Biography of George Evelyn of Wotton 1617-1699

Paternal Family Tree: Evelyn

1649 Trial of Charles I

1652 Indemnity and Oblivion Act

1670 Secret Treaty of Dover

On 27 Jan 1614 [his father] Richard Evelyn of Wotton (age 27) and [his mother] Eleanor Stansfield (age 15) were married.

On 18 Jun 1617 George Evelyn of Wotton was born to Richard Evelyn of Wotton (age 30) and Eleanor Stansfield (age 18).

On 29 Sep 1635 [his mother] Eleanor Stansfield (age 36) died. On 03 Oct 1635 she was buried at St John's Church, Wotton.

Evelyn's Diary. 03 Nov 1635. It was the 3d of the ensuing November, after my brother George (age 18) was gone back to Oxford, ere I returned to Lewes [Map], when I made way, according to instructions received of my [his father] father (age 48), for my brother [his brother] Richard (age 13), who was sent the 12th after.

Evelyn's Diary. 18 Jul 1637. I accompanied my eldest brother (age 20), who then quitted Oxford, into the country; and, on the 9th of August, went to visit my friends at Lewes [Map], whence I returned the 12th to Wotton, Surrey [Map]. On the 17th of September, I received the blessed Sacrament at Wotton church, and 23d of October went back to Oxford.

Evelyn's Diary. 09 Jul 1638. I went home to visit my friends, and, on the 26th, with my brother (age 21) and [his sister] sister to Lewes [Map], where we abode till the 31st; and thence to one Mr. Michael's, of Houghton, near Arundel [Map], where we were very well treated; and, on the 2d of August, to Portsmouth, Hampshire [Map], and thence, having surveyed the fortifications (a great rarity in that blessed halcyon time in England), we passed into the Isle of Wight [Map], to the house of my Baroness Richards, in a place called Yaverland; but were turned the following day to Chichester [Map], where, having viewed the city and fair cathedral [Map], we returned home.

Evelyn's Diary. 07 Jul 1640. My brother George (age 23) and I, understanding the peril my [his father] father (age 53) was in upon a sudden attack of his infirmity, rode post from Guildford, Surrey [Map] toward him, and found him extraordinary weak; yet so as that, continuing his course, he held out till the 8th of September, when I returned home with him in his litter.

On 24 Dec 1640 [his father] Richard Evelyn of Wotton (age 53) died.

Evelyn's Diary. 05 Oct 1647. I came to Wotton, Surrey [Map], the place of my birth, to my brother (age 30), and on the 10th to Hampton Court [Map] where I had the honor to kiss his Majesty's (age 46) hand, and give him an account of several things I had in charge, he being now in the power of those execrable villains who not long after murdered him. I lay at my cousin, Sergeant Hatton's at Thames Ditton, Surrey [Map], whence, on the 13th, I went to London.

Evelyn's Diary. 27 Jun 1648. I purchased the manor of Hurcott, in Worcestershire, of my brother George (age 31), for £3,300.

Evelyn's Diary. 29 Nov 1648. Myself, with Mr. Thomas Offley, and Lady Gerrard, christened my niece [his daughter] Mary, eldest daughter of my brother, George Evelyn (age 31), by my [his future wife] Lady Cotton, his second wife. I presented my niece a piece of plate which cost me £18, and caused this inscription to be set on it-.

Trial of Charles I

Evelyn's Diary. 22 Jan 1649. The villany of the rebels proceeding now so far as to try, condemn, and murder our excellent King (age 48) on the 30th of this month, struck me with such horror, that I kept the day of his martyrdom a fast, and would not be present at that execrable wickedness; receiving the sad account of it from my brother George (age 31), and Mr. Owen, who came to visit me this afternoon, and recounted all the circumstances.

Evelyn's Diary. 01 Jan 1651. I wrote to my brother (age 33) at Wotton, Surrey [Map], about his garden and fountains. After evening prayer, Mr. Wainsford called on me: he had long been Consul at Aleppo, and told me many strange things of those countries, the Arabs especially.

Before 1652 George Evelyn of Wotton (age 34) and Mary Offley were married.

Evelyn's Diary. 22 Mar 1652. I went with my brother Evelyn (age 34) to Wotton, to give him what directions I was able about his garden, which he was now desirous to put into some form; but for which he was to remove a mountain overgrown with huge trees and thicket, with a moat within ten yards of the house. This my brother immediately attempted, and that without great cost, for more than a hundred yards south, by digging down the mountain,and flinging it into a rapid stream; it not only carried away the sand, etc., but filled up the moat, and leveled that noble area, where now the garden and fountain is. The first occasion of my brother making this alteration was my building the little retiring place between the great wood eastward next the meadow, where, some time after my father's death, I made a triangular pond, or little stew, with an artificial rock after my coming out of Flanders.

