George Harrison (Lord Provost)
Encyclopedia
Sir George Harrison was Lord Provost of Edinburgh and an independent Liberal
politician.
Harrison was a merchant of Edinburgh
. He was Lord Provost of the city for 1882 to 1885 and was responsible for the acquisition of Blackford Hill
by the Corporation of Edinburgh. He was also particularly interested in education. His contributions to social life included providing the land for the Whitehouse and Grange Bowling club in 1872 and acting as president of the Edinburgh Chess Club from 1884 to 1886.
In 1885 Harrison was elected Member of Parliament
for Edinburgh South
. However he died at the age of 74 within a month of the election, and never took his seat.
In 1888 the Harrison Arch was built "to commemorate the work and character of Sir George Harrison". It is a red sanstone triumphal arch. Two streets in Edinburgh — Harrison Road, and Harrison Gardens — were also named after him.
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
politician.
Harrison was a merchant of Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
. He was Lord Provost of the city for 1882 to 1885 and was responsible for the acquisition of Blackford Hill
Blackford Hill
Blackford Hill is a hill in the south of the Scottish capital city of Edinburgh, in the area of Blackford, near Morningside, The Grange, and the Braid Hills....
by the Corporation of Edinburgh. He was also particularly interested in education. His contributions to social life included providing the land for the Whitehouse and Grange Bowling club in 1872 and acting as president of the Edinburgh Chess Club from 1884 to 1886.
In 1885 Harrison was elected Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Edinburgh South
Edinburgh South (UK Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh South is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, first used in the general election of 1885. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
. However he died at the age of 74 within a month of the election, and never took his seat.
In 1888 the Harrison Arch was built "to commemorate the work and character of Sir George Harrison". It is a red sanstone triumphal arch. Two streets in Edinburgh — Harrison Road, and Harrison Gardens — were also named after him.