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Oxford, Earl of, and Mortimer, Earl (GB, 1711 - 1853)

Creation: let.pat. 23 May 1711

Extinct: 19 Jan 1853

Family name: Harley

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Arms:

Or a Bend cotised Sable

Crest:

A Castle triple-towered Argent out of the middle tower a Demi-Lion issuant Gules

Supporters:

On either side an Angel proper habited and wings displayed Or

Motto:

 Virtute et Fide

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Robert [Harley], 1st Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer, KG PC

son and heir of Sir Edward Harley KB, of Brampton Castle, co. Hereford, by his second wife Abigail Stephens, dau. of Nathaniel Stephens, of Eastington, co. Gloucester

born

5 Dec 1661

mar. (1)

14 May 1685 Elizabeth Foley (d. 30 Nov 1691), sister of Thomas [Foley], 1st Baron Kidderminster, and 1st dau. of Thomas Foley, of Witley Court, co. Worcester, by Elizabeth Ashe, dau. of Edward Ashe, of Heytesbury, co. Wiltshire

children by first wife

1. Hon Edward Harley, later 2nd Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer

1. Lady Abigail Harley (d. 16 Jul 1750), mar. c. 1 Sep 1709 George Henry [Hay], 8th Earl of Kinnoull, and has issue

2. Lady Elizabeth Harley (d. 20 Nov 1713), mar. 16 Dec 1712 as his first wife Peregrine Hyde [Osborne], 3rd Duke of Leeds, and had issue

mar. (2)

4 Oct 1694 Sarah Middleton (dsp. 17 Jun 1737), sister of Sir Hugh Middleton, 1st Bt., and dau. of Simon Middleton, of Edmonton, by his second wife Mary Soame, dau. of John Soame, of Burnham Market, co. Norfolk

died

21 May 1724

created

23 May 1711 Baron Harley, of Wigmore in the County of Hereford, and Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer, with a special remainder, failing heirs male of his body, to those of his grandfather, Sir Robert Harley KB

suc. by

son by first wife

note

Sheriff of Herefordshire 1689 ; Maj, Herefordshire Militia, 1696; Member of Parliament for Tregony 1689-90 and for Radnor 1690-1711; a Commissioner of Public Accounts 1690-97; Steward of Melenydd and other Royal manors in Radnorshire 1691 ; Speaker of the House of Commons 1701-1705; Privy Councillor 1704-08 and 1710-14; Secretary of State for the North 1704-07/8; a Commissioner for the Union 1706; Chancellor and Under Treasurer of the Exchequer 1710-11 ; Lord High Treasurer (Prime Minister) 1711-14; Governor of the South Sea Company 1711-14; Steward, Keeper and Warden of Sherwood Forest 1712-14; Knight of the Garter 1713; Housekeeper of St James's Palace 1714-15; dismissed from office by Queen Anne 1714 as she lay on her death-bed; on the accession of King George I suspected of being sympathetic to the Jacobite cause; impeached in the House of Commons and committed to the Tower of London 1715; acquitted of the impeachment in 1717 but was excepted from the Act of Grace and forbidden to attend Court; between 1716 and 1724 kept up a correspondence with the titular Duke of Mar and other members of the Jacobite party

Edward [Harley], 2nd Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer

born

2 Jun 1689

mar.

31 Aug 1713 Lady Henrietta Cavendish Holles (b. 11 Feb 1693/4; d. 9 Dec 1755), only dau. and hrss. of John [Holles], 1st Duke of Newcastle upon Tyne, by his wife Lady Margaret Cavendish, 3rd dau. and cohrss. of Henry [Cavendish], 2nd Duke of Newcastle upon Tyne

children

1. Hon Henry Cavendish Harley, styled Lord Harley (b. 18 Oct 1725; dvp. 22 Oct 1725)

1. Lady Margaret Harley (d. 17 Jul 1785), mar. 11 Jul 1734 William [Bentinck], 2nd Duke of Portland, and had issue

died

s.p.m.s. 16 Jun 1741

suc. by

first cousin

note

Member of Parliament (Tory) for Radnor 1711-15 and for Cambridgeshire 1722-24 ; Burgess of Edinburgh 1725; High Steward of Cambridge 1728-41; Vice-President of St George's Hospital 1733; Governor of the Foundling Hospital 1739

Edward [Harley], 3rd Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer

son and heir of Edward Harley, of Eywood in Titley, co. Hereford, Auditor of the Imprest (by his wife Sarah Foley, 3rd dau. of Thomas Foley, of Witley Court, co. Hereford), next younger brother of Robert [Harley], 1st Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer

born

c. 1699

mar.

