Henry Harrison (Philadelphia mayor)

American merchant and Mayor of Philadelphia

Henry Harrison

Mayor of Philadelphia
In office
October 5, 1762 – October 4, 1763
Preceded by| Jacob Duché, Sr.
Succeeded by| Thomas Willing
Personal details
Born| c. 1712
Lancashire, England
Died| January 3, 1766(1766-01-03) (aged 52–53)
Philadelphia, Province of Pennsylvania, British America
Spouse|

Mary Aspden

(m. 1748)​

Children| 4

Henry Harrison (c. 1712 - January 3, 1766) was a merchant and politician, and the mayor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1762–1763.[1]

## Early life

[edit]

Harrison was born in Lancashire, England in c. 1712.

In his early life, he was captain of the ship The Snow Squirrel.[2]

## Career

[edit]

After moving to the Province of Pennsylvania in what was then British America, Harrison served as an alderman. He was also a member and vestryman of Christ Church. He became wealthy as a dry-goods merchant.[3]

On October 5, 1762, he was appointed mayor of Philadelphia, serving until October 4, 1763.[4]

He also served as manager of the Public Hospital and was a local real estate developer.[5]

## Personal life

[edit]

On April 13, 1748, Harrison married Mary Aspden (1718–1803), formerly of Lancashire and the daughter of Mathew Aspen.[3] In 1760, he built a home in Philadelphia on Coombes Alley (today known as Cuthbert Street).[5] Together, they were the parents of five children:[6][2]

* Mary Harrison (1750–1797), who married the Right Reverend William White, D.D., first consecrated Bishop of the Episcopal Church, Diocese of Philadelphia, in 1773.[7]
* Anne Harrison (1757–1780), who married William Paca (1740–1799), signer of the Declaration of Independence and later governor of Maryland, on February 28, 1777.[8]
* Matthias Harrison (1759–1817), who married Rebecca Mifflin, daughter of Turrut Francis.[9]
* George Harrison (1762–1845) who married Sophia Francis in 1792.[3]
* Joseph Harrison[10]

Harrison died on January 3, 1766, in Philadelphia, where he was buried in Christ Church Burial Ground. His stone is inscribed "Alderman and sometime Mayor of Philadelphia, A Christian and useful Citizen. His desolate Widow, sadly bewailing her irretrievable loss, and striving to alleviate her grief with the memory of his worth, Erected this Stone."[11] His estate was estimated to be worth over £15,086.12.0 which included 157 troy ounces of plate valued at £78.10 (roughly $2,000,000 in 2017 figures).[3]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Council, Philadelphia (Pa ) Councils Common (1847). Minutes of the Common Council of the City of Philadelphia, 1704-1776. Crissy & Markley, Printers. p. 685. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
2. ^ a b Jordan, John Woolf (1911). Colonial Families of Philadelphia. Lewis Publishing Company. p. 1048. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
3. ^ a b c d Chicago, Art Institute of; Goldsborough, Jennifer (2017). American Silver in the Art Institute of Chicago. Yale University Press. p. 84\. ISBN 9780300222364. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
4. ^ "Mayors of Philadelphia". www.phila.gov. City of Philadelphia. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
5. ^ a b Carrion, Angelly (November 11, 2013). "Old City's Henry Harrison House Is For Sale By Owner". Philadelphia Magazine. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
6. ^ Philadelphia Deeds D21, 171 Maryland State Archives MSA SC 1138-001-965 (Legislative History Project Files)
7. ^ The lives of eminent Philadelphians, now deceased, by Henry Simpson, published by W. Brotherhead, 1859.
8. ^ Revolutionary Patriots of Anne Arundel County, Maryland, by Henry C. Peden, Jr., published by Heritage Books, 2006. ISBN 1-58549-204-3, ISBN 978-1-58549-204-6
9. ^ Clark, Edward L. (2012). A Record of the Inscriptions on the Tablets and Grave-stones in the Burial-grounds of Christ Church. Applewood Books. p. 113\. ISBN 9781429093095. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
10. ^ Philadelphia Deeds D21, 171 Maryland State Archives MSA SC 1138-001-965 (Legislative History Project Files)
11. ^ A record of the inscriptions on the tablets and gravestones in the burial-grounds of Christ Church, Philadelphia, Collins, Printer (1864)

Political offices

Preceded by

Jacob Duché, Sr.

|  Mayor of Philadelphia
1762–1763  | Succeeded by

Thomas Willing

* v
* t
* e

Mayors of Philadelphia (chronologically)

Colonial era
(1691-1776)|

* Morrey
* Shippen (I)
* Morris (I)
* G. Jones
* Willcox
* Stanbury
* Masters
* Hill
* Carter
* Preston
* Dickinson
* Roch
* Hill
* Dickinson
* Fishbourn
* Logan
* C. Plumsted
* Norris
* Hudson
* Charles Read
* T. Lawrence (I)
* Griffitts
* Hasell
* Griffitts
* T. Lawrence (I)
* Allen
* C. Plumsted
* Griffitts
* Morris (II)
* Roberts
* Hasell
* C. Plumsted
* Till
* B. Shoemaker
* Shippen (II)
* Hamilton
* Attwood
* C. Willing
* T. Lawrence (I)
* W. Plumsted
* Strettell
* B. Shoemaker
* T. Lawrence (I)
* C. Willing
* W. Plumsted
* Shute
* T. Lawrence (II)
* Stamper
* B. Shoemaker
* Duché
* Harrison
* T. Willing
* T. Lawrence (II)
* J. Lawrence
* I. Jones
* S. Shoemaker
* Gibson
* Fisher
* Rhoads
* Powel

Pre-Act of Consolidation
(1789-1854)|

* Powel
* Miles
* Barclay
* Clarkson
* Baker
* Wharton
* Inskeep
* Lawler
* Inskeep
* Wharton
* J. Barker
* Wharton
* Keppele
* J. Barker
* Geyer
* Wharton
* J. N. Barker
* Wharton
* Watson
* Dallas
* Richards
* Milnor
* Richards
* Swift
* Roach
* Swift
* Scott
* McCall
* Swift
* J. Jones
* Gilpin

Post-Consolidation
(since 1854)|

* Conrad
* Vaux
* Henry
* McMichael
* Fox
* Stokley
* King
* W. Smith
* Fitler
* Stuart
* Warwick
* Ashbridge
* Weaver
* Reyburn
* Blankenburg
* T. Smith
* Moore
* Kendrick
* Mackey
* Moore
* Wilson
* Connell
* Lamberton
* Samuel
* Clark
* Dilworth
* Tate
* Rizzo
* Green
* Goode
* Rendell
* Street
* Nutter
* Kenney
* Parker

*[c.]: circa
*[m.]: married
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