Page:Dictionary of National Biography, Second Supplement, volume 2.djvu/217

 family of two sons and two daughters of John Hanlon, hotel proprietor, and his wife Mary Gibbs. His nephew Edward Durnan was sculling champion of Canada. Educated at George Street public school, Hanlan developed an early taste for rowing, and he gained his first important success at the ago of eighteen, when he became amateur champion of Toronto Bay, Turning professional, he beat all comers in 1876 at the centennial international exhibition at Philadelphia. In that year he took unsuccessful charge of an hotel in his native town. He became champion oarsman of Canada in 1877 and of America in 1878. Further successes in America led him in 1879 to test his powers in England; and on 16 June 1879 he defeated the English champion, W. Elliott of Blyth, rowing the course from Mansion House to Scotswood suspension bridge on the Tyne in the record time of 21 mins. 21 sees. On Hanlan's return to Toronto a public subscription of 4000l. was raised for his benefit. Hanlan revisited England in 1880, and on 16 Nov. beat Edward Trickett of Australia on the Thames for the world's championship. In four subsequent races (1881–4) Hanlan retained the title, but lost it on 16 Aug. 1884 to William Beach, a blacksmith of Illawana, in a race on the Paramatta river, and suffered further defeat from Beach on 28 March 1885 and 26 Nov. 1887. Two further efforts to regain the championship in 1888 were unsuccessful. With Wilham O'Connor he beat Gaudaur and McKay for the double-scull championship of America on 8 Aug. 1898.

During his career Hanlan, who was 5 ft. 8¾ ins. in height and weighed 11 stone, won over 160 races, and as an oarsman was unsurpassed for finish and style. Unlike his English rivals, he used the slide simultaneously with the swing, kept his body weU back, and held his arms straigiit long past the perpendicular before bending them to row the stroke, to which added strength was given by the skilful use of his great leg power.

Hanlan died on 4 Jan. 1908 at Toronto, where he was buried with civic honours. He married on 19 Dec. 1877 Margaret Gordon Sutherland of Picton, Nova Scotia, and had issue two sons and six daughters. A painted portrait of Hanlan, sitting in his boat, by H. H. Emmerson, which has been often engraved, belongs to his widow.

 HARBEN, HENRY (1823–1911), pioneer of industrial life assurance, born in Bloomsbury on 24 Aug. 1823, was eldest son of Henry Harben of Bloomsbury by his wife Sarah, daughter of Benjamin Andrade. He was first cousin to Mr. Joseph Chamberlain. The Harben family was originally engaged in banking at Lewes, but Henry's grandfather was a partner in the provision stores of Harben & Larkin of Whitechapel, London, and his father also carried on a wholesale business in the City. After a few years in his uncle's stores he was articled to a surveyor, but left that calling in March 1852, when he became accountant of the Prudential Mutual Assurance, Investment and Loan Association. The company was founded in a small way at Blackfriars in 1848 and had met with little success. Harben, who remained connected with the undertaking for sixty years, converted it into a colossal concern. In 1854 the company, mainly on Harben's advice, started a scheme of life assurance for the working classes; the new departure was at first hampered chiefly by the rivalry of the Safety Life Assurance Company, of which Cobden and Bright were directors, but which soon collapsed. Harben was appointed secretary of the Prudential on 26 June 1856, and soon proved that industrial life assurance was practicable. He also organised for the first time the valuation of industrial businesses on scientific principles.

On 24 Feb. 1870 Harben, who had become in 1864 a fellow of the Institute of Actuaries, was appointed actuary of the Prudential company in addition to the secretaryship. On 23 March 1873 he became resident director and secretary, resigning the latter office in the following year. He was made deputy-chairman on 19 Dec. 1878, chairman on 28 Dec. 1905, and president on 31 July 1907. In May 1879 the business was transferred to Holborn Bars, where the large block of buildings accommodates about 2000 clerks, whilst the company's annual income exceeds 14,600,000l. and its funds exceed 77,000,000l. Harben's services and advice were to the last available for the company. He presided at the weekly meeting of the board on 13 July 1911, five months before his death. He was knighted on Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee in June 1897.

Harben was a prominent member of the Carpenters' Company, joining the livery in 1878 and serving as master in 1893. Between 1889 and 1897 he gave large sums to assist