Christopher Harris (died 1623)

Christopher Harris (1590–November 1623) of Lanrest in the parish of Liskeard in Cornwall, was a Member of Parliament for West Looe in Cornwall (1621). He should not be confused with his great-uncle Christopher Harris (c.1553-1625) of Radford in the parish of Plymstock in Devon, MP for Plymouth in 1584, whose heir apparent he was.

Arms of Harris of Lanrest: Sable, three crescents argent a bordure of the last. These are the arms of Harris of Radford differenced by a bordure argent[1]

Origins

He was the eldest son and heir of John Harris (1564- June 1623) of Lanrest, Recorder of the Borough of West Looe in Cornwall and MP for West Looe in Cornwall in 1614,[2] by his wife Joane Harte, daughter and sole heiress of Robert Harte of Plimston in the parish of Stoke Climsland in Cornwall.[3]

Career

He matriculated at Exeter College, Oxford on 15 November 1605, aged 15 and was awarded BA on 7 July 1608 and MA on 2 July 1611. He was a law student at Lincoln's Inn in 1611. In 1621 he was elected Member of Parliament for West Looe[4] in Cornwall.

Marriage

He married Gertrude Grenville, a daughter of Sir Bernard Grenville (1567-1636), MP, lord of the manors of Bideford in Devon and of Stowe in the parish of Kilkhampton, Cornwall. The marriage was without progeny.

Death, burial & succession

Harris died at the age of 33 and was buried at Plymstock on 27 November 1623.[4] He was succeeded by his younger brother John Harris (c.1596-1648), four times elected MP for Liskeard, who also inherited the estates of their great-uncle Sir Christopher Harris (c.1553-1625), MP for Plymouth in 1584,[5] of Radford in the parish of Plymstock in Devon.[6]

References
  1. It is assumed by Gilbert (Gilbert, Charles Sandoe, An Historical Survey of the County of Cornwall, Volume 2, Part 1, p.136 & footnote) that the family of Harris of Lanrest was a junior branch of Harris of Radford, whose heirs they became. Harris of Lanrest was not a family long-established in Cornwall and no ancestry is recorded in the Heraldic Visitations of Cornwall.Gilbert states that Harris of Lanrest bore the same differenced arms as Harris of Hayne, i.e. with bordure argent, until they inherited Radford, when they adopted the undifferenced arms of the senior line
  2. History of Parliament biography
  3. Vivian, Lt.Col. J.L., (Ed.) The Visitations of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620, Exeter, 1895, p.447,pedigree of "Harris of Radford"
  4. 'Alumni Oxonienses, 1500-1714: Harmar-Hawtayne', Alumni Oxonienses 1500-1714: Abannan-Kyte (1891), pp. 652-678. Date accessed: 19 November 2011
  5. Vivian, p.447
  6. Vivian, p.448
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