Indemnity and Oblivion Act

Evelyn's Diary. 05 Apr 1652. My brother George (age 34) brought to Sayes Court [Map] Cromwell's (age 52) Act of Oblivion to all that would submit to the Government.

Before 13 Apr 1652 [his son] John Evelyn of Wotton was born to George Evelyn of Wotton (age 34) and [his wife] Mary Offley.

Evelyn's Diary. 13 Apr 1652. News was brought me that Lady Cotton, my brother George's (age 34) wife was delivered of a [his son] son.

Evelyn's Diary. 22 Feb 1653. Was perfected the sealing, livery, and seisin of my purchase of Sayes Court [Map]. My brother (age 35), George Glanville, Mr. Scudamore, Mr. Offley, Co. William Glanville (son to Sergeant Glanville, sometime Speaker of the House of Commons), Co. Stephens, and several of my friends dining with me. I had bargained for £3,200, but I paid £3,500.

Evelyn's Diary. 08 Jun 1653. Came my brother George (age 35), Captain Evelyn, the great traveler, Mr. Muschamp, my cousin, Thomas Keightly, and a virtuoso, fastastical Simons, who had the talent of embossing so to the life.

Evelyn's Diary. 10 Oct 1654. To my brother (age 37) at Wotton, Surrey [Map], who had been sick.

Evelyn's Diary. 30 Nov 1654. My birthday, being the 34th year of my age: blessing God for his providence, I went to London to visit my brother (age 37).

Evelyn's Diary. 25 Apr 1657. I had a dangerous fall out of the coach in Covent Garden [Map], going to my brother's (age 39), but without harm; the Lord be praised!

Evelyn's Diary. 05 May 1659. I went to visit my brother (age 41) in London; and next day, to see a new opera, after the Italian way, in recitative music and scenes, much inferior to the Italian composure and magnificence; but it was prodigious that in a time of such public consternation such a vanity should be kept up, or permitted. I, being engaged with company, could not decently resist the going to see it, though my heart smote me for it.

Evelyn's Diary. 19 May 1659. Came to dine with me my Lord Galloway (age 49) and his son, a Scotch Lord and learned: also my brother (age 41) and his [his wife] lady, Lord Berkeley and his lady, Mrs. Shirley, and the famous singer, Mrs. Knight, and other friends.

Evelyn's Diary. 07 Jun 1659. To London, to take leave of my brother (age 41), and see the foundations now laying for a long street and buildings in Hatton Garden, designed for a little town, lately an ample garden.

Evelyn's Diary. 06 Dec 1660. I waited on my brother (age 43) and sister Evelyn to Court. Now were presented to his Majesty (age 30) those two rare pieces of drollery, or rather a Dutch Kitchen, painted by Dowe, so finely as hardly to be distinguished from enamel. I was also shown divers rich jewels and crystal vases; the rare head of Jo. Bellino, Titian's master; Christ in the Garden, by Hannibal Caracci; two incomparable heads, by Holbein; the Queen-Mother (age 51) in a miniature, almost as big as the life; an exquisite piece of carving; two unicorn's horns, etc. This in the closet.

Evelyn's Diary. 01 Sep 1662. Being invited by Lord Berkeley (age 34), I went to Durdans, where dined his Majesty (age 32), the Queen (age 23), Duke, Duchess (age 25), Prince Rupert (age 42), Prince Edward, and abundance of noblemen. I went, after dinner, to visit my brother (age 45) of Woodcot, my sister having been delivered of a son a little before, but who had now been two days dead.

Evelyn's Diary. 08 Aug 1664. Came the sad and unexpected news of the death of [his wife] Lady Cotton, wife to my brother George (age 47), a most excellent lady.

On 08 Aug 1664 [his wife] Mary Offley died.

Evelyn's Diary. 09 Aug 1664. Went with my brother [his brother] Richard (age 41) to Wotton, Surrey [Map], to visit and comfort my disconsolate brother (age 47); and on the 13th saw my friend, Mr. Charles Howard, at Dipden, near Dorking.

Evelyn's Diary. 25 Dec 1665. Kept Christmas with my hospitable brother (age 48), at Wotton, Surrey [Map].

Evelyn's Diary. 06 Sep 1666. Thursday. I represented to his Majesty (age 36) the case of the French prisoners at war in my custody, and besought him that there might be still the same care of watching at all places contiguous to unseized houses. It is not indeed imaginable how extraordinary the vigilance and activity of the King (age 36) and the Duke (age 32) was, even laboring in person, and being present to command, order, reward, or encourage workmen; by which he showed his affection to his people, and gained theirs. Having, then, disposed of some under cure at the Savoy, I returned to Whitehall [Map], where I dined at Mr. Offley's [Note. Not clear who Mr Offley is? John Evelyn's (age 45) brother George Evelyn of Wotton (age 49) was married to [his former wife] Mary Offley], the groom-porter, who was my relation.

