John Claiborne Harper

Brief Life History of John Claiborne

When John Claiborne Harper was born on 15 April 1846, in Franklin County, Virginia, United States, his father, Robert Mathew Harper, was 32 and his mother, Lydia Hill, was 26. He married Ruth Ann Hill on 21 December 1866, in Surry, North Carolina, United States. He lived in Franklin, Virginia, United States in 1860. In 1891, his occupation is listed as water master; butcher; hotel keeper in Colonia Juárez, Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, Mexico. He died on 1 December 1909, in Colonia Juárez, Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, Mexico, at the age of 63, and was buried in Juárez, Ascensión, Chihuahua, Mexico.

Photos and Memories (11)

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Family Time Line

John Claiborne Harper
1846–1909
Mary Price Davis
1854–1925
Marriage: 1870
Mary Lydia Harper
1872–1937
Mintora Arabella Harper
1874–1951
Gettie Louise Harper
1875–1881
Martha Elizabeth Harper
1878–1881
John Robert Harper
1879–1880
Ruth Anna Harper
1881–1905
Fanny Price Harper
1883–1890

Sources (52)

  • John C Harper in household of Robt M Harper, "United States Census, 1860"
  • John C Harper, "North Carolina, County Marriages, 1762-1979 "
  • JOHN C HARPER, "BillionGraves Index"

World Events (8)

1848

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ends Mexican-American War. Texan independence confirmed. United States annexes territories of Upper California and New Mexico.

1850

Historical Boundaries: 1850: Mexican Cession, Untied States 1850: Utah, Utah Territory, United States 1896: Utah, Utah, United States

1863

French enter Puebla, then Mexico City. Juárez forced to abandon the city.

Name Meaning

English (Staffordshire), Scottish, Irish (Antrim and Down), and Dutch: occupational name for a player on the harp, from Middle English harper(e) ‘harper’ (Old English hearpere) and Middle Dutch harper, herper. The harper was one of the most important figures of a medieval baronial hall, especially in Scotland and northern England, and the office of harper was sometimes hereditary. The Scottish surname is probably an Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Chruiteir ‘son of the harper’ (from Gaelic cruit ‘harp’, ‘stringed instrument’). This surname has long been present in Ireland.

Dictionary of American Family Names © Patrick Hanks 2003, 2006.

Possible Related Names

Story Highlight

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF CHARLES CARROLL HARPER

(Compiler’s note: The following is a typewritten record, date (around 1931) and author unknown, possibly typist and recorder, Merilda Hudson, or a relative of hers, as this sketch was found in her per …

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