William Henry Harrison (son of Luke Harrison and Hannah Lodge), was born July 20th, 1813, at Sussex, N.B., and died May 2nd, 1901, at Sackville, N.B.He had no family by his first and second wives.He and his third wife, Lavina M.Knight, daughter of Rev.Richard Knight, D.D., of Devonshire, England, had family as follows: Richard Knight, married to Anne Graham, of Sussex, N.B., living at Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S.A.; Hannah Lovell, dead; William Henry, of Sackville, N.B.; Charles Allison, dead; F.A.Lovell, of St.John, N.B.; Albert Thornton, of New York City; Mary Louisa, married to T.Dwight Pickard, of Sackville, N.B., living at Fairview, B.C.; Frank Allison, of Sackville, N.B., married to Flora Anderson.
John Harrison, of Rillington, Yorkshire, England, who settled at Maccan River, N.S., Canada, in 1774, was a relative of John Harrison, born at Foulby, in the Parish of Wragley, near Pontrefact, Yorkshire, May, 1693.John Harrison, of Foulby, was the inventor of the chronometer, for which he received from the British Government the sum of L 20,000.
He died at his home in Red Lion Square, London, in 1776.The chronometer accepted by the Government from John Harrison was seen in July, 1901, at Guildhall, London.
The following letters were written by members of the Harrison family to friends in England.
William H.Harrison, a descendant of John Harrison, visited Yorkshire about the year 1854, and received the letters from friends there, bringing them back to Nova Scotia, where they were written so many years before.They are interesting as giving the experience of the emigrant in the new country.The first was written by Luke, a young man twenty years old, who had come to Nova Scotia with his father and had been in the country but three months.The second was written by John Harrison, a brother of Luke's, in 1803, after they had tested the country.
EXTRACTS FROM OLD LETTERS OF THE HARRISON FAMILY.
"TO MR.WILLIAM HARRISON, "Rillington, Yorkshire, "England.
"June 30th, 1774.
"DEAR COUSIN,--
"Hoping these lines will find you in good health, as we are at present, bless God for it.We have all gotten safe to Nova Scotia, but do not like it at all, and a great many besides us, and are coming back to England again, all that can get back.We do not like the country, not never shall.The mosquitos are a terrible plague in this country.You may think that mosquitos cannot hurt, but if you do you are mistaken, for they will swell you legs and hands so that some persons are both blind and lame for some days.They grow worse every year and they bite the English the worst.We have taken a farm of one Mr.Barron, for one year, or longer if we like.The rent is L 20 a year.We have 10 cows, 4 oxen, 20 sheep, one sow, and one breeding mare.He will take the rent in butter or cheese, or cattle.The country is very poor, and there is very little money about Cumberland.The money is not like our English money.An English guinea is L 1 3s.4d.In Nova Scotia money a dollar is equal to 5 shillings, and a pistereen is a shilling.In haying time men have 3 shillings a day for mowing.The mosquitos will bite them very often so that they will throw down their scythes and run home, almost bitten to death, and there is a black fly worse than all the rest.One is tormented all the summer with mosquitos, and almost frozen to death in the winter.Last winter they had what was reckoned to be a fine winter, and the frost was not out of the ground on the 20th day of June, which I will affirm for truth.I shall let you know the affairs of the country another year, if God spare life and health.Dear cousin, remember me to my uncle and aunt and to all that ask after me.
"From your well wisher, "LUKE HARRISON.
"Direct your letters to John Harrison or Luke Harrison, at the River a Bare, nigh Fort Cumberland, Nova Scotia.""TO MR.JOHN HARRISON, "Rillington, near Motton, "Yorkshire, England.
"Maccan River, N.S., "June 24th, 1810.
"DEAR COUSIN,--
"Long ago I have had it in agitation of writing to you and now an opportunity is just at hand, which I gladly now embrace, hoping these lines will find you and your family all in good health, as me and my family are the same, thanks be to him that ruleth over all.I am now going to give you a little sketch of our country, of Bonny Nova Scotia, and the advantages and disadvantages.I settled here on this river about 23 years ago, upon lands that had never been cultivated, all a wilderness.We cut down the wood of the land and burnt it off, and sowed it with wheat and rye, so that we have made out a very good living.Here we make our own sugar, our own soap and candles, and likewise our own clothing.We spin and weave our own linen and wool, and make the biggest part of it into garments within our own family.
This, I suppose, you will think strange, but it is merely for want of settlers and more mechanics of different branches.There were twenty-five petitioned to the Government for new lands when I settled here, and we all drew 500 acres of land each.I bought 500 acres joining mine, which cost me about eighteen pounds, and my part of the grant cost eight pounds.I have lived on it ever since and make out a very good living.We milk ten cows, keep one yoke of oxen, three horses, betwixt twenty and thirty sheep.I do not doubt but that in the run of ten years more I shall be able to milk twenty cows.We generally kill every fall six or eight hogs.We use betwixt four hundred and five hundred pounds of sugar every year for tea and other necessaries.The disadvantage we have here is in the winters being so long.There is six months to fodder our cattle, and what is worse than all the rest, the snow falling so deep, sometimes four feet.The last three or four winters have been very moderate, which we think is owing to the country and woods being cleared more away.We have very much trouble with bears, as they destroy our sheep and cattle so much.
"JOHN HARRISON.
"N.B.--I have two sons, up young men.Pray send them each a good, industrious wife.Pray send out a ship-load of young women, for there is a great call for them that can card and spin.The wages are from five to six shillings a week."
