Thomas Harris (1817?[1] – November 29, 1884[2]) was the first mayor of Victoria, British Columbia, serving from 1862 to 1865.
Born in Almeley, Herefordshire, Harris married Eliza Dickinson, a widow, in Liverpool in 1848. Harris came to Victoria by way of California in 1858, at the height of the Cariboo gold rush. He ran a slaughterhouse for a time, then became a butcher shortly afterward and made his fortune.[1]
A jovial man who had an opinion on everything and wasn't afraid to tell whoever would listen, he was a likely candidate for election in 1862 when the town's father decided to incorporate the town. At election time, Harris won by "forest of hands" amid a group of 600 men. During his second official council meeting, the 300 pound (136 kg) Harris had a chair collapse under his own weight.
In 1873, he was named sergeant-at-arms for the provincial legislature. He was named high sheriff for Vancouver Island in 1876.[1]
Harris Green, an area within Victoria, is named after him.
His stepson Robert Dickinson took over the shop in New Westminster and served as mayor of that city.[1]
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