James Harland, yeoman and member of the Episcopal Church, was born about 1625 in Durham, Bishoprick, England, and is the earliest paternal Harlan ancestor known to the family in America. He lived and died an Englishman, and was buried on English soil, no one today knows where. Tradition says that the name of his father was William. James was the father of three sons: Thomas who married Katherine Bullock and Alice Foster; George who married Elizabeth Duck and Michael who married Dinah Dixon. The Harlan descendants in this book are descendant from both Michael and George.
George Harlan, yoeman and son of James Harland, was baptized at the Monastery of Monkwearmouth on January 11, 1650. He was born in Durham, Bishoprick, England and remained their until he reached manhood, when, when he and his brother, Michael, and others crossed into Ireland and located in the County of Down. While he resided there he married Elizabeth Duck by ceremony of Friends on September 17, 1678. George brought his family to America in 1687. His first four children, Ezekiel, Hannah, Moses and Aaron, were born in Ireland. George had six other children after arriving in America, including his youngest son, Joshua, who is in our direct line of ancestors. George died July 1714 and was buried on "grounds of Alphonsus Kirk’s land" which became the Center Meeting Grounds in Pennsylvania. George soon became one of the foremost citizens of the colony. He had been one of the provincial governors of the "three lower counties," now the state of Delaware, and was a member of the Colonial Assembly. Michael Harlan, yoeman and Friend, was born in Durham, Bishoprick, England about 1660. He settled in County Downs, Ireland with his brother George and Thomas, and remained there until 1687 when he accompanied his brother, George, to America. In the early months of 1687, Michael along with his brother, George and George’s family, took a ship at Belfast for America. They bought land before coming which were within that part of the Province of Pennsylvania now embraced in the County of New Castle. Ascending the river Delaware they landed in the town of New Castle (now in the State of Delaware), and settled in the present town of Centreville. Both Michael and his brother, George, changed their surname by dropping the "d" upon arriving in America. In 1690 he married Dinah Dixon, a daughter of Henry Dixon, and settled near the Senter Meeting House. Later he moved to London Grove Township where he died in June 1729 and was buried in Friend’s Burying Grounds. Michael and Dinah had eight children, including his oldest son, George, who is in our direct line of ancestors.
Joshua Harlan, son of George and grandson of James, was born November 11, 1696/7 in the Province of Pennsylvania, (now in) New Castle, Delaware and died in June or July 1744, in Kennet Township, Chester County. He was buried in the Friends’ Burying Grounds at the "Old" Kennet Meeting House. He married Mary Heald in January 1719 at a Ceremony of Friends at the "Old" Kennet Meeting House. Mary was born November 15, 1697, at Adwood, Cheshire County, England, and was the daughter of Samuel Heald and Mary Bancroft. Joshua and Mary had seven children, including their oldest son and second oldest child, Joseph, who is in our direct line of ancestors. George Harlan, son of Michael and grandson of James, was born October 4, 1690, in the Province of Pennsylvania, (now in) New Castle Co., Delaware and died in 1732, in West Bradford Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. He was buried in Friends Burying Grounds at Bradford Meeting House. He married Mary Baily in December 1715 at a Ceremony of Friends at Kennet Meeting. Mary was born September 10, 1688, in Chester Co and their in September or October, 1741, in West Bradford Township. She is buried at Bradford Meeting House. Mary was the daughter of Joel Baily and Ann Short, and the widow of Alexander Stewart. George and Mary had seven children, including their oldest child, John Harlan, who is in our direct line of ancestors.
Joseph Harlan, son of Joshua and grandson of George, was born May 17, 1723, in Kennet Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania and died there December 22, 1803. His first wife was Edith Pyle, the daughter of Samuel Pyle, a physician, born February 3, 1726 in Kennet Township and died there December 1, 1771. His second wife was Sarah Harlan, the daughter of his first cousin George Harlan (son of Aaron and grandson of George, above) and Elizabeth Hope. Joseph and Sarah had one daughter. Joseph and Edith had seven children, including Sarah.  Click here to see a copy of an Articles of Agreement between Joseph and his oldest old, Joshua. John Harlan, son of George and grandson of Michael, was born about 1716 in Kennet Township, Chester, Pennsylvania and died in Newlin Township, also in Chester. He married Sarah Wickersham, a Friend, on May 4, 1740, at the "Old" Kennet Meeting House. Sarah was the daughter of Thomas Wickersham and Abigail Johnson. They had five children, including their second oldest child and oldest son, Jesse, who is in our direct line of ancestors.
Jesse Harlan, a son of John and grandson of George, married his third cousin, Sarah Harlan, a daughter of Joseph and a granddaughter of Joshua. Jesse was born about 1743, in Bradford Township, Chester, Pennsylvania. Sarah was born July 25, 1748 in Kennet Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. After the birth of their children they moved to Maryland and then onward to Albemarle County, Virginia, where they both died and were buried. Jesse and Sarah were married September 10, 1764 in an Episcopal ceremony at Holy Trinity (Old Swedes) Church, Wilmington, Delaware. It is by this marriage that we are descendent from both George and Michael Harlan. Jesse and Sarah had five children, including including Joseph and Jesse, who are both in our direct line of ancestors as a result of the marriage of first cousins once removed - Thomas Samuel Harlan, son of James White Harlan, grandson of Joseph Harlan, and great grandson of Jesse and Sarah, and Mary Fleming Harlan, daughter of Jesse and granddaughter of Jesse and Sarah Harlan.

Source: History and Genealogy of the Harlan Family, by Alpheus H. Harlan