garrison was born on december 10, 1805, in newburyport, massachusetts, the son of immigrants from the british colony of new brunswick, in present-day canada. under an act for the relief of sick and disabled seamen, abijah garrison, a merchant sailing pilot and master, had obtained american papers and moved his family to newburyport in 1806. the u.s. embargo act of 1807, intended to injure great britain, caused a decline in american commercial shipping. the elder garrison became unemployed and deserted the family in 1808. garrison's mother was frances maria lloyd, reported to have been tall, charming, and of a strong religious character. she started referring to their son william as lloyd, his middle name, to preserve her family name; he later printed his name as "wm. lloyd". she died in 1823, in the city of baltimore, maryland.