Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Harliston, Richard
HARLISTON, Sir RICHARD (fl. 1480), governor of Jersey, was born at Humberstone in Lincolnshire, and was brought up in the household of Richard, duke of York. On the accession of Edward IV Harliston became a yeoman of the king's chamber, and was made vice-admiral, in which latter capacity he came to Guernsey with a small fleet in 1463. Three years previously the castle of Mont-Orgeuil in Jersey had been captured by a French noble, Pierre de Breze, count de Maulevrier, who had since held half of that island against Philip de Carteret, sire de St. Ouen. Harliston crossed over to Jersey, and planned with Carteret an attack on the French, and Mont-Orgeuil was captured after a six months' siege ; another account dates these occurrences in 1467. After the siege the people of Jersey chose Harliston to be their captain-general, but he shortly went back to England. He was afterwards, by a patent dated 13 Jan. 1473, made captain of the islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Sark, and Alderney, being the first to bear the title of 'captain-in-chief.' Harliston held his office for many years, and became very popular ; he added a tower to Mont-Orgeuil, which was long called 'Harliston's Tower.' After the fall of Richard III he is said to have thought to make himself lord of the islands under the protection of the French and the Duchess Margaret of Burgundy, but to have been prevented by the diligence of the inhabitants. He was one of those attainted for joining the Earl of Lincoln in Simnel's rebellion in 1486 (Rolls of Parliament, vi. 397-8), but on 4 Sept. of that year a general pardon was granted him ; in the pardon he is described as 'late of the island of Jersey, esquire' {Materials illustrative of Reign of Henry VII, ii. 30, Rolls Ser.) Harliston took refuge with Margaret of Burgundy, and in 1495 was one of Perkin Warbeck's supporters who were attainted for landing at Deal (Rolls of Parl. vi. 504 ; he is here described as 'late of London, knight '). He remained in Margaret's service, and on his death received honourable burial at her expense. During the reign of Edward IV Harliston is mentioned as being excepted from several acts of resumption, and is spoken of as 'yeoman of our chamber' or 'yeoman of the corone' (ib. v. 537, vi. 84, 87). There is no record of his being knighted. He had a daughter Margaret, who married Philip de Carteret (d. 1500), grandson of her father's old ally, and had by him twenty-one children; Sir Philip de Carteret (1584-1643) [q. v.] was a descendant. Philip de Carteret was imprisoned in 1494 by Matthew Baker, the then governor of Jersey, but was released by the order of Henry VII at the personal intercession of his wife.
[Authorities quoted; Chroniques des Iles de Jersey, Guernesey, &c., chaps. iv.-xii., written by Samuel de Carteret in 1585 and printed at Guernsey 1832, ed. George S. Syvret; Falle's Account of the Island of Jersey, ed. Durell, 1837; Cæsarea: The Island of Jersey, &c., 1840; Collins's Hist. of the Family of Carteret, pp. 25-9.]