16 Mar 1724/5 Martha Morgan (d. 4 Jun 1774), sister of Sir William Morgan KB, and dau. of Sir John Morgan, of Tredegar, co. Monmouth, by his wife Martha Vaughan, dau. and cohrss. of Gwyn Vaughan, of Trebarried, co. Brecon

children

1. Hon Edward Harley, later 4th Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer

2. Rt Rev and Hon John Harley DD, Bishop of Hereford 1787-88 (b. 29 Sep 1728; d. 7 Jan 1788), mar. 23 Feb 1770 Roach Vaughan, dau. and cohrss. of Gwyn Vaughan. of Trebarried, co. Brecon, and had issue:

1a. Edward Harley, later 5th Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer

2a. Rev John Harley (b. 31 Dec 1774; d. 20 Oct 1815)

1a. Frances Harley (b. c. 1782; d. 25 Nov 1848)

2a. Martha Harley (d. 25 Jan 1824)

3. Alderman Rt Hon Thomas Harley MP, Lord Mayor of London 1767-68 (b. 24 Aug 1730; d. 1 Dec 1804), mar. 18 Mar 1752 Anne Bangham, dau. of Edward Bangham MP, and had issue:

1a. Martha Harley (d. Aug 1788), mar. 30 Dec 1779 George Drummond, of Stanmore, co. Middlesex (b. 1758; d. 6 Mar 1789), 1st son and heir of John Drummond MP, of Stanmore, co. Middlesex, by his wife Charlotte Beauclerk, 1st dau. of Lord William Beauclerk MP (by his wife Charlotte Werden, 2nd dau. and cohrss. of Sir John Werden, 2nd Bt.), 2nd son of Charles [Beauclerk], 1st Duke of St Albans, and had issue

2a. Anne Harley (b. 13 May 1759; d. 14 Apr 1840), mar. 10 Apr 1781 George [Rodney], 2nd Baron Rodney, and had issue

3a. Sarah Harley (b. 19 Oct 1760; d. 15 Feb 1837)), mar. 3 Jun 1781 as his second wife her third cousin Robert Auriol [Hay-Drummond], 10th Earl of Kinnoull, and had issue

4a. Elizabeth Harley (d. 9 Jul 1824), mar. 8 Oct 1783 David Murray MP (b. 10 May 1748; d. 8 May 1794), brother of Alexander [Murray], 7th Lord Elibank, and 2nd son of Rev Hon Gideon Murray DD, Prebendary of Durham, Chaplain-General to the Army (by his wife Elizabeth Montolieu, only dau. of Gen David Montolieu, Baron de St Hypolite), 3rd son of Alexander [Murray], 4th Lord Elibank, and had issue

5a. Margaret Harley (d. 20 Nov 1830), mar. Sir John Boyd, Bt.

4. Rev Hon William Harley (d. 8 Jul 1769)

1. Lady Sarah Harvey (d. 1737)

2. Lady Martha Harvey, mar. 20 Apr 1764 Charles Milborne, of The Priory, Abergavenny, co. Monmouth, and had issue

died

11 Apr 1755

suc. by

son

note

Member of Parliament (Tory) for Herefordshire 1727-41; High Steward of Hereford 1746; Harleian Trustee of the British Museum 1753-55

Edward [Harley], 4th Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer

born

2 Sep 1726

mar.

11 Jul 1750 Susanna Archer (b. c. 1728; d. Nov 1804), dau. of William Eyre later Archer MP, of Welford, co. Berkshire, by his second wife Susanna Newton, dau. of Sir John Newton, of Barr's Court, co. Gloucester

died

s.p. 8 Oct 1790

suc. by

nephew

note

Member of Parliament for Herefordshire 1747-55; Harleian Trustee of the British Museum 1755-90; High Steward of Hereford 1755-90; a Lord of the Bedchamber 1760-90; Lord Lieutenant of Radnorshire 1766-90; Steward of the Royal Manor of Melenydd 1768

Edward [Harley], 5th Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer

born

20 Feb 1773

mar.

3 May 1794 Jane Elizabeth Scott (b. c. 1773; d. 20 Nov 1824), dau. of Rev James Scott, Vicar of Itchen Soke, co. Hampshire, by his wife Jane Elizabeth Harmood, dau. of Henry Harmood, a Commissioner of Bankruptcy

children

1. Hon Edward Harley, styled Lord Harley (b. 20 Jan 1800; dvp. 1 Jan 1828)

2. Hon Alfred Harley, later 6th Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer

1. Lady Jane Elizabeth Harley (b. 9 Mar 1796; d. 1 Sep 1872), mar. 17 Aug 1835 Henry [Bickersteth], 1st Baron Langdale, and had issue

2. Lady Charlotte Maria Harley, mar. Gen ..... Bacon, and had issue

3. Lady Anne Harley, mar. 1835 Cav San Giorgio

4. Lady Frances Harley (d. 15 Oct 1872), mar. 20 Apr 1835 Lt Col Henry Vernon-Harcourt (b. 1791; dsp. 26 Feb 1853), 5th son of Most Rev and Hon Edward Vernon later Vernon-Harcourt, Archbishop of York (by his wife Lady Anne Leveson-Gower, 3rd dau. by his second wife of Granville [Leveson-Gower], 1st Marquess of Stafford), 2nd son by his second wife of George [Vernon], 1st Baron Vernon

5. Lady Louisa Harley (d. young)

died

28 Dec 1848

suc. by

son

note

Recorder of Hereford; Steward of the Royal Manor of Melenydd; Major, Herefordshire Militia; Commander, Radnorshire Militia

Alfred [Harley], 6th Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer

born

/10 Jan 1809

mar.

17 Feb 1831 Eliza Nugent (b. c. 1806; d. 14 Sep 1877), illegitimate dau. of George Thomas John [Nugent], 1st Marquess of Westmeath

died

s.p. 19 Jan 1853

note

On the death of the 6th Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer the two earldoms became extinct.

 Last updated 31 Jan 2004

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