Lived in Burton on Trent where he was Sub Manager of the Burton, Uttoxeter and Ashbourne Union Bank, and a much-respected local figure. As a Coleopterist Harris took many species of importance and added at least three species to the British list, but is, nevertheless, almost unknown. His only publication was 'Occurrence of Calosoma inquisitor near Burton on Trent' in EMM, 2, 1865, p.64, and Ent., 2, 1865, p.321, so that most of what we know about him comes from his obituary notice written by W.W.Fowler in EMM, 28, 1892, p.21: 'Mr Harris was very retiring, and few people knew much of him beyond his own immediate circle of friends, but it would be impossible to find a man of a more kindly or unselfish nature. The writer of this notice well remembers the pleasant times which he spent, when quite a beginner, in his room overlooking the Trent, going over his collection, and determining captures and localities, and rarely leaving without some good insects'. Fowler also states that Harris was a very keen natural historian and that botany had been his early interest before Coleoptera took over. His collection of beetles was 'excellent' and included 'many good things'. The species he took which were new to Britain were Macronychus quadrituberculatus Muller, Scybalicus oblongiusculus (Dejean) and Bagous diglyptus Boheman. E.C.Rye, who recorded these captures, is mentioned in EMM, 1, 1864, p.117, as Harris's friend and fellow collector. Harris was a member of the Entomoloogical Society, and one of the founder members of the Burton-on-Trent Natural History and Archaeological Society, of which he was one of the early Presidents, and later Vice President. Apart from the obituary mentioned above there is also a brief note by F.D. Godman in Trans ESL., 1892, pp.lv-lvi. (MD 3/03)
Dates
1830 - 3 October 1892