Edward Harley, 3rd Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer
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Edward Harley, 3rd Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer (c. 1699-11 April 1755, Bath) 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. One of his first acts on succeeding was to auction off
his predecessor's art collection through the auctioneer Cock, at a sale held under the Piazza, Covent Garden
, on 8 March 1741/2 and the five following days, with six more days being required by the coins. Nearly all the leading men of the day, including Horace Walpole, attended or were represented at this sale, and the prices varied from five shilling
s for an anonymous bishop's "head" to 165 guinea
s for Vandyck's group of "Sir Kenelm Digby
, lady, and son".
, he married Martha Morgan (daughter of John Morgan and Martha Vaughan). They had several children:
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
Edward Harley, 2nd Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer
Edward Harley, 2nd Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer , styled Lord Harley between 1711 and 1724, was a British politician, bibliophile, collector and patron of the arts.-Background:...
in the earldom in 1741. One of his first acts on succeeding was to auction off
Art sale
An art auction is the sale of art works, in most cases in an auction house.In England this dates from the latter part of the 17th century, when in most cases the names of the auctioneers were suppressed...
his predecessor's art collection through the auctioneer Cock, at a sale held under the Piazza, Covent Garden
Covent Garden
Covent Garden is a district in London on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St. Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit and vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist site, and the Royal Opera House, which is also known as...
, on 8 March 1741/2 and the five following days, with six more days being required by the coins. Nearly all the leading men of the day, including Horace Walpole, attended or were represented at this sale, and the prices varied from five shilling
Shilling
The shilling is a unit of currency used in some current and former British Commonwealth countries. The word shilling comes from scilling, an accounting term that dates back to Anglo-Saxon times where it was deemed to be the value of a cow in Kent or a sheep elsewhere. The word is thought to derive...
s for an anonymous bishop's "head" to 165 guinea
Guinea
Guinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures...
s for Vandyck's group of "Sir Kenelm Digby
Kenelm Digby
Sir Kenelm Digby was an English courtier and diplomat. He was also a highly reputed natural philosopher, and known as a leading Roman Catholic intellectual and Blackloist. For his versatility, Anthony à Wood called him the "magazine of all arts".-Early life and career:He was born at Gayhurst,...
, lady, and son".
Family
On 16 March 1724 or 1725, at St. Anne's Church, SohoSoho
Soho is an area of the City of Westminster and part of the West End of London. Long established as an entertainment district, for much of the 20th century Soho had a reputation for sex shops as well as night life and film industry. Since the early 1980s, the area has undergone considerable...
, he married Martha Morgan (daughter of John Morgan and Martha Vaughan). They had several children:
- Edward Harley 4th Earl of OxfordEdward Harley, 4th Earl of Oxford and Earl MortimerEdward Harley, 4th Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer , styled Lord Harley from 1741 to 1755, was a British peer....
. - John Harley, Bishop of Hereford, whose son Edward became 5th Earl of OxfordEdward Harley, 5th Earl of Oxford and Earl MortimerEdward Harley, 5th Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer was an English nobleman.Harley was the son of John Harley...
. - Thomas HarleyThomas HarleyThe Honourable Thomas Harley was a British politician.Harley was a younger son of Edward Harley, 3rd Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer. He became an alderman of London, Sheriff of London in 1764 and Lord Mayor of London in 1767...
, Lord Mayor of LondonLord Mayor of LondonThe Right Honourable Lord Mayor of London is the legal title for the Mayor of the City of London Corporation. The Lord Mayor of London is to be distinguished from the Mayor of London; the former is an officer only of the City of London, while the Mayor of London is the Mayor of Greater London and...
.