Biographical Sketch of William Smith HARRIS (1893); Chester County, PA

Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by John Morris 
<jMcDmorris@comcast.net>.

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Source: "Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Chester County, Pennsyl-
vania, comprising a historical sketch of the county," by Samuel T. Wiley
and edited by Winfield Scott Garner, Gresham Publishing Company, Philadel-
phia, PA, 1893, pp. 630-1.

"WILLIAM SMITH HARRIS, a member of the Chester county bar in active
practice, and secretary of the West Chester Street Railway Company, is
a son of William and Sarah A. (Smith) Harris, and was born in Chanceford
township, York county, Pennsylvania, February 24, 1855.  He received his
elementary education in the public schools of Londonderry township, pur-
sued his classical studies at Unionville academy and under Dr. W. B.
Noble, D. D., of Fagg's Manor, and entered Lafayette college the latter
part of the junior year, 1879, (being a member of the class of 1880,)
he read law with Groome & McCullough, of Elkton, Cecil county, Maryland,
of which firm the senior member had served as governor of Maryland and
represented his State in the United States senate.  After a two years'
course with that firm he was admitted to the Cecil county bar on January
4, 1882, and after practicing for a short time in Maryland, he went to
Grand Forks, North Dakota, where he followed his profession until 1884.
In that year he returned to West Chester, where he has been successfully
engaged ever since in the active practice of his chosen profession.  Mr.
Harris is a democrat in politics, and in religious belief has been a
Presbyterian for several years, being a member and the treasurer of the
Westminster Presbyterian church, of West Chester.  He is secretary of
the board of directors of the West Chester Street railway Company; and
a member and past grand of Pocahontas Lodge, No. 316, Independent Order
of Odd Fellows.

"On December 16, 1886, Mr. Harris wedded A. Maggie Smith, daughter of
Joseph Smith, a prominent citizen of the vicinity of Oxford, in this
county, and their union has been blessed with one child, a son named
William Clyde, who was born October 3, 1887.

"William Smith Harris is of English and Scotch descent, and his paternal
grandfather, William Harris, sr., was a native of Chester county, where
he followed farming, hotel keeping and general merchanidsing in West
Fallowfield and Londonderry townships.  He married Jane Criswell, and
one of their sons was William Harris (father), who settled in early life
in York county, which he afterward left to become a resident of London-
derry township, where he died March 1, 1873, aged forty-eight years.
William Harris was a democrat in politics, held the office of justice
of the peace for fifteen years, and was continually engaged in settling
estates, writing wills, drawing deeds, and other legal work for several
years before his death.  He served his township as a school director,
and was recognized as one of the leading and useful citizens of his
community and township.  He was an active member of Fagg's Manor Pres-
byterian church, and married Sarah A. Smith, who was a daughter of
William and Maria (Laird) Smith, of Chanceford township, York county,
and who died in 1886, at sixty-four years of age.

"To Mr. and Mrs. Harris were born seven children, who lived to maturity:
William Smith (subject); A. Clarkson, of Londonderry township; Maria J.,
James C., Mary A., John K. and Walter.  Mrs. Harris' mother, Maria
(Laird) Smith, was a member of the old and distinguished Laird family
of Pennsylvania.  Her father, Dr. William Smith, was a graduate of
Washington and Jefferson college, of western Pennsylvania.  He received
his medical education in a Baltimore, Maryland, institution, and located
in Chanceford township, York county, this State, where he practiced his
profession with great success until his death."