A Cyclopaedia of Canadian Biography: Being Chiefly Men of the Time: A Collection of Persons Distinguished in Professional and Political Life, Leaders in the Commerce and Industry of Canada, and Successful Pioneers
History
A Cyclopaedia of Canadian Biography: Being Chiefly Men of the Time: A Collection of Persons Distinguished in Professional and Political Life, Leaders in the Commerce and Industry of Canada, and Successful Pioneers
=Harrison, Thomas=, LL.D., President of the University of New Brunswick,
Fredericton, was born at Sheffield, New Brunswick, on the 24th October,
1839. He is son of Thomas Harrison, by his wife Elizabeth Coburn, and
grandson of James Harrison, of the county of Antrim, Ireland, who
emigrated to South Carolina in 1767. During the Revolutionary war
Lieutenant James Harrison, with his elder brother, Captain Charles
Harrison, fought under Sir Henry Clinton, on the British side, and in
1783 these gentlemen came among the loyalists to New Brunswick. Charles
Harrison was appointed lieutenant-colonel of the militia of the county
of Sunbury, by Governor Thomas Carleton, in 1784, and the two brothers
settled at Sheffield, Sunbury county. James Harrison married Charity
Cowperthwaite, of a Quaker family from Philadelphia, and in 1806 died,
leaving five sons and four daughters. Their descendants are numerous,
and are mostly settled in New Brunswick. Thomas Harrison, the subject of
our sketch, was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, under the tutorship
of Dr. Salmon, F.R.S., whose works have for many years been the standard
treatises for advanced students in some of the highest branches of
modern mathematical science. He was a first honour man in mathematics,
and was elected a mathematical scholar in Trinity College in 1863. He
also attended law lectures, and took the degrees of B.A. and LL.B. in
the University of Dublin in 1864, and afterwards the degrees of M.A. and
LL.D. in the same university. In June, 1870, he was appointed professor
of the English language and literature and of mental and moral
philosophy in the University of New Brunswick. In 1874 he was made, by
the Dominion government, superintendent of the meteorological chief
station at Fredericton, and in August, 1885, president of the University
of New Brunswick, and professor of Mathematics by the Provincial
government. Mr. Harrison is a member of the Episcopal church. He
married, in 1865, Susan Lois Taylor, daughter of the late John S.
Taylor, of Sheffield, N.B., and niece of Sir Leonard Tilley, K.C.M.G.,
lieutenant-governor of New Brunswick. The fruit of this marriage is two
sons and a daughter. The eldest son, John Darley Harrison, is a member
of the graduating class of 1887 in the University of New Brunswick.
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