Harvey, Moses

Moses Harvey (1820-1901), Presbyterian minister, essayist, lecturer, historian, naturalist, was born on 21 March 1820 in Armagh, Ulster, son of Jane (Holmes) and the the Rev. James Harvey. He married Sarah Anne ("Jessie") Browne on 7 July 1852 in Cockermouth, England, and the couple had three sons: Alfred Joseph, Charles James, and Frederick. Moses Harvey died in St. John's on 3 September 1901.

Harvey was educated at the Royal Academical Institute, Belfast, and was ordained a Presbyterian minister in 1844. His first ministry was with the John Street Presbyterian Church in Mayport, England, but shortly after his marriage, Harvey accepted a posting in Newfoundland. He arrived with wife Sarah in St. John's on 4 October 1852 and served as minister, St. Andrew's Free Presbyterian Church, until 1878, when his congregation re-united with that of the St. Andrew's Kirk.

Harvey was an inspirational preacher and a polished public lecturer. He was also a prolific writer, producing countless articles on diverse topics, ranging from history, politics, geography and literature to geology and zoology. His writings appeared regularly in a number of journals, including Stewart's Literary Quarterly Magazine, Maritime Monthly, and the Newfoundland Quarterly. He wrote over 900 articles for the Montreal Gazette, many under his pen name "Delta." He became particularly well known to British and North American zoologists in the 1870s through his writings on the giant squid in Newfoundland waters, a subspecies that was named Architeuthis harveyi in his honour. He also contributed to two editions of the Text Book of Newfoundland History (1885, 1890). His well-known history of the island, Newfoundland, The Oldest British Colony, co-authored with Joseph Hatton, was published in 1883.

Harvey's interests and accomplishments were wide-ranging. He recorded the natural history of Newfoundland by meticulously researching and cataloguing the birds, fish, wild flowers and rocks of the island. In 1861, Harvey and Daniel W. Prowse founded the St. John's Athenaeum Society for the dissemination of scientific and literary knowledge; Harvey was its president for a number of years. In 1881, he co-founded the newspaper, The Evening Mercury, and served as the newspaper's first editor. He also acted as secretary to the Fisheries Commission (1887-93) which made significant recommendations for resource management and the organization of a Newfoundland department of fisheries.

Nonetheless, Harvey felt that the colony was dangerously reliant on the fishery, with its fluctuations in catches and market conditions. He advocated the development of mining and the construction of a transinsular railway as a means of eliminating that dependence. He also believed that Newfoundland's future lay in confederation with Canada and promoted Newfoundland's attractions, particularly its natural resources and strategic location in the North Atlantic, to his Canadian readership.

Harvey's wife died in 1900 of complications from diabetes. Lonely and depressed, Harvey did not long survive her. His body was found in the back garden of his home at 3 Devon Row, St. John's, in the early morning of 3 September 1901.

In recognition of his many achievements, Harvey was elected a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (1886) and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (1891). In 1891, he was also awarded an honorary degree of LL.D. by McGill University. Harvey was an honorary member of the New England Historic Genealogical Society and a corresponding member of the Nova Scotian Institute of Science.

Created - May 9, 2013

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