Bryan Castle, Herefordshire. She devoted herself there to the care of her children, three sons and four daughters. Of a deeply religious temperament, she gathered round her puritan preachers, and, like her husband, sided with the parliament in the civil war. In 1643 she was dwelling, according to her wont, with her youngest children at Brampton while Sir Robert was in London, and her avowed sympathy with the roundheads soon led the royalists, under Sir William Vavasour and Colonel, Lingen, to lay siege to the castle. The siege began on 25 July 1643 and lasted for six weeks, till the end of the following August, when the royalists retired to Gloucester. Much damage was done by the besieging force in the neighbouring village. Lady Brilliana's religious faith enabled her to bear the trial with much fortitude, but the anxieties of her position injured her health. In October her castle was again threatened, and she died before the end of the month. The registers at Brampton are lost, and the exact date is not recoverable.
Two hundred and five letters written by Lady Brilliana between 30 Sept. 1625 and 9 Oct. 1643 are extant at Brampton Bryan, and were published by the Camden Society, under the editorship of the Rev. T. T. Lewis, in 1854. The first eight (1625-33) are addressed to her husband; the rest, with three exceptions, are addressed to her eldest son, Edward (afterwards Sir Edward) Harley [q. v.], during his residence at Oxford. The letters are chiefly remarkable for their proofs of maternal affection. They abound in domestic gossip, religious reflections, and sound homely advice.
[Letters of the Lady Brilliana Harley (Camd. Soc.), 1854; cf. art. Harley, Sir Egbert.]
HARLEY, Sir EDWARD (1624–1700), governor of Dunkirk,born at Brampton Bryan, Herefordshire, 21 Oct. 1624, was the eldest son of Sir Robert Harley, K.B. (1579–1656) [q. v.], by his third wife, Brilliana (1600?–1643) [q. v.], second daughter of Edward, first viscount Conway. He inherited his mother's delicacy of constitution. After some schooling in Shrewsbury and at Gloucester, he was sent in October 1638 to Magdalen Hall, Oxford, at that time a famous puritanical seminary. He left it in the October term 1640, on account of its unhealthy state, and joined his father in London. He became interested in the exciting politics of the time, and his mother endeavoured unsuccessfully to secure his election for Hereford in 1642. He had a lodging in Lincoln's Inn, of which he was probably a member, but in 1642 he became a captain of a troop of horse in the parliamentary army under Sir William Waller, and in a few weeks had himself the command of a regiment of foot. He had some narrow escapes and distinguished himself particularly in the conflict at Red Marley, near Ledbury, 27 July 1644, where, according to John Corbet, he routed the enemy's cavalry and captured nearly all the foot (An Historical Relation of the Military Government of Gloucester, 1645, p. 103). A wound received here forced him to go to London for surgical help, but he soon returned, and in the conflict between Prince Rupert and Colonel Massie near Ledbury, 22 April 1645, was again wounded. He was ordered with his men to Plymouth in November 1643 (Commons' Journals, iii. 312), made governor of Monmouth in 1644 (Lords' Journals, vii. 24, 27), and of Canon Frome, a garrison near Hereford, in August 1645 (Commons' Journals, iv. 225, 228). In January 1646 he was recommended to the committee of both kingdoms to have some command or employment worthy of him in the county of Hereford (ib. iv. 396). He was made general of horse for the counties of Hereford and Radnor a week later (ib. iv. 401; Lords' Journals, viii. 93). In May 1646 he was quartered with Fairfax at Marston; near Oxford. On the disabling of Humphrey Coningsby, member for Herefordshire, Harley was elected in his room, 11 Sept. 1646. He was at this time zealously devoted to the presbyterian cause. He strongly opposed Fairfax and Cromwell, and along with Denzil Holies and others was impeached by the army of high treason for his share in passing the ordinance for disbanding the army. He was now disabled by an order of the house, 29 Jan. 1647-8, an order revoked on the following 8 June. In December he joined with his father in favour of the king, for which they were both made prisoners by the army. Henceforth he was an object of suspicion to Cromwell, and in August 1650 was summoned, by letter from Major S. Winthrop at Leominster, to appear at Hereford before the commissioners of the militia. His papers were searched, and he promised to appear in London. He was not permitted to reside in Herefordshire for ten years. He records 'that he was preserved from the cruelty of that power which put to death holy Mr. Love,' At the election of 1656 Harley was again returned for Herefordshire, and being again secluded with other members, he was one who signed and published the 'Remonstrance' against the 'Protector's lawless intentions,' The restored parliament nominated him one of the council of state, 23 Feb. 1659 (Commons' Journals, vii. 849). Harley met the king at
