Jeanette Simkins - Dec 4, 2003  
Grant County Press, 1910:
              Death of Remarkable Man -- Pioneer of Randolph County --
      Father of Twenty Children.
      Jacob C. Harper is dead at his home in Harperton, Randolph county, aged 76 years.   He was born in Pendleton county, where his forefathers for several generations lived.   His grandfather, Jacob C. Harper, for whom he was named after the massacre at Fort Seybert by the Indians, was captain of a company that followed the Red Men over the trail which passed through the Canaan valley and chased them beyond the Ohio.   Mr. Harper leaves an unusual progeny.   He is survived by his wife, eighteen children, 120 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.   There were twenty children.   Two are dead.   Surviving children are Adam Harper, Dry Fork district, Tucher county; Peter H. Harper, Davis; Albert Harper, State of (???); Seymour Harper, Elkins; Riley Harper, Harperton; Mrs. Mary Lawrence, Ridgeley; Isom Harper, Harperton; George and Henry Harper, Dry Fork, Tucker county; Minor Harper, Harperton; Mrs. Elmira Harman, Buena; Mrs. Annie Harman, Harman; Mrs. Walter Harper and Mrs. Lizzie Cooper, Harperton; Mrs. Getty Montony, Harman; Mrs. Sisan Weimer, Hendricks; Mrs. jenny Montony, Harperton; Mrs. Delpha Harrison, Ridgeley.   Mr. Harper was several terms a justice of the peace and he was prominent in the Presbyterian church, having served as elder.   Four of his sons are now serving as elders or deacons in the same church.   Two of his sons have been elected to public office.   Peter Harper was elected to the legislature from Pendleton county in 1892.   He served as United States marshal for four years from 1893.   Riley Harper was sheriff of Tucker county for four years from 1896.   The Harpers are prominent Democrats.

Jacob was married to Susan McDonald, who was the daughter of Anthony McDonald.

This Harper line and McDonald line were in Pendleton County, prior to living in Randolph Co.

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Skip Harman - Dec 9, 2003  
   
Jeanette, I have a letter written by Winifred Triplett Harper, wife of Stelman Harper, son of Minor and Clara Cooper Harper,   dated 19 Nov 1974. It was sent to Kathryn Degler Arbaugh, g-daughter of Henry Harper and Clara Bland. From the letter: Jacob, the eldest son of Philip Harper, was naturalized in 1764. He married Margaret Simmons and they were the parents of 14 children. Her grandson, Ezekiel Harper, a famous Civil War Confederate Scout, confirmed to Mrs. Elsie Byrd Boggs, in her book "The Harmans and Allied Families of Pendleton County", that Margaret had been captured by the Indians and taken into Ohio and lived with them for several years. She broke away from them and made her way, under cover of darkness, to her home in the Mouth of Seneca area.
Moses Harper was one of their children and he twice married; first to Abigail Hinkle, of whom eight children were born. 3 died as infants, 3 went to Iowa and Kansas, Moses Jr., was injured and a semi-invalid. One son, Aaron, stayed in Pendleton County.
Moses' second wife was Phoebe Conrad, they also had eight children.All remained in Pendleton County except Isom, who went west.Jacob Conrad Harper was one of the eight and married Susan McDonald. Susan was only 14 and when her mother found out she was so incensed that she was determined to marry at such a young age, that she hoped that she would have 20 children, the prphecy proved true.
They were living atop Allegheny Mountain at the outbreak of the Civil War near the border of Randolph and Pendleton County. The area was split by political allegience and Jacob tried to remain neutral. However the Federal troops felt that he favored the Confederates and started to haul him away as a prisioner of war. Susan followed and implored the officers to release him to care for his large family, they relented and he returned to his home.
Jacob and Susan were Presbyterians and Jacob helped to raise funds and do carpentry work on the construction of a new church at Harman, Wv.
When their eldest son married, Jacob set him up in the butcher shop business in Davis, Wv.
Also is listed the 20 children and a small discription of their life after the picture was taken.
Skip

