Harley, Robert (1661-12-05 - 1724-05-21)

Robert Harley, First Earl of Oxford, was born on 5 December 1661 in London, and baptised on the following day at St. Paul's, Covent Garden. He attended Inner Temple in 1682, and entered Parliament in 1689. Harley was speaker of the House of Commons from 1701 to 1705, and secretary of state from 1704 to 1708. The Harleian library was founded in October 1704, when Harley purchased more than 600 manuscripts from the collection of the antiquary Sir Simonds d'Ewes (1602-1650). In 1710, Harley was installed as chancellor of the Exchequer by Queen Anne, and elevated to the peerage as First Earl of Oxford in 1711. Following the death of Queen Anne, his career steadily fell in decline, and he died in London on 21 May 1724. He was buried at Brampton Bryan church, Herefordshire. According to the History of Parliament Online, Harley was 'the most important parliamentarian of his day; he remains the most extensively documented'.