Harry was an American Indian boy of an unknown tribal origin born in about 1682. The first record of Harry's enslavement comes from a 1695 estate inventory of North Carolina governor Seth Sothel, indicating that Sothel enslaved him sometime prior to his death in 1694. Harry's ownership then transferred to Sothel's widow, Anna, and when Anna died in early 1695, Harry then became enslaved by Anna's next husband, John Lear. When John Lear too died by the end of 1695, the Sothel/Lear estate records fell into disorder and several estate executors proceeded to squabble over who had a right to the estate and with it, the ownership of Harry and several other individuals that the Sothels/Lears had enslaved. Any further records about Harry's fate have not been located.