John Evelyn (31 October, 1620 – 27 February, 1706) was an English writer, government official and diarist.
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Fun Facts about John Evelyn:
1. John was born in Wotton, Surrey, into a very wealthy family who made their money from producing gunpowder. However, he grew up in Lewes, Sussex in his grandparents’ household.
2. His famous diary spanned his whole adult life, from 1640 to 1706. It includes many volumes with insights into life, art, culture, gardening, politics and other events of the time.
3. The diary was published after Mr. Evelyn’s death, in 1818. It was eclipsed, however, by a different one, that of Samuel Pepys who wrote during the same era, but for a shorter period of time and with greatest depth.
4. Mr. Evelyn took great interest gardening and wrote a very large manuscript on the subject. However, it was only published in 2001.
5. However, John Evelyn did translate several gardening books from French to English. These book were very influential when published, especially asking landowners to plant trees.
6. Mr. Evelyn’s military service was basically six days of living in a camp.
7. He was well travelled, crossing Holland, vising the Roman ruins in Fréjus, Provence, Rome, Venice, Florence, and even attending lectures in Padua, Italy.
8. While in Padua he got a hold of the Evelyn Tables, a set of four wooden boards that are believed to be the oldest anatomical preparations in Europe. He sent them to London in 1646 but later donated to the Royal Society. They now reside in the Hunterian Museum.
9. Even though John Evelyn is known for his diary, he was a very prolific author. He wrote about politics, architecture, growing plants, fruits, and vegetables, as well as the benefits of being a vegetarian.
10. His wife, Mary Evelyn and him had eight children, they are buried together in the Evelyn Chapel in St John’s Church, Wotton. In 1992 the couples’ skulls were stolen and have not yet been recovered.
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Zohar – Man of la Book
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References:
John Evelyn | Wikipedia
John Evelyn: English Author & Diarist | Britannica
John Evelyn (1620 – 1706) | Exploring Surrey’s Past
