Lieutenant Colonel Mathew Brown Harrison, Maccan, Nova Scotia, 1860s

William C. Darrah states in his superb guide Cartes De Visite in Nineteenth Century Photography, "tinting the portrait was quite common in the United States in the early 1860s but more or less abandoned by 1865."  This photograph of Lieutenant Colonel Mathew Brown Harrison, with its tinted tablecloth, was taken in Canada at the J. S. Rogers "People's Gallery" in Halifax, Nova Scotia but still probably dates to somewhere between 1863-1867.  J.S. Rogers operated this studio between 1863 & 1874.

This photo was found along with a good number of other Harrison/Tait photographs and letters once belonging to Mary Harrison. (see previous post: Cabinet Card Portrait of Mary Harrison)  M.B. Harrison was Mary's uncle.  Mathew had a twin brother, John Tait Harrison.  Their parents were William and Mary Tait Harrison of Maccan, NS.

I have yet to look at M.B. Harrison's military life, but the Cumberland County Genealogy Centre sent me this excerpt:

Chignecto Post newspaper, Sackville, NB on Sept. 17, 1885:

The Cumberland Contingent (93rd) which left for 12 days in camp at Aldershot, Alyesford on Tuesday morning, is composed of 210 men and officers as follows:  Lt. Col. - M.B. Harrison of Maccan; Adjutant and Brevet-Major - J. Albert Black of Amherst; Paymaster - G.E. Church of Fort Lawrence; Quartermaster - Martin Black of Springhill; Surgeon - Dr. W.D. McKenzie of Parrsboro.

Captains - Dr. D. Allan, Amherst; R.L. Black, River Philip; Jeptha Harrison, Maccan; H.C. Mills, Mapleton and William Oxley of Oxford.

Lieutenants - Howard Black, Salem; Jacob Porter, Amherst; R.A. Christie, River Hebert; O.L. Harrison, Maccan; L.B. Donkin, River Philip; Richard Thompson, Oxford; Howard Mills and Stephen Bird of Mapleton.

According to the 1881 Census of Canada, Mathew Harrison was born in Nova Scotia around 1837.  His wife, Cassie was born around 1844 in New Brunswick.  At the time of the census, two children were living at home:  Alexis, age seven, and Leora, six months.

Going back to 1871, M.B. Harrison is living in River Hébert District, with brothers Alexander, 34 and Issac, 30.  Their mother Mary Harrison, aged 70, is also living in the household. 

Mathew Brown Harrison died September 1, 1917 in Maccan (Nova Scotia Deaths, 1917, Book 39 p.101, n.396) at age 81.  He and his wife, Cassie K. Parlee (d.1910) are buried in the Maccan United Baptist Cemetery.