Miscellaneous correspondence of Sir Robert Harley, K.B., Sir Edward Harley, K.B.,...

Miscellaneous correspondence of Sir Robert Harley, K.B., Sir Edward Harley, K.B., Robert Harley, 1st Earl of Oxford, and Edward Harley, 2nd Earl of Oxford, 1637-1735; followed by Papers relating to the impeachment of the 1st Earl in 1715 (art.26), Collections of the Rev. Geo. Harbin relating to the Harley family (art. 27), Notes of births, etc., 1654-1744 (art. 28), and Complimentary and other Verses (art. 29).

Among the letters are the following:-

I.1. Fr[ancis] Fane to Sir Robert Harley, K.B.; Sealhay Lodge, 3 May, 1637. f.1.

2. Unsigned letter to Col. Edward Harley, with verses; [1650]. f.3.

3. Duke of Albemarle to the same, as Governor of Dunkirk, (a) asking for a return of crown-lands bought by, or belonging to, officers under his command; 21 July, 1660. f.5;- (b) that the bearer, Sir Bernard de Gum [Gomme], has been appointed to view the fortifications; 8 May, 1661. f.7.

4. Sir Robert Moray or Murray to Sir Edw. Harley, with political and other news; Edinburgh, 21 June, 7 Aug., 9 Dec., 1667, and 24 June, 1673. The letters are unsigned, but the writer in the first states that he has been named "one of Six commissioners for mannaging the Tresurers place here", and the hand is Sir Robert's. ff.17, 19, 21, 23.

5. Eleven interesting letters from Dr Gilbert Burnet to Sir E. Harley; 15 Feb., [1682-1683]-10 Jan, 1684-1685, and undated. ff. 25-43.

6. John Locke to Sir Edw. Harley, pressing him "to come up to town immediately; London, 25 Sept., 1694. f.44.

7. Draft in the hand of Robert Harley of an anonymous letter of expostulation to Archbishop Tenison on the "scandalous heats which have been of late among churchmen" as to Convocation, etc., 11 Aug., 1707. f.47.

8. Copies, endorsed by himself, of letters of Rob. Harley, on political or family matters, to:- (a) the Duke of Marlborough; Brampton Castle, 16 Oct., 1707. f.49;- (b) "Cosen K. Stephens", 10, 16, 31 Oct., 1708. ff. 51, 55, 59;- (c) Sir Simon Harcourt; 16 Oct, 1707. f.53;- (d) Ro. Monckton; 22 Oct., 1708. f.57;- (e) Henry Boyle, Sec. of State; 31 Oct., 1708. f.61.

9. M[argaret, widow of William Ley, Earl of] Marlborough, to Rob. Harley, Earl of Oxford, Lord Treasurer, praying for relief, "for I am now reduced to the last extremity"; 7 June, 1711. f. 62.

10. "T. Trueman" to Lord Oxford, advocating the rights of the Pretender; 5 Nov., 1712. f.66.

11. William Jackson to Lord Oxford, sending his arms "engrav'd with a coronet prospective", and asking for a ticket to be touched for the King's Evil; 12 Feb., 1713-1714. f.74.

12. Charlotte Sophia, Baroness von Kielmansegge to Lord Oxford, asking to be allowed to make a passage through land of his to the garden of St. James's; 22 Dec., 1714. f. 76.

13. Lord Oxford to his son Lord Harley on the birth of a grandchild; Aywood, 15 Feb., 1714-1715. f. 78.

14. "Some of the recollected heads of Lord Oxfords speech when he was sent to the Tower, 1715." Title in his son's hand. f.80.

15. Letters of Lord Oxford written from the Tower to:- (a) his brother Edward Harley; 5 Mar., 1715-1716, 13, 14 Feb., 1716-1717. ff. 82, 88, 89;- (b) Lord Dartmouth protesting against his exception from an Act of Indemnity; 27 Apr., 1716. ff.84, 86;- (c) his sister, Abigail Harley; 13 Feb., 1716-1717. f.90. Copies, except the first.

