James Harsha was from Northern Ireland and was born in
1710. He married Esther Reid who died after 1777. He came with his
wife and family to Salem, New York. He was a member of the Associate Reformed
Church organized at Ballibay in Northern Ireland in 1751, also in
Monaghan.
According to the journal of their leader Dr Clark: "May
10,1764, we sailed from Newry. The all gracious God carried 300 of us safe over
the devouring deep in the arms of his mercy. Praised be his Name. We arrived
safe in NY July 28th.. arrived at Stillwater."
"This was an event well
remembered by the old people living a few years hence (1864) Such a number of
families suddenly arriving in the town and of a character so unlike the other
settlers who were locating around, such strict observers of the sabbath, so
exemplary in their deportment, such great readers and so well supplied with
books.
The first death of the colony of which remembrance is now
preserved was one of the elders of the Church, James Harsha, who after a
protracted and painful illness, ("the bloody flux") died at Stillwater about a
year after the arrival in this country (1766) He expired, writes Dr. Clark,
joyfully singing Ps. 73:26,27." NYGR vol 33-34
He had obtained a farm in
Stillwater intending to remain there. The farm was about two miles west of
Stillwater village on the road to Gracies's corners and the head of Saratoga
Lake. Of his three sons, one was many years a resident of Salem and one resided
upon the Stillwater farm for some forty years when he disposed of it and came to
Argyle where his brothers had become located and where several of their
descendants now reside (1903). Among the descendants have been three clergymen
of the Associated Reformed Church, and a fourth is the compiler of several
popular religious works.