Rachel (Susanna and Rachel may be the same person in the 1860 and 1870 census).
1) Irvin (1855-1929) married Susan M. Howard (1863-1934) on 31 May 1877. The 1910 census states she is the mother of 12 children with 10 living.
2) Cornelius (about 1857-before 1900) married Elizabeth before 1880. They had at least 1 daughter.
3) Susanna (1859-1948) married Michael Thomas (1858-1931) after 1880. The 1910 census states she is the mother of 6 children with 5 living.
John Harman appears in the 1870 census in Redbank Township, Armstrong County but his wife Lydia is a widow in the 1880 census in Redbank Township, Clarion County. There are no deed or estate records for John Harman at the Armstrong County Courthouse. He died sometime between 1870 and 1880 but it is not known where he is buried. If anyone is aware of a tombstone for him, please contact me.
I am willing to share what information I have on this family with anyone that is interested. If anyone has any additional information on John Harman or his wives and their descendants, please contact me. I have tried to be as accurate as possible but corrections are always welcome.
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