16. Declaration of Lord Oxford, in "answer to a scandalous proposal from the then Ministers"; Tower, 9 Mar., 1715-1716, "being my birthday". Copy. f.83.

17. Simon, Lord Harcourt to Lord Oxford, hoping his "persecution" is at an end, etc.; Cockthrop, 8 Aug., 1717. f.92.

18. "A copy [by Lord Harley] of a letter wrote by the E. of O[xford] to his nephew Ro. H[arley] at Westminster School, sent Nov., 1, 1717". f.94.

19. Edward, Lord Harley to his wife, against Hoadly, etc., written in a feigned hand under the name of Francis Jessop, vicar of Treeton, Treeton, 11 May, 1717. f.96.

20. [Thomas Pelham -], Holles, [Duke of] Newcastle, Lord Chamberlain, to Lord Oxford, announcing the King's pleasure that he "should not come to Court"; 2 July, 1717. f.98. With a draft of Oxford's answer, 2 July, 1717, saying he "will obey with the almost duty and punctuality" (f.101).

21. Request by Lord Oxford for public thanksgiving to God for "delivering him from imminent death as upon this day"; 8 Mar., 1720-1721. f.104.

22. E[dmund] Sawyer to Edward Harley, 2nd Earl of Oxford, sending a copy of his work ["Memorials of Affairs of State", 1725]; 28 Jan., 1724-1725. f.107.

23. Dr Conyers Middleton to Lord Oxford, (a) on the birth of Lord Harley; Cambridge, 21 Oct., 1725. f.108;- (b) asking the loan for Dr Davies of a MS. of Maximus Tyrius; 11 Jan., 1725-1726. f.112.

24. [Francois Marie Arouet de] Voltaire to Lord Oxford, on the connection between Harlay of France and Harley of England ("I have written and printed here a book called the Henriade, in which one Harlay of your house acts the most noble part", etc.), and proposing to call upon him; "In Maiden Lane at the White Wigg, Covent Garden" [1728]. f.117.

25. Matthew Buckinger, "Corn without hands or feet", to Lord Oxford, offering to copy the Nuremberg Chronicle and to "furnish a small room full of curiosities" of his own work; without date. f.127.

II.26. "Heads for a Memoriall for the E. of Oxford", with a view of his defence on his impeachment in 1715; followed by brief abstracts of letters, etc., bearing upon his conduct of affairs, 1710-1714. ff.131-165.

III.27. Collections relating to the family of Harley, with pedigree, by Rev. George Harbin; circ. 1730(?). ff.166-179.

IV.28. Notes relating to the families of Cavendish, Harley, Bentinck, etc., viz. (a) Births, etc., of children of Henry Cavendish, Viscount Mansfield and Earl of Ogle, 1653-1654-1665. f.180;-(b) Births, etc., of children of George Hay, Earl of Kinnoull, who married Abigail, dau. of Robert Harley, Earl of Oxford, 1710-1724. f.181;-(c) Panegyric by Rob. Harley, Earl of Oxford, of his daughter in law Henrietta Cavendish-Holles, Lady Harley, 31 Aug., 1719. f.183;-(d) Notes by Edw. Harley, 2nd Earl of Oxford, relating to the marriage of Margaret his daughter to William Bentinck, Duke of Portland, 11 July, 1734. f.184;-(e) Inventory of the Duchess of Portland's "Weding cloaths and Linen", 1734. f.185;-(f) Births, etc., of children of the Duke of Portland, 1735-1744. ff.189-192;-(g) Notes by the 2nd Earl of Oxford, relating to the marriage of Thomas Osborne, Duke of Leeds [son of Elizabeth, sister of Robert Harley] and Lady Mary Godolphin, 26 June, 1740. f.193.

V.29. Verses addressed, or relating, to Lady Henrietta Cavendish Holles, her husband Edward Harley, 2nd Earl of Oxford (marr.1713), and her daughter Margaret, including several on the marriage of Lady Margaret to the Duke of Portland in 1734. ff.197-233. With an accompt-book, etc, of the Duchess of Portland when a child, 1724-1728. ff.234-252.

Folio; ff.252.