Thomas Harrison

Thomas Harrison (1 March 1619 – August 1682) was an English nonconformist minister active during the 17th century.

Born at Kingston upon Hull in the East Riding of Yorkshire, Harrison was the son of Robert Harrison, a merchant. He commenced his higher education at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, matriculating as a pensioner on 12 April 1634 at the age of sixteen. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1638.

By 1640, Harrison had traveled to New England, where he pursued training for the ministry. During his time in the American colonies, he served as a chaplain to Sir William Berkeley, who was the governor of Virginia. Berkeley was known for his opposition to Puritans. Harrison was involved in the expulsion of ministers with extreme views from Virginia, an event which preceded a violent uprising among Native Americans. Harrison and others regarded this uprising as a divine judgment against the persecutors of the expelled ministers. As a result of his change in views, Harrison was dismissed from his position in Virginia.

Following his departure from Virginia, Harrison moved to New England, where his brothers resided. He married Dorothy Symonds during this period. Subsequently, he relocated to London and gained recognition as a preacher. Around 1650, he succeeded Dr. Thomas Goodwin in leading the gathered church at St Dunstan-in-the-East. After several years, he moved to Bromborough Hall in Wirral, Cheshire. By 1655, he was widowed.

In 1657, Harrison accompanied Henry Cromwell to Ireland when Cromwell was appointed lord-lieutenant. During his time in Ireland, Harrison resided within Cromwell's household and preached at Christ Church, Dublin. In 1659, he married Katherine Bradshaw. At the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660, Harrison left Ireland and settled in Chester, where he regularly preached in the cathedral to large congregations until he was silenced by the Act of Uniformity in 1662.

There is a record indicating that Harrison obtained a Doctor of Divinity (D.D.) degree either from Cambridge in the period between October 1660 and October 1661 or from Dublin, as suggested by Calamy. After the act of uniformity was enacted, he returned to Dublin and established a dissenting church with congregational views.

Harrison is believed to have fathered a son named Isaiah in 1666, who later became a prominent figure in the Harrison family of Virginia's Shenandoah Valley.

He was noted for his oratorical skills, particularly in prayer and preaching, which garnered him considerable attention. Calamy remarked that Harrison was a gentleman well-regarded for his conversation. When he died in August 1682 in Dublin, his death was mourned broadly. Harrison left behind a collection of manuscripts, including a significant library and a large folio entitled "System of Divinity" authored by himself.

Harrison's published works include "Topica Sacra: Spiritual Logick," a guide to faith, meditation, and prayer that was first published in 1658 and was later expanded and reprinted; "Old Jacob's Account Cast up," a funeral sermon for Lady Susannah Reynolds; "Threni Hibernici," a lamentation for Ireland over the loss of Oliver Cromwell, preached at Christ Church in Dublin in 1659; and "An Epistle to the Reader" in "Lemmata Meditationum," published in Dublin in 1672.