HAILES, HARRIS WILLIAM (1752-1819)

HAILES, HARRIS WILLIAM, non-resident MLA; b. Burton Park, Surrey, England, 15 Sep 1752, s/o Daniel Hailes and h/w Rebecca; m. 1st, Sarah Miller, and 2nd, Isabella Cooke; d. Fredericton, 30 Dec 1819.

Harris William Hailes served in the Revolutionary War and was a Loyalist grantee of Saint John. He was a resident of Fredericton in 1791 when he won a Northumberland County seat in the by-election held to fill the vacancy caused by the death of William Davidson. His opponent, James Fraser, had the support of most of the local magistrates, but Otho Robichaud and Alexander Taylor supported Hailes's candidacy in the belief that, as a member of the government party in Fredericton, he would be of greater service to the constituency. He occupied the seat until the dissolution of the assembly in 1792.

Hailes was later a prominent figure in government and acted as administrator of the province in 1816-17. He was also an important military figure, being on the senior staff of the army.