Robert C. Harris was born around 1802 in North Carolina. He married Mary O. Alexander in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, on March 1, 1831, and they had at least four children: Martha, born around 1832; Mary, born around 1834; Warren, born on January 24, 1836; and Moses, born around 1839. They lived in Mecklenburg County, and Harris worked as a farmer. By 1850, he owned $250 of real estate. A decade later, his wealth had grown to $5,000 of real estate and $900 of personal property, and by 1870, he owned $4,500 of real estate and $200 of personal property. He died sometime in the 1870s.