Background
His father was a mayor of Southampton, a Justice of the Peace, and also a strict Calvinist who had inherited a successful wine business from his childless uncle George Robinson (1700-1776).
His father was a mayor of Southampton, a Justice of the Peace, and also a strict Calvinist who had inherited a successful wine business from his childless uncle George Robinson (1700-1776).
Later, he attended Southampton Grammar School (now King Edward VI School, Southampton).
He was the benefactor behind the founding of Southampton"s Hartley Institute or Hartley Institution, which later became the University of Southampton. Henry"s parents were Henry Hartley (1731–1800) and Susanna née Lavender (1742–1821). The young Henry was baptised at Holyrood Church, Southampton.
As a youth, probably as a reaction against his strict upbringing, he adopted a libertine lifestyle.
This left him with VD which gave him problems during the rest of his life. In 1821 he inherited a townhouse and a considerable fortune on his mother"s death.
He led a reclusive life and, in 1825, left Southampton never to return, spending his time between Calais in France and Newington, Surrey, near London. In 1842, he made a will leaving most of his estate to the city of Southampton.
He wished his house to become a museum designed to promote the study of natural history, astronomy, antiquities, classics, and oriental literature.
In 1850, he died in Calais, France, and was buried in the Dissenters" burial ground, Bunhill Fields, in London. Death duties swallowed one half of Hartley"s £100,000 estate. Using the remaining funds, the City of Southampton founded the Hartley Institute (1862) by combining a museum, library and venue for public lectures.
This Institute became, in turn, Hartley College (1896), Hartley University College (1902), University College of Southampton (1914), and eventually the University of Southampton (1952).
Hartley"s house was demolished.