Pepy's Diary. 14 Jul 1667. So to our coach, and through Mr. Minnes's wood, and looked upon Mr. Evelyn's (age 50) house; and so over the common, and through Epsum towne to our inne, in the way stopping a poor woman with her milk-pail, and in one of my gilt tumblers did drink our bellyfulls of milk, better than any creame; and so to our inne, and there had a dish of creame, but it was sour, and so had no pleasure in it; and so paid our reckoning, and took coach, it being about seven at night, and passed and saw the people walking with their wives and children to take the ayre, and we set out for home, the sun by and by going down, and we in the cool of the evening all the way with much pleasure home, talking and pleasing ourselves with the pleasure of this day's work, Mrs. Turner (age 44) mightily pleased with my resolution, which, I tell her, is never to keep a country-house, but to keep a coach, and with my wife on the Saturday to go sometimes for a day to this place, and then quit to another place; and there is more variety and as little charge, and no trouble, as there is in a country-house.

Pepy's Diary. 14 Jul 1667. By and by he parted, and we took coach and to take the ayre, there being a fine breeze abroad; and I went and carried them to the well, and there filled some bottles of water to carry home with me; and there talked with the two women that farm the well, at £12 per annum, of the lord of the manor, Mr. Evelyn (age 50) (who with his [his former wife] lady, and also my Lord George Barkeley's (age 39) lady, and their fine daughter (age 17), that the King of France (age 28) liked so well, and did dance so rich in jewells before the King (age 37) at the Ball I was at, at our Court, last winter, and also their son (age 18), a Knight of the Bath, were at church this morning).

1670 Secret Treaty of Dover

Evelyn's Diary. 26 May 1670. Receiving a letter from Mr. Philip Howard (age 41), Lord Almoner to the Queen, that Monsieur Evelin, first physician to Madame (age 25) (who was now come to Dover to visit the King (age 39) her brother), was come to town, greatly desirous to see me; but his stay so short, that he could not come to me, I went with my brother (age 52) to meet him at the Tower [Map], where he was seeing the magazines and other curiosities, having never before been in England: we renewed our alliance and friendship, with much regret on both sides that, he being to return toward Dover, Kent [Map] that evening, we could not enjoy one another any longer. How this French family, Ivelin, of Evelin, Normandy, a very ancient and noble house is grafted into our pedigree, see in the collection brought from Paris, 1650.

Evelyn's Diary. 03 Mar 1680. I dined at my Lord Mayor's, in order to the meeting of my Lady Beckford, whose [his future daughter-in-law] daughter (a rich heiress) I had recommended to my brother (age 62) of Wotton for his only [his son] son (age 27), she being the daughter of the lady by Mr. Eversfield, a Sussex gentleman.

Evelyn's Diary. 10 Feb 1681. I was at the wedding of my nephew, [his son] John Evelyn of Wotton (age 28), married by the Bishop of Rochester (age 56) at Westminster, in Henry VII's chapel [Map], to the [his daughter-in-law] daughter and heir of Mr. Eversfield, of Sussex, her portion £8,000. The solemnity was kept with a few friends only at Lady Beckford's, the lady's mother.

Note. John Evelyn of Wotton (age 28) and Catherine Eversfield were married.

Before 01 Jun 1691 [his son] John Evelyn of Wotton (age 39) died. He was buried on 02 Jun 1691 at Wotton Church.

Around 15 May 1692 [his son-in-law] Cyril Wyche (age 60) and [his daughter] Mary Evelyn were married.

Evelyn's Diary. 30 Mar 1694. I went to the Duke of Norfolk (age 39), to desire him to make cousin Evelyn of Nutfield (age 52) one of the Deputy-Lieutenants of Surrey, and entreat him to dismiss my brother (age 76), now unable to serve by reason of age and infirmity. The Duke (age 39) granted the one, but would not suffer my brother (age 76) to resign his commission, desiring he should keep the honor of it during his life, though he could not act. He professed great kindness to our family.

Evelyn's Diary. 04 May 1694. I went this day with my wife (age 59) and four servants from Sayes Court [Map], removing much furniture of all sorts, books, pictures, hangings, bedding, etc., to furnish the apartment my brother (age 76) assigned me, and now, after more than forty years, to spend the rest of my days with him at Wotton, Surrey [Map], where I was born; leaving my house at Deptford, Kent [Map] full furnished, and three servants, to my son-in-law Draper, to pass the summer in, and such longer time as he should think fit to make use of it.

