William Harborne facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William Harborne
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| Born | 1542 |
| Died | 9 September 1617 Mundham
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| Resting place | St. Peter's Church, Mundham |
| Predecessor | N/A |
| Successor | Edward Barton (diplomat) |
| Children | John Harborne, Elizabeth Randall (nee Harborne) |
William Harborne (born around 1542, died 1617) was an important person from Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England. He was a diplomat, which means he represented his country in other nations. He was also a businessman. Queen Elizabeth I of England chose him to be England's Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. This was a very powerful empire at the time, covering much of the Middle East and parts of Europe.
Contents
Setting Up England's Embassy in Turkey
In 1575, two English merchants, John Wright and Joseph Clements, visited Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey). They saw a chance for England to trade there. Before this, only French ships were allowed to trade easily in Ottoman ports.
Because of this, a group of English merchants hired William Harborne in 1578. His mission was to travel to Constantinople and get permission for English ships to trade. He traveled through Poland to reach the Ottoman capital.
Harborne met with the Ottoman ruler, Sultan Murat III. He also talked with the Sultan's chief minister, Sadrazam Sokollu Mehmed Pasha. Queen Elizabeth I also wrote letters to the Sultan.
After these talks, in 1580, the Sultan agreed! English ships could now trade in Ottoman ports. This was a big win for England.
Harborne Becomes Ambassador
With this success, William Harborne became England's first official Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. He was paid by the Levant Company. This was a new group of traders formed just to do business with the Ottomans.
Queen Elizabeth I gave Harborne his official diplomatic papers on November 20, 1582. He sailed from London to Constantinople, arriving on March 26, 1583. He brought many fancy gifts for the Sultan, including an expensive clock.
Helping England in Europe
Harborne played a key role in a big European problem. At the time, Protestant England was fighting Catholic Spain. Spain wanted the Ottoman Empire to support them.
Harborne worked hard to convince the Ottoman leaders that Spain was a threat to everyone's peace. He showed them that Spain's actions could cause trouble across Europe.
He couldn't get the Ottomans to become military allies with England. However, he did stop the Ottomans from renewing their agreement with Spain in 1587. This was a huge help to England.
The agreement between England and the Ottoman Empire was renewed. It lasted for 343 years! This showed how important Harborne's work was.
Trade and Return Home
Harborne also managed to get special trading deals for English goods. These deals included lower taxes for English merchants. He was also asked to find out about Turkish dyes and fabrics. England wanted to learn how to make similar cloth.
Harborne left his post in August 1588. Sir Edward Barton took over as the new ambassador. By this time, trade between England and the Ottoman Empire was growing fast. Being the ambassador there became one of the most important jobs in English foreign service.
After returning to England, William Harborne settled in Mundham, Norfolk. He passed away there on November 6, 1617. He was buried in the local church. There is a special monument there to remember him.
Harborne's Family Life
William Harborne married Elizabeth Drury on September 16, 1589. Elizabeth was the daughter of Anthony Drury from Besthorpe, Norfolk. They had several children together.
Their son, John, was their heir. Their daughter, Elizabeth, stayed in Mundham. She married Gregory Randall and they had a daughter, also named Elizabeth. This granddaughter, Elizabeth, lived from 1629 to 1652. She passed away in Mundham at the age of 23.
