John Harrison – Leeds, UK
Posted by: 
dtrebilc
N 53° 47.792 W 001° 32.884
30U E 595634 N 5961861
A statue of a local cloth merchant, who used his great wealth as a benefactor of the people of Leeds. He was born 1576 and died 1656.
Waymark Code: WMDKXW
Location: Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 01/28/2012
Views: 3
John Harrison, the man
A large contributor to the growth of Leeds into an important city was the woollen industry. John Harrison was one of the first Leeds cloth merchants. He had already inherited family wealth, but his business success made him considerably wealthier.
He used his wealth to the benefit of Leeds, founding a Grammar School, building the Church of St. John, and a market cross.
The Statue
This bronze life size statue is one of four in City Square that were erected to celebrate Leeds becoming a city in 1893.
It shows pointing with his right hand, whilst in his left he is holding a book and a pair of gloves. He has long hair a large moustache and a small goatee beard.
He is wearing typical clothes of his day, with breeches and a long frock coat.
This statute was sculpted by H C Fehr and was erected in 1903, the date the layout of the new City Square was completed. It was gifted to the city by Councillor Richard Boston.
The layout of the square was changed in the early 2000s and traffic restricted. This and the other three statues were moved to stand near to the old Post Office building that has now been converted to restaurants and apartments. The statues flank the outside tables of the restaurants.
The statue is now protected as a listed building, the ENGLISH HERITAGE BUILDING ID IS 465919. http://list.english-heritage.org.uk/resultsingle.aspx?uid=1375039
The Sculptor
H.C. Fehr: Henry Fehr (1867 - 1940) was born in Forest Hill, London. He first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1887, and in 1893 created "Perseus and Andromeda", which was selected as a permanent fixture on the West Balcony of the Tate Gallery, London. He spent 50 years exhibiting at the Royal Academy and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of British Sculptors.
Visit Instructions:
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