Background
William Harrison was born in London, in the parish of Saint Thomas the Apostle, to John and Anne Harrison.
William Harrison was born in London, in the parish of Saint Thomas the Apostle, to John and Anne Harrison.
As a boy, Harrison attended Street Paul"s School and the Westminster School of Alexander Nowell.
His contribution to Holinshed"s work drew heavily on the earlier work of John Leland. Early life and education
Adulthood
On 15 February 1559, prior to the award of his bachelor"s degree at Oxford, Harrison was instituted as the rector of Radwinter in Essex, by the appointment of Lord Cobham, who owned the right, and to whom he was also household chaplain. The living brought with it an income of £40 a year.
Despite being well known to posterity for his description of England, at this time he had only travelled within a small compass in the south of England.
Harrison married Marion Isebrand, the daughter of Flemish immigrants. Continuing his theological studies at Cambridge, Harrison took the degree of Bachelor of Divinity in 1571.
In the same year he was instituted vicar of Wimbish in Essex. Harrison also held positions at another two London parishes.
Near the end of his life, Harrison received an appointment as a canon at Saint George"s Chapel at Windsor.
Harrison was buried at Windsor following his death in 1593.