The street is named after Sir George Downing, who was born in Ireland and brought up in New England, and was one of the earliest graduates of Harvard. He came to England during the Civil War and by 1650 had become Cromwell’s intelligence chief, known as the Scoutmaster General. In 1657 he became British Ambassador to The Hague. The next year Cromwell died and Downing deftly offered his services to Charles II. In 1682, Downing secured the lease on a piece of land close to Westminster and set about building the street that bears his name. Samuel Pepys described him as a “perfidious rogue”.