two hostile parties, called Harris's people and Rowlands's people. The misunderstanding has never been satisfactorily explained. It has been attributed to some unguarded expressions of Harris, which, however, are common in hymns highly approved by Rowlands. Dr. Rees infers from some expressions in Williams's ‘Elegy on Harris’ that the cause was Harris's assumption of some authority in the connexion not allowable to a layman.
After this Harris withdrew to his own house at Trevecca, where he preached two or three times every day, and there in April 1752 he laid the foundation of a kind of protestant monastery. In 1754 the inmates or ‘family,’ as they were called, consisted of 100 persons, and in 1755 of 120, besides several families from North Wales, who had settled in the neighbourhood in order to benefit by Harris's ministry.
Harris was eminently loyal, and in 1759 he accepted an ensigncy in the Breconshire militia, and many of the ‘family’ joined him. He was alarmed by the prospect of a French invasion and the consequent establishment of papacy. During his short military career he preached in various parts of England. He would stand up to preach in his regimental dress in places where the mob would not have tolerated other preachers.
Towards the close of his life he was warmly supported by the Countess of Huntingdon [see Hastings, Selina], who established her school for ministers at Lower Trevecca. He corresponded with her, visited her at Brighton in 1766, and afterwards preached in London at Whitefield's Tabernacle and before aristocratic assemblies in private houses. The death of his wife in 1770 greatly affected him, and probably hastened his own end, which took place 21 July 1773. He left one daughter, who was provided for by an independent property from her mother. By his will he bequeathed all his property to the maintenance of his ‘family’ at Trevecca for ever. The institution has long been extinct.
His published works are: 1. ‘Hymnau Duwiol,’ in conjunction with two others, 1742. 2. ‘Cennadwri a Thystiolaeth ddiweddaf Howel Harris, Yswain,’ 1774. 3. ‘The last Message and Testimony of Howel Harris, Esqr., late of Trevecka in Wales. Found among some of his Papers,’ 1774. 4. ‘Ychydig Lythyrau ac Ystyriaethau ar Achosion Ysprydol ynghyd a Hymnau am Dduwdod a Marwolaeth ein Iachawdwr,’ 1782. 5. ‘Hanes Ferr o Fywyd Howel Harris, Yscwier; a dynwyd allan o'i ysgrifeniadau ef ei hun. At ba un y chwangewyd crynodeb byr o'i lythyrau o'r Flwyddyn 1738, hyd y Fl. 1772,’ 12mo, 1792.
[Morgan's Life and Times of Howel Harris; Methodistiaeth Cymru; Williams's Eminent Welshmen; Dr. Rees's Protestant Nonconformity in Wales, 2nd ed.; Life and Times of Selina, Countess of Huntingdon, i. 375, ii. 1 sq.; Malkin's South Wales.]
HARRIS, JAMES (1709–1780), author of ‘Hermes,’ eldest son of James Harris of the Close of Salisbury, by his second wife, Lady Elizabeth Ashley Cooper, third daughter of the second and sister of the third Lord Shaftesbury, was born 20 July 1709. He was educated at the grammar school in the close, and entered Wadham College, Oxford, as a gentleman-commoner. He matriculated 16 July 1726, and afterwards read law at Lincoln's Inn without intending to practise. On his father's death he became independent, and settled in the family house in Salisbury Close. He studied the classics industriously, often rising, ‘especially during the winter,’ at four or five. He was an active magistrate for the county, living at Salisbury and his house at Durnford in the neighbourhood. Though a student and an author, he was sociable, and especially encouraged concerts and the annual musical festival at Salisbury. He adapted words to selections from Italian and German composers made in two volumes, by Joseph Corfe [q. v.], the Salisbury organist. In 1761 he entered the House of Commons (where, as John Townshend remarked, he would find neither of his favourite subjects, harmony or grammar) as member for Christchurch, which he continued to represent until his death. He was a follower of George Grenville. On 1 Jan. 1763 he became a lord of the admiralty, and on 16 April 1763 a lord of the treasury. He retired with Grenville in 1765. He was made secretary and comptroller to the queen in 1774, but held no other office. He died 22 Dec. 1780, and was buried in the north aisle of Salisbury Cathedral. He married in 1745 Elizabeth, daughter and heiress of John Clarke of Sandford, Bridgwater. Three (of five) children survived him, two daughters and James (1746–1820) [q. v.], afterwards first Earl of Malmesbury. The latter was his junior colleague in the representation of Christchurch (1770–4 and Sept.–Dec. 1780).
A conversation with Harris at the house of Sir Joshua Reynolds is reported by Boswell in 1778 (Boswell, iii. 256–8, ed. Hill). Johnson seems to have respected his scholarship, but called him (ib. p. 245) ‘a prig and a bad prig.’ An engraving from a portrait by Highmore is prefixed to the first volume of his works (1801), and one from ‘a model by Gosset’ to the second. A portrait of Harris by Romney is now in the National Portrait Gallery. Harris's books are dry
