Edward Harley, 5th Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer

Edward Harley, 5th Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer (20 February 1773 - January 1849) was an English nobleman.

Harley was the son of John Harley (dean of Windsor). He succeeded to the titles of his father's elder brother Edward Harley, 4th Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer on the 4th Earl's death without issue in 1790.

In 1803 Henry Bickersteth became the Earl's medical attendant whilst the Earl was on a tour of Italy, staying with him until 1805 - Edward became Bickersteth's friend and patron and in 1835 Bickersteth married the earl's eldest daughter. In 1804 he sold the Ewyas Lacy tithes by auction.^[1] He commissioned work from the architect Robert Smirke.^[2]

Family

He and his wife Jane Elizabeth Scott (a notable mistress of Lord Byron) married in 1794 and had at least seven children, including the following:

Edward Harley, Lord Harley (20 January 1800 – 1 January 1828).
Alfred Harley, 6th Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer.
Lady Jane Elizabeth Harley, married Henry Bickersteth.
Lady Charlotte Mary Harley (b. 1801 or 1809, d 1880), second or third daughter, in 1823 married Anthony Bacon
Lady Anne Harley, third daughter, married Signor Giovanni Battista Rabitti Count St. George (her husband died before 1845, leaving her a widow with three children)^[3]
Lady Frances Harley, youngest daughter, married Lt.-Col. Henry Vernon Harcourt, Esq., the son of the Archbishop of York^[3]^[4]

Due to his wife's infidelity, doubts were expressed about the paternity of many of the children, who were unkindly referred to as " the Harleian Miscellany."

Notes

Peerage of Great Britain
Preceded by Edward Harley	Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer 1790–1849	Succeeded by Alfred Harley