Robert Harley, 1st Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer
Robert Harley, 1st Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer KG (born December 5, 1661 in London , † May 21, 1724 ibid) was a British politician .
Live and act
Harley was the eldest son of Sir Edward Harley (1624-1700), an important landowner in Herefordshire and grandson of the well-known author Lady Brilliana Harley (1600-1643). He was born in Covent Garden, London. Harley grew up in Shilton near Burdon ( Oxfordshire ) and went to school with Simon Harcourt , later Lord High Chancellor, and Thomas Trevor , later Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas . From an early age he learned the basics of Whigism and nonconformism.
In May 1685 he married Edith, the daughter of Thomas Foley. However, she died in November 1691. He later married Sarah, daughter of Simon Middleton of Edmonton.
During the " Glorious Revolution " in 1688, Sir Edward and his son provided a mounted troop in support of William III. together and conquered Worcester on his behalf . Thereupon Robert Harley was elected in 1689 as representative of Tregony in parliament, whose member he remained until 1711, when he was raised to a peer . From 1701 to 1704 Harley was Speaker of the British House of Commons . On May 18, 1704 he also replaced the Earl of Nottingham as Secretary of State for the Northern Department. From 1704 to 1708 he served in the Whig Ministry of Sidney Godolphin, 1st Earl of Godolphin .
1710 he was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer appointed (Chancellor of the Exchequer). On 23 May 1711 he was selected by Queen Anne to the Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer and Baron Harley , of Wigmore in the county of Hereford, charged on May 29, he became Lord High Treasurer . In this position he was involved in the planning of the (ultimately failed) Québec expedition . On March 20, 1712 he was accepted as a member (" Fellow ") in the Royal Society ; on October 25 of the same year he was accepted as a Knight Companion in the Order of the Garter.
In 1714 he lost the trust of Queen Anne, who now relied more on Henry St. John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke , who became his official successor as Lord High Treasurer on July 27, 1714. The queen died on August 1st, and George I succeeded her on the throne. Harley retired to Herefordshire, but was arrested on July 16, 1715 in the Tower of London and charged with high treason . After two years of imprisonment, he was released and allowed to take his place in the House of Lords again. But he showed little interest in public affairs.
Harley was in close contact with the writers of his time ( Daniel Defoe , Jonathan Swift ) and was a member of the Scriblerus Club . His manuscript collection is the Harleian Collection in the British Museum .
Harley died on May 21, 1724 at his home on Albemarle Street, London. He was buried in Brampton Bryan , Herefordshire.
Individual evidence
- ^ Powicke & Fryde: Handbook of British Chronology. Second Edition, London, 1961, p. 104
- ↑ entry on Harley; Robert (1661-1724); 1st Earl of Oxford and Mortimer in the Archives of the Royal Society , London
Web links
- Impeachment against E. Oxford brought from House of Commons at the journal of the House of Lords ( UK ).
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| New title created |
Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer 1711-1724 |
Edward Harley |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Harley, Robert, 1st Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Oxford and Mortimer, Robert Harley 1st Earl of |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | British politician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 5, 1661 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | London |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 21, 1724 |
| Place of death | London |