William Harbord (politician)
William Harbord (25 April 1635 – 31 July 1692), of Grafton Park, was an English diplomat and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1661 and 1690.
Life
Harbord was the second son of Sir Charles Harbord (1596–1679) of Charing Cross, who had been Surveyor General to Charles I. He entered Parliament in 1661 as member for Dartmouth, and subsequently also represented Thetford and Launceston.[1]
In 1672, Harbord became secretary to the Earl of Essex. In the debates of 1676-8 Harbord spoke often against the alliance with France, and pressed for the removal of all papists from the king's person. He was a firm believer in the reality of the Popish Plot, and in concert with Ralph Montagu, whom he helped to get into parliament, took an important part in the attack on the Earl of Danby. In the parliament of 1679, in which he represented Thetford, he spoke against Danby's pardon, attacked Lauderdale, and was eager for the disbanding of the army.[2]
Leaving England on the accession of James II, Harbord served as a volunteer in the Imperial Army at Siege of Buda in 1686. He accompanied William of Orange on his invasion of England in 1688, and the following year was made a Privy Counsellor and Paymaster of the Forces in Ireland.
Harbord was made Vice-Treasurer of Ireland in 1690. He was nominated by the King to Constantinople on 2 November 1691. He left England on 9 November, arriving in Vienna on 8 March 1692. As ambassador to mediate between Sultan Ahmed II and the Emperor Leopold I, but died in Belgrade before reaching his posting in Belgrade on 31 July 1692.
Family
Harbord married twice. By his first wife, Mary Duck, daughter of Arthur Duck, whom he married in 1661, he had three daughters,
- Mary Harbord (d.1715), who married Sir Edward Ayscough (1650–1699),
- Margaret Harbord, who married Robert King, 2nd Baron Kingston,
- Grace Harbord, who married Thomas Hatcher;
and by his second, Catherine Russell (niece of the 1st Duke of Bedford), one daughter,
- Letitia Harbord (d. 1722), who married Sir Rowland Winn, 3rd Baronet, of Nostell.
References
- ↑ History of Parliament Online - Harbord, WIlliam
- ↑
Sidney Lee, ed. (1901). "Harbord, William". Dictionary of National Biography, 1901 supplement. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
- Concise Dictionary of National Biography (1930)
| Parliament of England | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by John Frederick John Hale |
Member of Parliament for Dartmouth 1661–1679 With: Thomas Southcote 1661–1664 Thomas Kendall 1664–1667 Sir Walter Yonge, Bt 1667–1670 William Gould 1670–1673 Josiah Child 1673–1679 |
Succeeded by Sir Nathaniel Herne John Upton |
| Preceded by Sir Allen Apsley Sir Joseph Williamson |
Member of Parliament for Thetford 1679–1685 With: Sir Joseph Williamson |
Succeeded by Henry Heveningham William de Grey |
| Preceded by Sir Hugh Piper Lord Lansdowne |
Member of Parliament for Launceston 1681–1685 With: Sir Hugh Piper |
Succeeded by Sir Hugh Piper John Granville |
| Preceded by Henry Heveningham William de Grey |
Member of Parliament for Thetford with Sir Henry Hobart, Bt 1689 Sir Francis Guybon 1689 1689 |
Succeeded by Sir Francis Guybon John Trenchard |
| Preceded by John Granville Sir Hugh Piper |
Member of Parliament for Launceston with Edward Russell 1689–1690 Bernard Granville 1690–1692 1689–1692 |
Succeeded by Lord Hyde Bernard Granville |
| Preceded by Sir Francis Guybon John Trenchard |
Member of Parliament for Thetford with Sir Francis Guybon 1690 |
Succeeded by Sir Francis Guybon Baptist May |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Henry Ford |
Chief Secretary for Ireland 1673–1676 |
Succeeded by Sir Cyril Wyche |