Harry Ernest Scott was born in North Shields on 12 March 1866, the second son of Luke Scott, a master mariner, and his wife Jane. In 1881 his elder brother Charles, aged 22, was an engine fitter, while Harry Scott, aged 15, was a pupil teacher. He taught at St Giles School in Durham, and at one time played the organ at St Peter’s church, Wallsend.
He matriculated at Durham University in the Michaelmas term of 1887 to study Arts, and remained an Unattached student until 1890 when he joined University College, where he was an organ scholar. He was awarded a B.A. in 1890, M.A. in 1899 and B.D. in 1907.
He married Mary Fell at St Nicholas’s Church Durham on 3 April 1893, and their son Charles was born when they were living at Fishponds, Bristol. In 1894 he was ordained deacon and in 1895 priest for the Diocese of Gloucester and Bristol, and was Vice Principal of the Diocesan Training College at Fishponds from 1893-95.
Scott moved to St Bees in Cumberland to be Curate and Lecturer at the College until 1896 when he became Curate and then Vicar of St Mary’s Carlisle. From 1901 he was Acting Chaplain to the Forces, (the Border Regiment), at Carlisle Castle and was joint editor of the Carlisle Diocesan Gazette from 1911.
Chaplain Harry Scott died suddenly in Carlisle on 17 January 1918 and is buried in the cemetery there. He was then aged 51. He did not serve in the forces overseas, or indeed anywhere outside of Carlisle.