HARVEY, Daniel (1631-72), of Coombe, Surr.

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1660-1690, ed. B.D. Henning, 1983
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Constituency

Dates

1660

Family and Education

bap. 10 Nov. 1631, 4th but 1st surv. s. of Daniel Harvey, Grocer and merchant, of Croydon and London by Elizabeth, da. of Henry Kinnersley of London; cos. of (Sir) Eliab Harvey and Michael Harvey. educ. Croydon g.s.; Pembroke, Oxf. 1644; Caius, Camb. 1646. m. by 1651, Elizabeth, da. of Edward Montagu, 2nd Baron Montagu of Boughton, 2s. 2da. suc. fa. 1649; kntd. 27 May 1660.1

Offices Held

Sheriff, Surr. 1654-5; commr. for militia, Northants. and Surr. Mar. 1660; j.p. Surr. Mar. 1660-d., Kingston-upon-Thames 1665; col. of militia horse, Surr. Apr. 1660, commr. for assessment. Aug. 1660-9, dep. lt. 1661-d., jt. keeper of Hartleton walk, Richmond Park 1661-d., New Park by 1668-d., commr. for corporations, Surr. 1662-3; freeman, Guildford 1662, commr. for oyer and terminer, Norfolk circuit 1665.2

Gent. of the privy chamber (extraordinary) July 1660; ambassador to Turkey 1668-d.3

Biography

Harvey’s grandfather, a Kentish yeoman, had seven sons, of whom the most famous was the eminent physiologist William, who discovered the circulation of the blood. Another of Harvey’s uncles sat for Hythe in the Long Parliament, while his father, a Turkey merchant, earned the reputation of ‘understanding the whole business of trade more exactly than most men’, and acted as adviser to Archbishop Laud on business matters. Harvey’s marriage was quickly followed by the acquisition of a Surrey estate, and his three sisters married Heneage Finch, later 1st Earl of Nottingham, Edward Dering, 2nd Bt., and Robert Bulkeley, 2nd Viscount Bulkeley.4

Although the Harveys never took up arms for the King, they were royalist sympathizers during the Civil Wars and Interregnum, and Harvey’s father was harassed until his death by the committee for the advance of money for his assessment of £5,000. Harvey himself was not politically active during the period except for his nomination as sheriff of Surrey, and with Francis Aungier he defeated the Onslows at the county election of 1660. He made no recorded speeches in the Convention and was appointed to only five committees, including the committee of elections and privileges. A court supporter, he was knighted at the Restoration. He acted as teller in five divisions of which the most important were against agreeing with the Lords not to disable 16 prominent personalities of the Interregnum, and against a proviso to protect from further punishment those excepted from the indemnity bill. The measures in which he was interested include those to reduce interest to 6 per cent and to prevent the voluntary separation of married persons.5

Harvey did not stand for Parliament again, and he spent the last four years of his life as ambassador to Turkey, succeeding his kinsman the Earl of Winchilsea, while his wife remained at home and continued active in court intrigues throughout the reign of Charles II. He died in Constantinople in August 1672.6

Ref Volumes: 1660-1690

Authors: M. W. Helms / J. S. Crossette

Notes

  • 1. Misc. Gen. et Her. (ser. 2), iii. 330-1.
  • 2. Parl. Intell. 23 Apr. 1660; CSP Dom. 1660-1, p. 210; 1661-2, p. 40; Add. 6167, f. 207.
  • 3. LC3/2; CSP Dom. 1668-9, p. 135.
  • 4. Keeler, Long Parl. 207-8; Gen. Mag. vii. 98; Clarendon, Life, i. 21-22; VCH Surr. iii. 502.
  • 5. HMC Laing, i. 510.
  • 6. HMC Hastings, ii. 159; Misc. Gen. et Her. (ser. 2), iii. 363.