William White; David Robinson
ODNB; AO; BL Catalogue
The only surviving child of Thomas Harley and Margaret Corbet, he was baptized 1 March 1579 at Wigmore, Herefordshire. Matriculated from Oriel College, Oxford in 1597; BA, 1599, also student at Middle Temple that year. K.B. in 1603. Also that year, he married Ann Barret, who died in childbirth in December. He married again shortly thereafter to Mary Newport (d. 1623). He married again in 1623, to Brilliana Conway, daughter of secretary of state, Sir Conway, with whom he had three sons and four daughters. As reflected in his marriages, he steadily climbed the social ladder. Made knight of the Order of Bath in 1603. Burgess of for Radnor and justice of the peace for Hereford ca. 1604. Served as MP several times, first for Radnor, 1604-1611, Evesham, 1628-1629; Hereford 1624-1626, then again 1640-1648. Acted as a voice for his father-in-law Viscount Conway's interests in parliament in the 1620s. He was also a puritan and anti-Catholic, supporting war against Spain and strict penalties for Jesuits. Active in parliament during the Civil War, serving in 1643 as Master of the Mint and chairman several committees, including the standing committee for Irish Affairs and the committee for the destruction of superstitious and idolatrous monuments. He began to fall out of favour in 1647 when his son Edward was indicted by the army for plotting to restore the king to power. Due to his support for a settlement with the king, he was also excluded from parliament in Pride's Purge in 1648 and imprisoned until after Charles' execution. He resigned as Master of the Mint in 1649 and largely retired from political life. Died 6 November 1656.