Thomas Harris (mayor)

Thomas Harris
Thomas Harris
	Harris in Office
Mayor of Victoria, British Columbia
	In office; 1862–1865
Personal details
Born	1817?; England
Died	November 29, 1884 (aged 67); Victoria, British Columbia

Thomas Harris (1817?[1] – November 29, 1884[2]) was the first mayor of Victoria, British Columbia, serving from 1862 to 1865.

Born in Almeley, Herefordshire, Harris married Emily Dickinson, a widow, in Liverpool in 1848. Harris came to Victoria by way of California in 1858, at the height of the Cariboo gold rush. He ran a slaughterhouse for a time, then became a butcher shortly afterward and made his fortune.[1]

A jovial man who had an opinion on everything and wasn't afraid to tell whoever would listen, he was a likely candidate for election in 1862 when the town's father decided to incorporate the town. At election time, Harris won by "forest of hands" amid a group of 600 men. During his second official council meeting, the 300 pound (136 kg) Harris had a chair collapse under his own weight.

In 1873, he was named sergeant-at-arms for the provincial legislature. He was named high sheriff for Vancouver Island in 1876.[1]

Harris Green, an area within Victoria, is named after him.

His stepson Robert Dickinson took over the shop in New Westminster and served as mayor of that city.[1]

References

Dennison, Robert G (2008). "An "'Umble Tradesman": Thomas Harris First Mayor of Victoria" (PDF). British Columbia History. British Columbia Historical Federation. 41 (4): 11–15. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-10-04. Retrieved 2011-07-24.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.

[dennison-1] Dennison, Robert G (2008). "An "'Umble Tradesman": Thomas Harris First Mayor of Victoria" (PDF). British Columbia History. British Columbia Historical Federation. 41 (4): 11–15. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-10-04. Retrieved 2011-07-24.