HARRISON

harrison, frederic (1831- ), english jurist and historian, was born in london on the 18th of october 1831. members of his family (originally leicestershire yeomen) had been lessees of sutton place, guildford, of which he wrote an interesting account (_annals of an old manor house_, 1893). he was educated at king's college school and at wadham college, oxford, where, after taking a first-class in _literae humaniores_ in 1853, he became fellow and tutor. he was called to the bar in 1858, and, in addition to his practice in equity cases, soon began to distinguish himself as an effective contributor to the higher-class reviews. two articles in the _westminster review_, one on the italian question, which procured him the special thanks of cavour, the other on _essays and reviews_, which had the probably undesigned effect of stimulating the attack on the book, attracted especial notice. a few years later mr harrison worked at the codification of the law with lord westbury, of whom he contributed an interesting notice to nash's biography of the chancellor. his special interest in legislation for the working classes led him to be placed upon the trades union commission of 1867-1869; he was secretary to the commission for the digest of the law, 1869-1870; and was from 1877 to 1889 professor of jurisprudence and international law under the council of legal education. a follower of the positive philosophy, but in conflict with richard congreve (q.v.) as to details, he led the positivists who split off and founded newton hall in 1881, and he was president of the english positivist committee from 1880 to 1905; he was also editor and part author of the positivist _new calendar of great men_ (1892), and wrote much on comte and positivism. of his separate publications, the most important are his lives of cromwell (1888), william the silent (1897), ruskin (1902), and chatham (1905); his _meaning of history_ (1862; enlarged 1894) and _byzantine history in the early middle ages_ (1900); and his essays on _early victorian literature_ (1896) and _the choice of books_ (1886) are remarkable alike for generous admiration and good sense. in 1904 he published a "romantic monograph" of the 10th century, _theophano_, and in 1906 a verse tragedy, _nicephorus_. an advanced and vehement radical in politics and progressive in municipal affairs, mr harrison in 1886 stood unsuccessfully for parliament against sir john lubbock for london university. in 1889 he was elected an alderman of the london county council, but resigned in 1893. in 1870 he married ethel berta, daughter of mr william harrison, by whom he had four sons. george gissing, the novelist, was at one time their tutor; and in 1905 mr harrison wrote a preface to gissing's _veranilda_ (see also mr austin harrison's article on gissing in the _nineteenth century_, september 1906). as a religious teacher, literary critic, historian and jurist, mr harrison took a prominent part in the life of his time, and his writings, though often violently controversial on political and social subjects, and in their judgment and historical perspective characterized by a modern radical point of view, are those of an accomplished scholar, and of one whose wide knowledge of literature was combined with independence of thought and admirable vigour of style. in 1907 he published _the creed of a layman, apologia pro fide mea_, in explanation of his religious position.