There exists a township in Bedford County today that bears the name Harrison. It is located in the west side of the county along the south side of the centerline. But another township wanted that name first.
On 28 November 1837, a number of Southampton Township residents petitioned the Court of Common Pleas requesting that their township be divided in two. As with most petitions requesting that a township be divided, the reason given by the Southampton Township residents was that from the large bounds of Said Township it being nearly forty miles long from East to West. Your Petitioners labour under great inconvenience, in their Township affairs.
The petition was not acted upon and was set aside until 1852 when the residents of Southampton Township once more brought up the request. At that time, the petitioners requested that the east portion retain the name of Southampton, and that the west portion by named Jefferson. The Court ignored the new request for another twenty-four years, finally agreeing in 1876 to make the division, but it did not follow the petition's request in the naming of the new township. Of course, as anyone who lives there, or can read a map knows, the west portion retained the name of Southampton and the east portion was given the name of Mann.
