William Harrison

William Harrison (c.1553–1621) was an English Roman Catholic priest. He was the third and last archpriest of England. Life Born in Derbyshire circa 1553, he entered the English College, Douai in 1575. Ordained a deacon, he afterwards went to Rome. The records of the English College, Rome contain an entry to the effect that "Pater Gulielmus Harrison", then aged 25 years, and a priest studying Theology in the College, took the mission oath on 23 April 1578. He left the College for England on 26 March 1581, having previously, as usual on such occasions, had an audience with the Pope. From 1581 to 1587, he served the English mission, and in the last named year, went to Paris and became Licentiate in civil and canon law. In 1590, he was entrusted by Father Robert Persons with the government of a small school for English in Eu, Normandy, and remained there until it was broken up by civil war, in 1593. Harrison then became the Procurator of the English College at Reims, took his degree of Doctor in Theology in 1597. Having returned to Douai when the college was restored there, he took his doctorate in divinity, in 1597, in that university, and was professor of theology at the English College until 1603. He then went to Rome for five years, where he gained wide experience in ecclesiastical affairs. Harrison returned to Douai on 29 October 1608, and left it on 19 June 1609, when he set out on his way back to the mission in England.