Thomas Harris (Serjeant-at-Law)

Monument to Sir Thomas and Elizabeth Harris in St Peter's church, Cornworthy

Thomas Harris (1547–1610) was an English barrister and politician. He became serjeant-at-law in 1589.[1]

He was the son of Edward Harris of Cornworthy and Phillipa Vowell. His father, of Welsh origin, purchased Cornworthy in 1560. Thomas married Elizabeth, daughter of Henry Pomeroy of Berry Pomeroy. He went to the University of Cambridge, entered the Middle Temple in 1566, and was called to the Bar by 1573. He succeeded to his father's estates in 1592.

He was a Member of the Parliament of England for Callington in 1584, Portsmouth in 1586 and 1589, Bossiney in 1593 and 1597, and Truro in 1601. He retired from public life, with a knighthood, in 1603. He died in 1610; his widow died in 1634.[2]

Sir Thomas Harris was called by his contemporary the Devon historian Tristram Risdon (d. 1640) "a man much commended for his pregnant wit and learning".[3]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference geneal was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Members Constituencies Parliaments Surveys. "HARRIS, Thomas I (1547-1610), of London and Cornworthy, Devon". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  3. ^ Risdon, Tristram (d.1640), Survey of Devon, 1811 edition, London, 1811, with 1810 Additions, p.167