Speaker of House of Commons
Appointed Speaker of the House of Commons
Historical biography archive · Updated 2026-11-03
Robert Harley Biography and Timeline
Follow Robert Harley through 13 dated historical records for England.
Robert Harley, historical timeline
A chronological timeline drawn from matching World History Database records.
13Distinct records
1 of 1Page
1700–1713Years on this page
1700
Speaker of House of Commons
Robert Harley is chosen Speaker of the House of Commons.
Leadership
Robert Harley emerges as a key Tory manager in the House of Commons.
1701
Speaker of House of Commons
Harley is chosen Speaker when the new Parliament assembles.
Role range: 1701-1705
Harley Elected Speaker of Commons
On 10 February 1701, Robert Harley defeated Sir Richard Onslow by 249 votes to 129 to become Speaker of the English House of Commons.
1702
Speaker Continues
Harley remains Speaker of the House of Commons during Anne's first Parliament.
Role range: 1701-1705
1704
Secretary of State
Harley becomes Secretary of State and gains influence over war policy under Queen Anne.
Role range: 1704-1708
1708
Resignation of Robert Harley
Harley leaves office after political conflict inside the war ministry.
Role range: 1704-1708
1710
Chancellor of the Exchequer
Harley returns to power as Chancellor of the Exchequer after the fall of the Whig ministry.
Role range: 1710-1711
1711
Lord Treasurer
Harley becomes Lord Treasurer and leads the ministry seeking peace with France.
Role range: 1711-1714
Peace Negotiations
Harley directs secret peace negotiations that weaken support for Marlborough's continental war.
Role range: 1711-1714
Peace Policy
Moves the government toward a negotiated peace.
Role range: 1701-1714 – 1711-1714
1713
Utrecht Settlement
Backs the ministry's peace settlement with France and Spain.
Role range: 1701-1714 – 1711-1714
Records, sources and methodology
These dates and descriptions come from the historical_events database. Exact duplicate records have been collapsed. Names are grouped by the country, Name 2 and Name 1 fields; records with missing Name 2 cannot be reliably assigned to an individual biography. Check the underlying sources before formal citation.