Editing Benjamin Harrison V (section)

==Family==

===Parents and siblings===

Harrison was born April 5, 1726, in Charles City County, Virginia; he was the eldest son and 3rd oldest of ten children of [[Benjamin Harrison IV]] (1693–1745) and Anne Carter (1702–1743); Anne was a daughter of [[Robert Carter I]]. Benjamin Harrison I (1594–1648) arrived in the colonies around 1630 and by 1633 began a family tradition of public service when he was recorded as clerk of the [[Virginia Governor's Council]].{{sfn|Harrison|1975|p=46}}

Benjamin Harrison II (1645–1712) and [[Benjamin Harrison III]] (1673–1710) followed this example, serving as delegates in the Virginia [[House of Burgesses]]. Benjamin IV and his wife Anne built the family's manor house at [[Berkeley Plantation]]; he served as a justice of the peace and represented Charles City County in the Virginia House of Burgesses.{{sfn|Smith|1978|pp=4–5}} (Biographer Clifford Dowdey notes that the family did not employ the roman numeral suffixes, which historians have assigned.{{sfn|Dowdey1957|p=116}})

Benjamin V, in his youth, was "tall and powerfully built," with "features that were clearly defined, and a well-shaped mouth above a strong pointed chin."{{sfn|Dowdey|1957|pp=5–7}} He spent a year or two at the [[College of William & Mary]].{{sfn|Dowdey|1957|p=159}} His brother [[Carter Henry Harrison I|Carter Henry]] (1736–1793) became a leader in [[Cumberland County, Virginia|Cumberland County]]. Brother Nathaniel (1742–1782) was elected to the House of Burgesses, then to the [[Senate of Virginia|Virginia Senate]]. Brother Henry (1736–1772) fought in the [[French and Indian War]] and brother [[Charles Harrison (general)|Charles]] (1740–1793) became a brigadier general in the [[Continental Army]].{{sfn|Smith|1978|pp=4–5}}

===Inheritance and slaveholding===
Harrison's father, at age 51 and with a child in hand, was struck by lightning as he shut an upstairs window during a storm on July 12, 1745; he and his daughter Hannah were killed.{{sfn|Dowdey|1957|pp=157–58}} Benjamin V inherited the bulk of his father's estate, including Berkeley and several surrounding plantations, as well as thousands of acres extending to Surry County and the falls of the [[James River]]. Also among his holdings was a fishery on the river and a grist mill in [[Henrico County, Virginia|Henrico County]].{{sfn|Smith|1978|pp=5–7}} He also assumed ownership and responsibility for the manor house's equipment, stock, and numerous enslaved people.{{sfn|Dowdey|1957|p=162}} His siblings inherited another six plantations, possessions, and enslaved people, as the father chose to depart from the tradition of leaving the entire estate to the eldest son.{{sfn|Dowdey|1957|p=163}}

Harrison and his ancestors enslaved as many as 80 to 100 people. Harrison's father was adamant about not breaking up slave families in the distribution of his estate.{{sfn|Dowdey|1957|pp=164–165}} As with all planters, the Harrisons sustained enslaved people on their plantations. Nevertheless, the enslaved people's status was involuntary, and according to Dowdey, "among the worst aspects of their slaveholding is the assumption that the men in the Harrison family, most likely the younger, unmarried ones, and the overseers, made night trips to the slaves' quarters for carnal purposes."{{sfn|Dowdey|1957|p=164}} Benjamin Harrison V owned [[mulatto]]es, though no record has been revealed as to their parentage.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-10969|title=To Geo. Washington from Benj. Harrison, March 31, 1783|publisher=National Archives|access-date=February 19, 2020}}</ref> Dowdey portrays the Harrisons' further incongruity, saying the enslaved people in some ways "were respected as families, and there developed a sense of duty about indoctrinating them in Christianity, though other slaveholders had reservations about baptizing children who were considered property."{{sfn|Dowdey|1957|p=164}}

===Marriage and children===
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In 1748, Harrison married Elizabeth Bassett (1730–1792) of [[New Kent County, Virginia|New Kent County]]; she was the daughter of Colonel William Bassett (1709–1744) and Elizabeth Churchill (1709–1779), daughter of burgess [[William Churchill (burgess)|William Churchill]] (1649–1710). Harrison and his wife had eight children during their 40-year marriage.{{sfn|Smith|1978|p=8}} Among them was eldest daughter Lucy Bassett (1749–1809), who married Peyton Randolph (1738–1784). Another daughter, Anne Bassett (1753–1821), married David Coupland (1749–1822). The eldest son was [[Benjamin Harrison VI]] (1755–1799), a briefly successful merchant who served in the Virginia House of Delegates but who died a self-indulgent, troubled, young widower.{{sfn|Dowdey|1957|pp=291–300}} Another was [[Carter Bassett Harrison]] (c. 1756–1808), who served in the Virginia House of Delegates and the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House of Representatives]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bioguideretro.congress.gov/Home/MemberDetails?memIndex=H000266|title=Carter Basset Harrison|publisher=U. S. Congress|access-date=May 8, 2020}}</ref> The other children were Elizabeth Harrison (1751–1791), who married physician [[William Rickman]] (c. 1731–1783) and Sarah Harrison (1770–1812), who married John Minge.

The youngest child was General [[William Henry Harrison]] (1773–1841), who became a congressional delegate for the [[Northwest Territory]] and also was governor of the [[Indiana Territory]]. In the [[1840 United States presidential election]], William Henry defeated incumbent [[Martin Van Buren]] but fell ill and died just one month into his presidency. Vice President [[John Tyler]], a fellow Virginian and Berkeley neighbor succeeded him.{{sfn|Dowdey|1957|pp=301–308}} William Henry's grandson, [[Benjamin Harrison]] (1833–1901), was a brigadier general in the [[Union Army]] during the [[American Civil War]]. Benjamin served in the [[United States Senate|U.S. Senate]] and was [[1888 United States presidential election|elected president in 1888]] after defeating incumbent [[Grover Cleveland]].{{sfn|Dowdey|1957|pp=308–315}}