William Harrison (18 April 1534 – 24 April 1593) was an English clergyman, whoseDescription of England was produced as part of the publishing venture of a group ofLondon stationers who producedRaphael Holinshed'sChronicles (1577 and 1587). His contribution to Holinshed's work drew heavily on the earlier work ofJohn Leland.
William Harrison was born in London, in the parish of St. Thomas the Apostle, to John and Anne Harrison. As a boy, Harrison attendedSt Paul's School and theWestminster School ofAlexander Nowell. Raised inProtestant circles, Harrison enteredChrist Church, Oxford and in 1560 was awarded his bachelor's degree. During the reign of QueenMary I of England, Christ Church became a centre ofCatholic support, and Harrison converted to Catholicism. Harrison claimed that he returned to Protestant belief before Mary's death in 1558 after hearing the words ofCranmer,Ridley, andLatimer, three Protestantmartyrs burned at the stake in Oxford.
On 15 February 1559, prior to the award of his bachelor's degree at Oxford, Harrison was instituted as therector ofRadwinter in Essex, by the appointment ofLord Cobham, who owned the right,[1] 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.[2]
Harrison married Marion Isebrand, the daughter ofFlemish immigrants. Continuing his theological studies atCambridge, Harrison took the degree of Bachelor of Divinity in 1571. In the same year he was instituted vicar ofWimbish in Essex.[3] Harrison also held positions at another two London parishes. Near the end of his life, Harrison received an appointment as acanon atSt. George's Chapel atWindsor. Harrison was buried at Windsor following his death in 1593.
Harrison is best known for hisDescription of England, first published in 1577 as part ofHolinshed's Chronicles, and reissued in revised form in 1587. This work enumerated England's geographic, economic, social, religious and political features and represents an important source for historians interested in life inElizabethan England. He gathered his facts from books, letters, maps, the notes ofJohn Leland, and conversations withantiquaries and local historians like his friendsJohn Stow andWilliam Camden. He also used his own observation, experience and wit, and wrote in a conversational tone without pedantry, which has made the work a classic.[4] The result is a compendium ofElizabethan England during the youth ofWilliam Shakespeare. "No work of the time contains so vivid and picturesque a sketch," was the assessment ofThe Cambridge History of English and American Literature.[5]
Harrison also wrote a number of unpublished manuscripts, includingThe Great English Chronologie. This work traced fortunes of the Christian church in history, stretching fromcreation to his own time. In theChronologie, Harrison revealed his sympathy with theCalvinist perspective of those seeking to reform theChurch of England. At the same time, Harrison also indicated his distrust of the political intentions of England'sPuritans and his ultimate loyalty to England's ecclesiastical authorities.
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