The Harman surname is German in origin and is related to the name "Hermann".
Mary Harman married John Forsythe, who was sheriff of Adams County, Mississippi. She was born May 19, 1792 at Washington, Mississippi, the daughter of John Christian Harman and Martha Ashe Miller.
John Christian Harman, reportedly born October 08, 1757 in Naples, Italy and died March 01, 1817 in Washington, Adams County, Mississippi. He was the son of Christian Harman, a native of Calabria Province in Italy and Maria ____. He served in the Spanish army and was know as Juan Christian Harman.
It is said that his wife Martha Ashe Miller was born in Portugal, but it is as likely that she was of the mixed blood group known variously as Melungeons and Redbones among others, most of whom generally claimed to be "Portygee", or Portuguese.
Mississippi did not become part of the United States until the Louisiana Purchase shortly after 1800. Before that time Natchez was a city for adventurers--an international cast of traders, trappers, American Indians, African slaves, and soldiers from the United States, France, and Spain. John Christian Harman was apparently an adventurer from Italy who became a soldier in the Spanish army before settling in Natchez.
Mary died November 18, 1825 in Washington, Adams County, Mississippi.
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