Samuel Link Harris (1807 - 1894)

Born 15 Jan 1807 in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Husband of Emily (Hope) Harris — married 12 Oct 1837 in Hackney, London, England, United Kingdom [uncertain]

Descendants

Died 22 Jan 1894 at age 87 in Hindmarsh, South Australia, Australia

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Kathie Painter [send private message], Roger Harris [send private message], and Stephen Hemingway [send private message]

Biography

Samuel was born in Cambridge, 15 January 1807. He was the eldest son of Rev. Dr. William Harris and Mary Susannah Link who had married on 20 April 1801 in St Giles, Camberwell, Surrey. Mary (b. 30/1/1781, chr. 1781 at Princes Street – Independent, Gravesend) was the daughter of medical practitioner, Dr. Samuel Link, at Maidstone, Kent, and Susannah Creasy of Tonbridge, married on 27/4/1779.

At the young age of six years, Samuel began a course of study with his father’s students, and made good progress in Latin and Greek, and later, Geometry and Hebrew. In his youth he studied under his father. Later, he moved to London with the family in 1818, and attended a private school for three years under Rev. Knight.

Apprenticed, at 15 years, to an Apothecary, Mr B. Willatt, in 1822, for 7 years. Practised medicine in a suburb of London. On his father’s (early) death in 1830, he gave up medicine and trained for the ministry at Newport Pagnell from 1834-1836. Inducted (first minister) at Falkenham Church, January 1837. Ordained at Falkenham, 25 July 1837 – and also pastor at Alderton. Married Emily Hope, Hackney, London, 12 October 1837. Father to 9 children. Minister at Clare, Suffolk, Jan. 1840 – Feb 1851, and Cavendish from 1845-1851.

On medical advice because of loss of voice and ill-health, he emigrated from Southampton with his family to South Australia, in the ship ‘Asia’, May 1851, and arrived 2/9/1851.^[1] I ponder that other reasons for this dramatic move may also have been: (a) encouragement from the Rev. T. Q. Stow (part of whose role was to entice Congregational ministers to Australia) who had also grown up in Suffolk and ministered there; (b) knowledge that his cousin George William Harris, a civil engineer, had emigrated with his family to SA two years earlier; and (c) his family's acquaintance with the Davenport family who had already settled in the Macclesfield area. Samuel settled in Macclesfield on a property he called 'Glen Hurst'. He was often encouraged to return to ministry, especially by the Rev. Stow, and the arrangement was made that he would help out occasionally, which he did in Macclesfield and Hindmarsh, as well as Gawler, Glenelg, and Freeman Street in the city of Adelaide. He later assumed fulltime ministry at the Hindmarsh Congregational Church from 1863 to 1872 when, again, he had to retire because of ill-health back to Glen Hurst.

As well as his pastoral commitments, during the 1860s and early 70s he was very busy in the Adelaide Police Court as a J.P.; Chair of the Congregational Union in 1866; chaired the first meeting of the United Societies of the Congregational Union and Home Mission on 30 October 1866; and participated in the South Australian Auxiliary of the London Missionary Society. He was often called upon to chair various meetings, conduct examinations in schools, give lectures, and other community commitments.

He died on 22 January 1894 at the Hindmarsh residence of his daughter Frances and son-in-law, Councillor Henry Hunwick. His wife, Emily Mary Harris, had previously passed away at Macclesfield on 27 November 1889, while their eldest child, Emily Mary (d. 1891), had also predeceased him. He left six sons, three daughters and 39 grandchildren. He was buried in the Battunga Private Cemetery on the property of the Davenport family. ^[2]

Sources: Obituaries: • SA Advertiser, Tuesday 23 January 1894, p. 5 • The Express and Telegraph, Tuesday 23 January 1894, p. 3 • South Australian Chronicle, Saturday 27 January 1894, p. 9 • Adelaide Observer, Saturday 27 January 1894, p. 29 • Evening Journal, Tuesday 23 January 1894, p. 2 • Christian Colonist, Friday 26 January 1894, p. 7 • South Australian Register, Tuesday 23 January 1894, p. 6 • South Australian Register, Tuesday 30 January 1894, p. 7 Jill Statton (ed.), Biographical Index of South Australians 1836-1885, vol. 2, 1986, p. 680.

Samuel Link Harris was born on 28 Mar 1807 in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, son of William Harris and Mary Susanna (UNKNOWN) Harris.

Samuel was born on 15 January 1807 and baptised on 28 March 1807 in Downing Street Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England.^[3]

His occupation was 'congregational minister^[4]'.

Samuel Link married Emily Hope on 12 Oct 1837 in St. John's Hackney, London, England.

Marriage

Husband: Samuel Link Harris

Wife: Emily Hope

Child: Boy Harris

Child: Girl Harris

Child: UNKNOWN Harris

Marriage:

Date: 12 OCT 1837

Place: St. John's Hackney, London, England^[5]

Sources

1. ↑ Bound for South Australia - Asia 1851 Passenger List
2. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/221136897/samuel-link-harris: accessed 01 August 2022), memorial page for Rev Samuel Link Harris (15 Jan 1807–22 Jan 1894), Find A Grave: Memorial #221136897, citing Battunga Private, Macclesfield, District Council of Mount Barker, South Australia, Australia; Maintained by Michelle McMc (contributor 48289525).
3. ↑ Baptism: "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975"
   FamilySearch Record: V5V9-S65 (accessed 15 May 2022)
   Samuel Linte Harris baptism on 28 Mar 1807 (born 15 Jan 1807) in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, United Kingdom.
4. ↑ source: #s64
5. ↑ Source: #S176

• Source: S176 Title: #178 Note: Civil registration of a marriage, cert #MXA278453
• Source: S64 Title: #71 Note: Mr. John Creasey, Librarian, from Dr. William's Library, 14, Gordon Square, London, WC1H 0AG.