Henry Fisher (1787-09-30 – 1871-05-31) was my 4th-great-grandfather, being the father of Henderson Fisher by his wife Polly Dillon (c.1783 – 1850s). Henry was probably born in Maryland, but lived in North Carolina from a young age. He later moved to Indiana, and is buried in Kokomo, Indiana, likely where he died. There are many claims about who his parents were, but I have not found any credible information.
The Portrait and Biographical Record of Madison and Hamilton Counties, Indiana (1893) says of Henry,ref
Henry Fisher… was born in Maryland and migrated thence to North Carolina shortly before his marriage to Hannah Dillon. He was a man of limited education but sound common sense and accurate judgment, and in the pursuit of his occupation of farming became the owner of valuable property. In 1852 he removed to Indiana and made his home with his children here until his death.
His gravestone says he died on the above death date aged 83 years, 8 months, 1 day. This rather precise age implies the above birthdate. We can compare this to census records:
| Year | Location | Birthplace | Age | Inferred birth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1810ref | Greensboro, NC | 16–25 | 1785×1793 | |
| 1830ref | Guilford Co., NC | 40s | 1780×1790 | |
| 1840ref | Guilford Co., NC | 40s | 1790×1800 | |
| 1850ref | Guilford Co., NC | NC | 63 | 1787- |
| 1860ref | Howard Co., IN | MD | 68 | 1792- |
| 1870ref | Howard Co., IN | NC | 78 | 1792- |
No clear conclusion can be drawn, but the gravestone date was troubled to be exact and may be more reliable than the sometimes rough and variably accurate information reported on the census.
As to his birthplace, North Carolina is more often listed in records, but a common error is to mistakenly provide the place where the person has lived since youth, not where they were born. His older brothers Noah and Daniel in 1850 reported being born in Maryland, and Daniel again in 1860. Henry’s daughter Sarah’s 1905 death record says her father was born in NC, but that is at a considerable distance. The Indiana county history has him born in Maryland.
I have seen various claims about who the father of Henry was, but with no supporting evidence. The name John D. Fisher is commonly seen in online trees. There is an outside chance the D is short for Dillon, implying multiple relationships between these families. More likely, Henry naming his first son John D. led to this supposition, but he may have named him after his wife’s father. Others claim that Henry’s father was named Noah, but I can find no evidence for that either.
See also Fisher origins.
Henry was known to have had brothers William, Noah, and Daniel. The surest proof of relationship is from the legal records seeking William’s living heirs after both him and his children died. I have seen claims that Henry also had sisters Mary and Elizabeth but have not seen evidence.
Henry married Polly Dillon in Guilford County, NC in 1810 (marriage license dated 1810-04-24). She is still alive in the 1850 census, but is absent in 1860, and so presumably died that decade. In 1850 she was listed as age 67, which places her birth at 1782 or 1783 if accurate. Polly’s father was John Dillon and her mother was probably named Rebecca. Some sources, such as the above quoted history, say Polly’s name was Hannah, but I cannot find that name in any contemporary record. Polly is not a usual nickname for Hannah (but rather for Mary), but maybe it was for her.
They had perhaps ten children, for who I have done limited research and thus have sketchy details:
The county history lists nine children, all those here save for Martha.
There is an inscription visible in photographs of Henry’s tombstone, but it is hard to read, with only a few words legible. Here is my attempt at a reconstruction:
Remember me as you pass by As you are now, so once was I As I am now, so you must be Prepare for death and follow me
Variations of this poem were once more widely used on tombstones.