Edward Harris (September 7, 1799 – June 8, 1863) was a farmer, horse breeder,

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...

, naturalist, and

ornithologist Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the "methodological study and consequent knowledge of birds with all that relates to them." Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and th ...

who accompanied

John James Audubon John James Audubon (born Jean-Jacques Rabin; April 26, 1785 – January 27, 1851) was an American self-trained artist, naturalist, and ornithologist. His combined interests in art and ornithology turned into a plan to make a complete pictoria ...

on two of his expeditions to observe birds and mammals of America. Harris was commemorated by Audubon in the common names of the Harris's hawk, the Harris's sparrow, and the Harris's antelope squirrel, and by John Cassin in the binomial of the buff-fronted owl, ''Aegolius harrisii''. Edward Harris introduced the Percheron horse to

America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

in 1839 and established the first Percheron breeding line in the United States.Smith-Cadbury Mansion
Courtesy of Moorestown Historical Society

Life

In 1798, Edward Harris, Sr. purchased a house and farm, located near the center of Moorestown, New Jersey, where Edward Harris, Jr. was born the following year. After inheriting the property at his father's death in 1822, Edward Harris, Jr. lived there and farmed the land until 1849. He met the ornithologist

in 1824 after which the two men became close friends, Harris providing Audubon with some financial assistance for the publication of ''Birds of America''. Harris took part in two of Audubon's expeditions: in the spring of 1837 in the Gulf of Mexico, and in 1843 along the Missouri River. Edward Harris is buried at Trinity Episcopal Church in Moorestown, New Jersey.Find A Grave
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In popular culture

Edward Harris appeared in the

alternate history Alternate history (also alternative history, althist, AH) is a genre of speculative fiction of stories in which one or more historical events occur and are resolved differently than in real life. As conjecture based upon historical fact, altern ...

short story ''Audubon in Atlantis'' by Harry Turtledove.

Footnotes

References

* Mischka, Joseph (1991). ''The Percheron Horse in America.'' Heart Prairie Press. * Purdy, James C. (1886). ''Moorestown, old and new: a local sketch.'' Printed by Percy J. Lovell, Moorestown, New Jersey. 1799 births 1863 deaths American ornithologists People from Moorestown, New Jersey {{US-ornithologist-stub