John Harris was a farmer, land surveyor

Surveying

See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...

 and political figure in Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...

. He represented Annapolis County from 1762 to 1770 and Granville township from 1770 to 1772.

He came to Nova Scotia from Massachusetts

Massachusetts

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...

 and was one of the first people granted land in Annapolis County

Annapolis County, Nova Scotia

Annapolis County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia located in the western part of the province on the Bay of Fundy. The county seat is Annapolis Royal.-History:...

 following the expulsion of the Acadian

Acadian

The Acadians are the descendants of the 17th-century French colonists who settled in Acadia . Acadia was a colony of New France...

s in 1755. Harris was a crown lands surveyor. He was elected to the provincial assembly in a 1762 by-election held after the death of John Steele

John Steele (Nova Scotia politician)

John Steele was a surgeon and political figure in Nova Scotia. He represented Annapolis County in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1761 to 1762....

. He died in office.