John Harris

Notes:

Another son, Rev. John Harris was born in 1795 and married Catherine
Dygert, whose mother was a Herkimer, after whom Herkimer County in the
State of New York was named. It was the descendants of this Harris that
founded the Massey Harris Company at Brantford, Ontario.

John Harris commenced making farm implements in 1846 on his farm a few
miles south of Brantford, Ontario assisted by his son Alanson Harris
born near Ingersoll, Ontario, on April 1, 1816. Alanson Harris
purchased a foundry in Beamsville in 1857 where he developed his great
inventive ability. In 1872 he removed to Brantford having admitted his
son John Harris and J. K. Osborne into the business. It became known as
A. Harris, Son and Company, Brantford, Ontario.

In 1891, the Harris Companies amalgamated with the Massey Company which
had moved from Newcastle, Ontario to Toronto in 1879. It was founded by
Daniel Massey, F descendant of a Windsor, Vermont, family, in 1847.

John Harris is listed on the 1816 assessment role of Oxford Upon The Thames with 50 acres of land, 42 uncultivated and one cow. A Baptist minister, he lived at Westminster and for 20 years at Townsend. He then lived at

John married Catherine Jane Dygert on 14 May 1815 in Oxford Co., UC. Catherine (daughter of Sylvanus Dygert and Magdalena Herkimer) was born on 21 Feb 1794 in Herkimer, Herkimer, New York, USA; died on 17 Feb 1872 in Oakland, Ontario. [Group Sheet]