Thomas Harley (of Kinsham)
Encyclopedia
Thomas Harley was a British politician, an ally of his cousin Robert Harley.
He was the eldest surviving son of Thomas Harley, of Kinsham Court, and his wife Abigail Saltonstall (the granddaughter of Sir Richard Saltonstall
.
He was made a deputy lieutenant
of Herefordshire
in 1694, and was a commissioner for subscriptions to the land bank
in 1696. He went abroad to Spain
and Portugal
in 1697, and observed the negotiations for the Treaty of Ryswick
on the way home. With the support of his cousin Robert, he was returned as Member of Parliament
for Radnorshire
in 1698.
With the rest of his family, he was politically a Tory, and a loyal supporter of his cousin. After Robert's fall in 1708, his principles remained unchanged, and was appointed Junior Secretary to the Treasury
(essentially, secretary to his cousin) in 1711. Harley seems to have been exceptionally tactful and well-spoken, and he was chosen envoy to Hanover in 1712 to soothe the Elector
over Great Britain's willingness to negotiate a peace with France
, ending the War of the Spanish Succession
. While he was well-received in Holland and in Hanover, his mission was ultimately unsuccessful. Sent on another embassy in 1714, he was again well-received but unsuccessful; the Elector was suspicious of him, and upon his ascent to the British throne in 1715, Harley was defeated in Radnorshire and was arrested for two months. He left politics and died in 1738, leaving most of his estate to Edward Harley, 3rd Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer
.
He was the eldest surviving son of Thomas Harley, of Kinsham Court, and his wife Abigail Saltonstall (the granddaughter of Sir Richard Saltonstall
Richard Saltonstall
Sir Richard Saltonstall led a group of English settlers up the Charles River to settle in what is now Watertown, Massachusetts in 1630....
.
He was made a deputy lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
of Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
in 1694, and was a commissioner for subscriptions to the land bank
Land Bank
A land bank is a bank that issues long-term loans on real estate in return for mortgages. This term could also apply to:*The Land Bank of Taiwan, a wholly state-owned bank of the Republic of China...
in 1696. He went abroad to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
in 1697, and observed the negotiations for the Treaty of Ryswick
Treaty of Ryswick
The Treaty of Ryswick or Ryswyck was signed on 20 September 1697 and named after Ryswick in the Dutch Republic. The treaty settled the Nine Years' War, which pitted France against the Grand Alliance of England, Spain, the Holy Roman Empire and the United Provinces.Negotiations started in May...
on the way home. With the support of his cousin Robert, he was returned as Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Radnorshire
Radnorshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Radnorshire was created in 1542 as a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1918...
in 1698.
With the rest of his family, he was politically a Tory, and a loyal supporter of his cousin. After Robert's fall in 1708, his principles remained unchanged, and was appointed Junior Secretary to the Treasury
Financial Secretary to the Treasury
Financial Secretary to the Treasury is a junior Ministerial post in the British Treasury. It is the 4th most significant Ministerial role within the Treasury after the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, and the Paymaster General...
(essentially, secretary to his cousin) in 1711. Harley seems to have been exceptionally tactful and well-spoken, and he was chosen envoy to Hanover in 1712 to soothe the Elector
George I of Great Britain
George I was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1 August 1714 until his death, and ruler of the Duchy and Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg in the Holy Roman Empire from 1698....
over Great Britain's willingness to negotiate a peace with France
Treaty of Utrecht
The Treaty of Utrecht, which established the Peace of Utrecht, comprises a series of individual peace treaties, rather than a single document, signed by the belligerents in the War of Spanish Succession, in the Dutch city of Utrecht in March and April 1713...
, ending the War of the Spanish Succession
War of the Spanish Succession
The War of the Spanish Succession was fought among several European powers, including a divided Spain, over the possible unification of the Kingdoms of Spain and France under one Bourbon monarch. As France and Spain were among the most powerful states of Europe, such a unification would have...
. While he was well-received in Holland and in Hanover, his mission was ultimately unsuccessful. Sent on another embassy in 1714, he was again well-received but unsuccessful; the Elector was suspicious of him, and upon his ascent to the British throne in 1715, Harley was defeated in Radnorshire and was arrested for two months. He left politics and died in 1738, leaving most of his estate to Edward Harley, 3rd Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer
Edward Harley, 3rd Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer
Edward Harley, 3rd Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer was a British peer.Harley was the son of Edward Harley and his wife Sarah Foley. He succeeded his cousin Edward Harley, 2nd Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer in the earldom in 1741...
.