Robert Harley
1st Earl of Oxford
Robert Harley was a well-known English statesman during the Stuart rule of England and for a short time, during the Georgian period. Harley held the title 1st Earl of Oxford and Mortimer.
Robert Harley was born in Bow Street, Covent Garden in the City of London on December 5, 1661. The firstborn son of Sir Edward Harley who was one of the biggest landowners in Herefordshire, Robert Harley was a grandson of Robert Harley who lived from 1579 to 1656. Harley's mother was the third wife of Sir Edward, Brilliana Harley. Brilliana who lived from 1600 to 1643 was a well-known letter writer during that time.
Robert Harley received his early education from Shilton, which was located near Burford in Oxfordshire. Shilton was a somewhat small school but its size belied the number of prominent political and government figures who attended classes there, among them Lord High Chancellor Simon Harcourt, lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas Thomas Trevor and of course Robert Harley himself who would later become Lord High Treasurer.
From a very early age, Harley was raised according to the tenets of the Whig party and taught the principles of Nonconformism. These values, he learnt while he was young, would stay with him throughout his entire life although he would later form political opinions that departed from his early upbringing.
In 1688, during William III's bid for the control of the throne of England (an event that would later come to be known as the Glorious Revolution), Robert Harley and his father Sir Edward took it upon themselves to support the future king by gathering together a troop of horses and subsequently claiming the city of Worcester in William's name. This military victory would attract the favourable attention of the Boscawen family. The Boscawen family was then in control of the borough of Tregony and with their intercession, Robert Harley was elected to the post of Tregony's representative in the Parliament in April of 1689. He sat in Parliament as representative for Tregony for a period of only one year after which he was elected to represent New Radnor, a post that he maintained until his appointment to the Peerage in the year 1711.
Robert Harley was married twice throughout his entire life. His first marriage, which was in May 1685, was to Edith Foley who was the daughter of Thomas Foley from Witley Court in Worcestershire. When Edith died in November of 1691, Harley remarried this time to Sarah Middleton who was the daughter of Simon Middleton from Edmonton, London.
Robert Harley was particularly skilled in the art of manipulating the media for political gains. He employed several writers who would write scathing pamphlets attacking his many political enemies. Among these writers were Daniel Defoe, Delarivier Manley and Jonathan Swift.
For someone of his remarkable influence and political élan, it is understandable that he would make many enemies and several attempts were made on Robert Harley's life throughout his career. He would survive these however and would die in London on May 21st, 1724.
Original Authors: Doods Pangburn
Edit Update Authors: M.A.Harris
Updated On: 25/07/2008
