Joseph was born in 1830 in Formby to Ann Bond and James Harrison, a farmer at Holt Farm, Moss Lane (Carr Moss Lane), Halsall.

Joseph married Margaret Grimshaw (who was the sister of another councillor, Job Grimshaw) on 30th August 1857. They continued to live and work at Holt Farm. In the 1881 census, Joseph and Margaret are farming 42 acres, have 9 children and 5 servants living with them.

By 1901, Joseph had retired, they have left Halsall and were living on Southport Road, Ormskirk with Margaret’s sister, Rosetta Heaton (second wife of John Heaton from Scarisbrick), Rosetta Harrison (35 years old) and Ellen Harrison (24 years old) their daughters also lived there. Both Joseph and his wife Margaret died in 1902, only three days apart – they were both buried on 24th April of that year at Halsall Church.