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Father: Moses Harper b: 15 MAY 1794 in Macksville, (West) Virginia
Mother: Phoebe Conrad b: 29 JUN 1800 in Pendleton County, (West) Virginia
1311Children
Jeremiah Harper b: 31 DEC 1860 in Pendleton, (W.) VA
Adam Harper b: 19 JAN 1862 in Pendleton, (W.) VA
Peter H. Harper b: 5 DEC 1862 in Pendleton, (W.) VA
Albert Lee Harper b: 30 OCT 1863 in Hunnington, West Virginia
Seymour Jacob Harper b: 11 FEB 1865 in Pendleton, WV
Riley Harper b: 5 FEB 1866 in Harman, Randolph, WV
Mary Agnes Harper b: 19 JUL 1867 in Harman, Randolph, WV
Isom Harper b: 12 JUL 1868 in Harman, Randolph, WV
George Washington Harper b: 22 AUG 1869 in Harman, Randolph, WV
Henry Harper b: 19 SEP 1870 in Harman, Randolph, WV
Miner Harper b: 19 FEB 1872 in Harman, Randolph, WV
Elmira Harper b: 31 MAR 1873 in Harman, Randolph, WV
Florence Ida Harper b: 10 JAN 1874 in Harman, Randolph, WV
Rosa Annie Harper b: 2 OCT 1875
Walter Harper b: 20 MAY 1877 in Harman, Randolph, WV
Elizabeth Harper b: 8 SEP 1878 in Harman, Randolph, WV
Gettie Lee Harper b: 25 NOV 1879 in Harman, Randolph, WV
Susan Harper b: 16 JUL 1881 in Harman, Randolph, WV
Virginia May Harper b: 25 MAY 1883 in Harman, Randolph, WV
Delphia Harper b: 7 SEP 1884 in Harman, Randolph, WV

Skip Harman - Dec 9, 2003  
   
Jeanette, I have a letter written by Winifred Triplett Harper, wife of Stelman Harper, son of Minor and Clara Cooper Harper, dated 19 Nov 1974. It was sent to Kathryn Degler Arbaugh, g-daughter of Henry Harper and Clara Bland. From the letter: Jacob, the eldest son of Philip Harper, was naturalized in 1764. He married Margaret Simmons and they were the parents of 14 children. Her grandson, Ezekiel Harper, a famous Civil War Confederate Scout, confirmed to Mrs. Elsie Byrd Boggs, in her book "The Harmans and Allied Families of Pendleton County", that Margaret had been captured by the Indians and taken into Ohio and lived with them for several years. She broke away from them and made her way, under cover of darkness, to her home in the Mouth of Seneca area.
Moses Harper was one of their children and he twice married; first to Abigail Hinkle, of whom eight children were born. 3 died as infants, 3 went to Iowa and Kansas, Moses Jr., was injured and a semi-invalid. One son, Aaron, stayed in Pendleton County.
Moses' second wife was Phoebe Conrad, they also had eight children.All remained in Pendleton County except Isom, who went west.Jacob Conrad Harper was one of the eight and married Susan McDonald. Susan was only 14 and when her mother found out she was so incensed that she was determined to marry at such a young age, that she hoped that she would have 20 children, the prphecy proved true.
They were living atop Allegheny Mountain at the outbreak of the Civil War near the border of Randolph and Pendleton County. The area was split by political allegience and Jacob tried to remain neutral. However the Federal troops felt that he favored the Confederates and started to haul him away as a prisioner of war. Susan followed and implored the officers to release him to care for his large family, they relented and he returned to his home.
Jacob and Susan were Presbyterians and Jacob helped to raise funds and do carpentry work on the construction of a new church at Harman, Wv.
When their eldest son married, Jacob set him up in the butcher shop business in Davis, Wv.
Also is listed the 20 children and a small discription of their life after the picture was taken.
Skip

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1311Children:
Jeremiah Harper b: 31 DEC 1860 in Pendleton, (W.) VA
Adam Harper b: 19 JAN 1862 in Pendleton, (W.) VA
Peter H. Harper b: 5 DEC 1862 in Pendleton, (W.) VA
Albert Lee Harper b: 30 OCT 1863 in Hunnington, West Virginia
Seymour Jacob Harper b: 11 FEB 1865 in Pendleton, WV
Riley Harper b: 5 FEB 1866 in Harman, Randolph, WV
Mary Agnes Harper b: 19 JUL 1867 in Harman, Randolph, WV
Isom Harper b: 12 JUL 1868 in Harman, Randolph, WV
George Washington Harper b: 22 AUG 1869 in Harman, Randolph, WV
Henry Harper b: 19 SEP 1870 in Harman, Randolph, WV
Miner Harper b: 19 FEB 1872 in Harman, Randolph, WV
Elmira Harper b: 31 MAR 1873 in Harman, Randolph, WV
Florence Ida Harper b: 10 JAN 1874 in Harman, Randolph, WV
Rosa Annie Harper b: 2 OCT 1875
Walter Harper b: 20 MAY 1877 in Harman, Randolph, WV
Elizabeth Harper b: 8 SEP 1878 in Harman, Randolph, WV
Gettie Lee Harper b: 25 NOV 1879 in Harman, Randolph, WV
Susan Harper b: 16 JUL 1881 in Harman, Randolph, WV
Virginia May Harper b: 25 MAY 1883 in Harman, Randolph, WV
Delphia Harper b: 7 SEP 1884 in Harman, Randolph, WV