Evelyn's Diary. 06 May 1694. This being the first Sunday in the month, the blessed sacrament of the Lord's Supper ought to have been celebrated at Wotton church, but in this parish it is exceedingly neglected, so that, unless at the four great feasts, there is no communion hereabouts; which is a great fault both in ministers and people. I have spoken to my brother (age 76), who is the patron, to discourse the minister about it. Scarcely one shower has fallen since the beginning of April.

Evelyn's Diary. 03 Jun 1694. Mr. Edwards, minister of Denton, in Sussex, a living in my brother's (age 76) gift, came to see him. He had suffered much by a fire. Seasonable showers.

Evelyn's Diary. 24 Mar 1695. Easter Day. Mr. Duncomb, parson of this parish, preached, which he hardly comes to above once a year though but seven or eight miles off; a florid discourse, read out of his notes. The Holy Sacrament followed, which he administered with very little reverence, leaving out many prayers and exhortations; nor was there any oblation. This ought to be reformed, but my good brother (age 77) did not well consider when he gave away this living and the next [Abinger].

Evelyn's Diary. 04 Sep 1699. My worthy brother (age 82) died at Wotton, Surrey [Map], in the 83d year of his age, of perfect memory and understanding. He was religious, sober, and temperate, and of so hospitable a nature, that no family in the county maintained that ancient custom of keeping, as it were, open house the whole year in the same manner, or gave more noble or free entertainment to the county on all occasions, so that his house was never free. There were sometimes twenty persons more than his family, and some that stayed there all the summer, to his no small expense; by this he gained the universal love of the county. He was born at Wotton, Surrey [Map], went from the free school at Guildford, Surrey [Map] to Trinity College, Oxford University, Oxford, thence to the Middle Temple, as gentlemen of the best quality did, but without intention to study the law as a profession. He married the daughter of Colwall, of a worthy and ancient family in Leicestershire, by whom he had one son; she dying in 1643, left George her son an infant, who being educated liberally, after traveling abroad, returned and married one Mrs. Gore, by whom he had several children, but only three daughters survived. He was a young man of good understanding, but, over-indulging his ease and pleasure, grew so very corpulent, contrary to the constitution of the rest of his father's relations, that he died. My brother afterward married a noble and honorable [his former wife] lady, relict of Sir John Cotton, she being an Offley, a worthy and ancient Staffordshire family, by whom he had several children of both sexes. This lady died, leaving only two daughters and a son. The younger daughter died before marriage; the [his daughter] other afterward married [his son-in-law] Sir Cyril Wych (age 67), a noble and learned gentleman (son of Sir -- Wych), who had been Ambassador at Constantinople, and was afterward made one of the Lords Justices of Ireland. Before this marriage, her only [his son] brother married the [his daughter-in-law] daughter of Eversfield, of Sussex, of an honorable family, but left a widow without any child living; he died about 1691, and his wife not many years after, and my brother resettled the whole estate on me. His sister, Wych, had a portion of £6,000, to which was added £300 more; the three other daughters, with what I added, had about £5,000 each. My brother died on the 5th of October, in a good old age and great reputation, making his beloved daughter, Lady Wych, sole executrix, leaving me only his library and some pictures of my father, mother, etc. She buried him with extraordinary solemnity, rather as a nobleman than as a private gentleman. There were, as I computed, above 2,000 persons at the funeral, all the gentlemen of the county doing him the last honors. I returned to London, till my lady should dispose of herself and family.

On 05 Oct 1699 George Evelyn of Wotton (age 82) died.

Evelyn's Diary. 25 Jan 1700. I went to Wotton, Surrey [Map], the first time after my brother's funeral, to furnish the house with necessaries, [his daughter] Lady Wych and my nephew Glanville, the executors having sold and disposed of what goods were there of my brother's. The weather was now altering into sharp and hard frost.

[his daughter] Mary Evelyn was born to George Evelyn of Wotton and Mary Offley.

Evelyn's Diary. The place of my birth was Wotton, Surrey [Map], in the parish of Wotton, or Blackheath, in the county of Surrey, the then mansion-house of my [his father] father, left him by my [his grandfather] grandfather, afterward and now my eldest brother's. It is situated in the most southern part of the shire; and, though in a valley, yet really upon part of Leith Hill, one of the most eminent in England for the prodigious prospect to be seen from its summit, though by few observed. From it may be discerned twelve or thirteen counties, with part of the sea on the coast of Sussex, in a serene day. The house is large and ancient, suitable to those hospitable times, and so sweetly environed with those delicious streams and venerable woods, as in the judgment of strangers as well as Englishmen it may be compared to one of the most pleasant seats in the nation, and most tempting for a great person and a wanton purse to render it conspicuous. It has rising grounds, meadows, woods, and water, in abundance.

Ancestors of George Evelyn of Wotton 1617-1699

George Evelyn of Wotton

GrandFather: John Stansfield

Mother: Eleanor Stansfield

GrandMother: Eleanor Comber