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