Every genealogist knows the thrill of chasing down a quiet lead on FamilySearch or ancestry archives, only to realize you’ve bumped elbows with national history.
My recent research uncovered a remarkable branch on our family tree that connects us directly to the bedrock of American independence: Benjamin Harrison V (1726–1791), a signer of the Declaration of Independence and 5th Governor of Virginia, who turns out to be my 6th cousin 6x removed.
Even more fascinating than his own storied career is the sprawling political dynasty he launched—a line that produced two U.S. Presidents and a long legacy of American public service.
Who Was Benjamin Harrison V?
Born at the historic Berkeley Plantation along the James River in Charles City County, Virginia, Benjamin Harrison V was raised among the elite tidewater gentry. His formal education at the College of William & Mary was cut short in 1745 when tragedy struck: his father and two sisters were killed by a lightning strike inside the plantation house. At just 19 years old, young Benjamin assumed full responsibility for managing the estate and its sprawling agricultural operations.
He quickly rose through Virginia’s political ranks, serving in the House of Burgesses and later standing firm with fellow revolutionaries like Thomas Jefferson and George Washington.
- Continental Congress & The Declaration: Serving as a Virginia delegate to the Continental Congress from 1774 to 1777, Harrison chaired the crucial Committee of the Whole during the intense debates surrounding independence. On August 2, 1776, he placed his bold signature on the Declaration of Independence.
- Wartime Governor: As the 5th Governor of Virginia (1781–1784), Harrison managed the state's severe financial plight and reconstruction in the immediate, difficult aftermath of the Revolutionary War and the siege of Yorktown.
- Defender of Rights: During the 1788 Virginia Ratifying Convention, Harrison initially stood with Patrick Henry in opposing the proposed U.S. Constitution because it lacked explicit protections for individual liberties—holding out until a Bill of Rights was guaranteed.
An Extraordinary Presidential Dynasty
Through this same line, our family tree links to one of the most prominent political families in American history:
- Son: William Henry Harrison (1773–1841) — 7th cousin 5x removed. Famous as the hero of Tippecanoe and Indian Territory Governor, he became the 9th President of the United States in 1841.
- Grandson: John Scott Harrison (1804–1878) — 8th cousin 4x removed. Served in the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio, holding the unique historic distinction of being both the son of one U.S. President and the father of another.
- Great-Grandson: Benjamin Harrison (1833–1901) — 9th cousin 3x removed. A Civil War general who became the 23rd President of the United States (1889–1893).
The Common Ancestral Bridge: The Masterson Connection
Our kinship with Benjamin Harrison V converges in 16th-century England through Edmund Masterson (1544–1621).
While Edmund’s daughter Nancy Netherton Masterson launched the branch that married into Virginia’s tidewater aristocracy (the Ellises, Armisteads, Churchills, and Harrisons), her sister Anne Masterson anchored the line that immigrated to colonial New England—eventually bringing down through the Ellis, Rockwood, Fisher, Hawes, and Plimpton families right to our own doorstep.
Edmund Masterson (1544–1621)
[Our Shared 12th Great-Grandfather]
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+------------------------+------------------------+
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Nancy Netherton Masterson Anne Masterson
(1590–1610) (1597–1654)
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Anne Ellis (1610–1678) Thomas Ellis (Immigrant)
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Elizabeth Armistead (1633–1685) Judith Ellis (1658–1758)
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Hannah Churchill (1651–1698) Mary Rockwood (1683–1763)
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Benjamin Harrison (1673–1710) Elizabeth Fisher (1722–1766)
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Benjamin Harrison (1693–1745) Beriah Hawes (1746–1829)
| |
BENJAMIN HARRISON V Timothy Plimpton (DNA match)
(1726–1791) |
Signer of Declaration of Independence Calvin Plimpton (1815–1874)
6th Cousin 6x Removed |
| Charles Henry Plympton
William Henry Harrison Civil War Vet (97th Ohio Vol)
9th U.S. President |
7th Cousin 5x Removed "Neva" Plympton (1870–1939)
| |
John Scott Harrison Lydia Corinna Brown (1891–1971)
8th Cousin 4x Removed Materal Grandmother
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Benjamin Harrison Velma (mother)
23rd U.S. President |
9th Cousin 3x Removed [A Drifting Cowboy]
Connecting the Dots
It’s a humbling perspective to look back across four centuries of American history. On one hand, you have Benjamin Harrison V helping helm a young republic at Philadelphia and Berkeley Plantation, while his son and great-grandson led the nation from the White House.
On our side of that same Masterson heritage, our direct line forged ahead through Massachusetts pioneers, Ohio Civil War veterans like Charles Henry Plympton (Co. K, 97th Ohio Volunteers), Montana homesteaders, and down to my materal grandmother Lydia Corinna Brown and my mother Velma.
We may have ridden different trails—one through the halls of statehouses and the other through the dirt roads and saddle leather of the American frontier—but we share the same blood, the same early colonial roots, and the same quiet commitment to this country.
Thank you Gemini AI for your wisdom and research assistance. -- Drifting Cowboy
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