Daniel Harvey
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Sir Daniel Harvey (1631-1672) was a merchant and English Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire from 1668-1672.
Harvey was born in Croydon to a family of merchants. His brother was the doctor William Harvey, who first described the circulation of the blood.
Daniel Harvey was a director of the East India Company and a member of the Levant Company. He was a royalist knighted by King Charles II.
As keeper of Richmond Park he is remembered for giving 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 were sent to Constantinople.
While in Turkey Harvey's secretary was the Restoration playwright George Etherege.
His wife was Elizabeth Montagu, sister of Ralph Montagu, 1st Duke of Montagu, and through her Harvey was related to the diarist Samuel Pepys and the notorious rake and poet John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester. Elizabeth herself was famous for her sexual appetite and was mentioned in the court satire Colin.
Harvey died in Constantinople in 1672.
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.
