HARRIS, GEORGE, 1ST BARON (17461829)

This article appears in Volume V13, Page 19 of the Encyclopedia Britannica.

Encyclopedia Britannica - Main :: HAN-HEG

HARRIS, GEORGE, 1ST BARON (17461829) , British general, was the son of the Rev George Harris, curate of Brasted, Kent, and was born on the 18th of March 1746. Educated at Westminster school and at the Royal Military

Academy

ACADEMY, GREEK
ACADEMY, ROYAL

, Woolwich, he was commissioned to the Royal Artillery in 176o, transferring to an ensigncy in the 5th foot (Northumberland Fusiliers) in 1762. Three years later he became lieutenant, and in 1771 captain. His first active service was in the American War of Independence, in which he served at Lexington, Bunker Hill (severely wounded) and in every engagement of Howe's army except one up to November 1778. By this time he had obtained his

majority

MAJORITY (Fr. majorite; Med. Lat. majoritas; Lat. major, greater)

, and his next service was under Major-General Medows at Santa Lucia in 17781779, after which his regiment served as

marines

MARINES (from Lat. mare, sea)

in Rodney's

fleet

FLEET

. Later in 1779 he was for a time a prisoner of war. Shortly before his promotion to lieutenant-colonel in his regiment (178o) he married. After commanding the 5th in Ireland for some years, he exchanged and went with General Medows to Bombay, and served with that officer in India until 1792, taking part in various battles and engagements, notably Lord Cornwallis's attack on

Seringapatam

SERINGAPATAM, or SRIRANGAPATANA

. In 1794, after a short period of

home

service, he was again in India. In the same year he became major-general, and in 1796 local lieutenant-general in

Madras

MADRAS

. Up to 1800 he commanded the troops in the presidency, and for a short time he exercised the civil government as well. In December 1798 he was appointed by Lord Wellesley, the

governor

GOVERNOR (from the Fr. gouverneur, from gouverner, O. Fr. governer, Lat. gubernare, to steer a ship, to direct, guide)

-general, to command the field army which was intended to attack Tipu Sahib, and in a few months Harris reduced the Mysore country and stormed the

great

GREAT

stronghold of

Seringapatam

SERINGAPATAM, or SRIRANGAPATANA

. His success established his reputation as a capable and experienced

commander

COMMANDER

, and its political importance led to his being offered the reward (which he declined) of an Irish peerage. He returned

home

in 1800, became lieutenant-general in the army the following year, and attained the rank of full general in 1812. In 1815 he was made a peer of the United Kingdom under the title Baron Harris of Seringapatam and Mysore, and of Belmont, Kent. In 182o he received the G.C.B., and in 1824 the governorship of Dumbarton Castle. Lord Harris died at Belmont in May 1829. He had been colonel of the 73rd Highlanders since 'Soo.
His descendant, the 4th Baron Harris (b. 1851), best known as a cricketer, was under-secretary for India (18851886), under-secretary for war (18861889) and

governor

GOVERNOR (from the Fr. gouverneur, from gouverner, O. Fr. governer, Lat. gubernare, to steer a ship, to direct, guide)

of Bombay (189o1895).
See Rt. Hon. S. Lushington, Life of Lord Harris (London, 1840), and the regimental histories of the 5th Northumberland Fusiliers and 73rd Highlanders.

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