HARRISON] 
BRITISH ORNITHOLOGY 
269 
Harris appears to have been only one of the editors of the 
undernoted work, which was (see Preface) produced by 
several hands under the auspices of the Physico-Historical 
Society of Dublin, founded principally by Charles Smith, 
the historian of Cork, who presumably had a large share in 
the present work. The Dedication is signed by “ The 
Editors.” 
In 1753 Harris was appointed Vicar-General of the 
Protestant Bishop of Meath, and in 1755 petitioned the 
Dublin House of Commons for a grant to enable him to publish 
a national History of Ireland, but without success. 
He died at Dublin, July 26, 1761. 
1744. [Anonymous.] The | Antient and Present State | of the | County 
of Down. | Containing | A Chorographical Description, | with 
the | Natural and Civil History of the same. | Illustrated | by 
Observations [&c. 8 lines] | [quotation, 3 lines]. | Dublin : | 
Printed by A. Reilly, | For Edward Exshaw. At the Bible on 
Cork-hill. | mdccxliv. 
Collation — 1 vol. 8vo, pp. xx + pp. 271 +pp. xx of index un., 
with folding map. 
Chap. XVIII. comprises “ Of the feathered and finny Tribes 
of this county,” the birds being at pp. 223-35. 
Harrison (William), 1534-93 
William Harrison, topographer and historian, was born 
in Cordwainer Street (or Bow Lane), London, April 18, 1534, 
and educated first at St. Paul’s School and then at West- 
minster School, “ in which,” he says, “ I was sometime an 
unprofitable grammarian under the reverend father Master 
Nowell, now deane of Paules.” In 1551 he went to Cam- 
bridge, and later to Christ Church, Oxford, where he graduated 
B.A. in 1556 and M.A. in 1560. He became Chaplain to Sir 
William Brooke, Lord Cobham, who gave him the Rectory 
of Radwinter in Essex, which he held until his death. In 
1586 he was appointed Canon of Windsor. His celebrated 
Description of England, as well as his English translation of 
Boethius’ Description of Scotland, were written for Holinshed’s 
Chronicles. 
