Sir Daniel Harvey (10 November 1631 – August 1672) was a merchant and politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1660. He was English Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire from 1668 to 1672.
Harvey was born in Croydon the son of Daniel Harvey, a grocer and merchant of London and Combe Nevill Surrey. His uncle was the doctor William Harvey, who first described the circulation of the blood. Harvey was educated at Croydon under Mr Webb and was admitted at Pembroke College, Oxford on 3 March 1643. He was admitted at Caius College, Cambridge on 12 November 1646 and was awarded BA in 1647. He was a director of the East India Company and a member of the Levant Company. He was appointed Sheriff of Surrey for 1654.
In 1660, Harvey was elected Member of Parliament for Surrey in the Convention Parliament. He was knighted by King Charles II on 27 May 1660 and in the same year was appointed custodian of Richmond Park. He gave a home to Lady Castlemaine during her quarrel with the king. This is turn led to a noisy public feud between Lady Castlemaine and Harvey's wife, which persisted until the Harveys went to Constantinople.
Harvey was appointed Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire in 1668. His secretary in Turkey was the Restoration playwright George Etherege.
Harvey died in Constantinople in 1672 at the age of 40 and was buried at Hempstead, Essex.
Harvey married Elizabeth Montagu, sister of Ralph Montagu, 1st Duke of Montagu, and through her Harvey was related to the diarist Samuel Pepys and John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester. Elizabeth herself was famous for her sexual appetite and was mentioned in the court satire Colin. Harvey's daughter Elizabeth was briefly married to Thomas Grey, 2nd Earl of Stamford but this ended in divorce amid accusations of adultery. Another daughter became the composer Lady Mary Dering.
Famous quotes containing the words daniel and/or harvey:
“Fair is my Love, and cruel as she’s fair
Her brow shades frowns, although her eyes are sunny;
Her smiles are lightning, though her pride despair;
And her disdains are gall, her favours honey.
A modest maid, decked with a blush of honour,
Whose feet do tread green paths of youth and love,”
—Samuel Daniel (1562–1619)
“Called on one occasion to a homestead cabin whose occupant had been found frozen to death, Coroner Harvey opened the door, glanced in, and instantly pronounced his verdict, “Deader ‘n hell!””
—For the State of Nebraska, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)