After five years he was appointed successively
priest in charge of St Anne's Conventional District,
Perpetual Curate of St Matthew's
Holbeck,
Leeds, Vicar of St Mary's,
Windermere and
Rural Dean of
Ambleside. Harland's reputation in Windermere was considerable and, with the support of the influential Bishop of Carlisle, he was considered for the Diocesan bishopric of Blackburn before his appointment as suffragan Bishop of Croydon In 1946, Archbishop Fisher named him as his second choice for the vacancy at Bristol but George Cockin (Fisher's third choice) was appointed In 1947, Fisher pressed the case for Harland to go to Lincoln whose recent bishops had proved fragile in health. Harland, noted Fisher, was physically strong although not a scholar in the Lincoln tradition. Harland, therefore, was surprised to be offered the post. 'I have seen the Archbishop today and he has been so kind as to make it clear that I must accept your proposal to submit my name to the King for the Bishopric of Lincoln', he wrote to the Prime Minister. He was even more surprised to be offered Durham in 1956 since traditionally the post had been filled by a scholar who could comfortably blend with the University. The post had been offered to Kenneth Warner DSO, bishop of Edinburgh and, like Harland, a Great War combatant but Warner refused it. Harland wrote again that he had been pressed to accept the post by Archbishop Fisher. Harland made no secret of his limitations in a letter to the diocese. 'The announcement of my prospective translation comes as a quite staggering surprise to my wife and me. It fills me with trepidation.' He noted that Durham had a long history of bishops famous 'for saintliness, scholarship and learning. I am afraid I am quite outside that tradition' Harland suffered a curious habit of easily forgetting names which did not endear him to his clergy. But he excelled at being a 'layman's bishop'. Administratively and managerially competent, and admired for his pastoral work, he was a contrast to his successor, the dynamic, charismatic academic but rather disorderly Ian Ramsey. He was alone amongst the episcopate in opposing the abolition of the death penalty for murder in debate in the House of Lords. This was his conclusion having spent many last nights with condemned men while at Lincoln. == Retirement ==