EARLY HART AND TERRY CONNECTIONS

 A working theory currently being researched is that the William Terry and Jasper Terry appearing in early Augusta County, circa 1744, in noted works by Kegley, Chalkley, etc., were cousins who had come to Virginia from Pennsylvania into the newly opened by treaty regions around the Roanoke.

A work entitled, The Long Grey Trail: Early Settlers of Augusta Co., Va (pg. 146, ) chronicles the presence of HART family from Bucks County, Pennsylvania being in the area circa 1740. Another format is here.  The line was numerous and some returned to Pennsylvania and some went on to other locales for religious reasons (Oliver Hart to South Carolina).  The Hart family was largely Quaker in religion or aligned with the Quakers in order to afford themselves the ability to gain land in Pennsylvania (as did many in the early days of that area opening).  That source did not, interestingly, identify any with the surname TERRY. This seems to indicate that in the area of focus for this work, there were not  yet any of that name in the regions in and around the Roanoke. Of note to Terry researchers is the presence of biographical data on Harrison (revealing that there were several lines of Harrison present and some may be confused when identifying the husband of Mercy Terry Harrison, one Jonathan Harrison).

Other early sources (such as those named above in the first paragraph) mention, in passing, a Parson Terry who may have been much further south and west in early days. He is apparently mentioned, again in passing, in a court case and is referred to as a man who had made improvements on a parcel of land in question at that time. There is no date and only title of the case.

Jasper TERRY, married Mary HART, daughter of Thomas and Esther Miles Hart, July 29, 1735, both of Falls Township, Pa (NJ Archives Vol 22. Marriage Records 1665-1800, pg 393.). Note, there are numerous "Jasper Terry" men at the time: there is a Jasper (b. ca 1685), son of Thomas Terry (1653-1714) who married Susannah ; there is a Jasper Terry, son of another Thomas, who married in Bucks Co., Pa Lucy Linton at the Falls, Pa Quaker Meeting house Nov. 8. 1774. All of these men, research had indicated show the same Haplogroup of I-02.

Additionally, in 1775 (April 14) a Daniel TERRY married a Mary HART, both identified as being from Cohugue, Suffolk, New York. This Daniel is believed to be part of the Southold, Long Island Terry's who also share the I-02 Haplogroup. Where this Mary fits is still being i nvestigated.