Harrison

We can trace our branch of the Harrison family to the Lancashire region of England, where Joshua Harrison was born around 1826. His son Joseph emmigrated to Canada in 1871, settling in Toronto.

Harrison is a patronymic name, originally referring to the “son of Harry”, which was a common English pronounciation of the French name Henri, which was itself the name of several English rulers.

The Harrison name likely arrived in Lancashire after the Norman Conquest in 1066, though some sources suggest it may have come to the area even earlier. 

The motto, which historically accompanied the family coat of arms was Vincit qui patitur: “he conquers who endures“.