William Harbord (politician)

For the Yorkshire cricketer, see William Harbord (cricketer).

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.

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.

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

• 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