George Evelyn MP (1641 - 1699)

Born 4 Dec 1641 in Surrey, England [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Mary (Longley) Evelyn — married 8 Sep 1664 (to 1673) in Chipstead, Surrey, England

Descendants

Biography

Born on 4 December 1641 George Evelyn was the 4th but 2nd surviving son of John Evelyn^[1] and his wife, Thomasine Heynes.^[2][3] He was educated at Christ Church, Oxford, Padua and Middle Temple and was called to the Bar in 1664.^[2]

When his father died early in 1664 the bulk of the estate went to the heir, George's brother, John, but George did receive Nutfield. ^[2]On 8 September 1664 at Chipstead he married Mary Longland, (or Longley) ^[1][3] daughter of Richard Longland of Coulsdon.^[2] Mary died childless in 1673 and was buried on the 24th of May at Godstone.^[2][3] George was not long in mourning for by license granted 13 June 1673 he married Margaret Webb, daughter of William Webb, ^[3] a grocer in Throckmorton St in London.^[2] She bore him 3 sons and 5 daughters, ^[2]including John, George, Edward, Margaret, Thomasine, Anne and Mary who appear in a 1694 painting by Edward Lutterell.^[4] He had, by the death of his brother, John, in 1671 acquired the manor of Godstone near Bletchingley which he eventually settled on each of his sons in turn in tail-male. ^[5]

Early in 1679 following the furore occasioned by the Popish Plot Charles II dissolved the Cavalier Parliament which had sat for nearly 18 years. ^[6] At the election which followed George and Edward Harvey defeated Marmaduke Gresham and John Morris, taking the seats for Bletchingley. ^[7] This Parliament enacted the Habeus Corpus Act but when it also seemed likely to pass the Exclusion Bill which had the specific aim of barring the Duke of York from the throne, the King dissolved Parliament once again.^[8] When a new election was called towards the end of the year, George together with John Morris defeated Gresham. Parliament did not convene until the 20th October 1680 and was dissolved on 18th January 1681. At the subsequent election George retained his seat with Sir William Goulston taking the other seat. ^[7]

Margaret died in 1683 and was buried at Godstone on the 24th of May. ^{[3] [2]}This time George waited for a little over a year. By license dated 15 August 1684 he married Frances Bromehall, daughter of Andrew Bromehall of Stoke Newington.^{[2] [3]} They were parents of 2 sons and a daughter,^[2] Richard, William and Frances ^[1] who also appear in the 1694 painting.^[4]

In 1685 he again stood for election to parliament and finished at the bottom of the poll behind Ambrose Browne and Marmaduke Gresham and even Sir Robert Clayton who secured only 18 votes. George took only two. ^[9] In 1696 at a by-election after Sir John Thompson was called to the Upper House George took the same number of votes as John Smith but was returned as member for Gatton in Surrey. ^[10]

George died 19 June 1699 and was buried at Godstone ^[2] in Surrey on the 24th.^{[3] [1]}

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} Evelyn, Helen The History of the Evelyn Family Page 215 The History of the Evelyn Family (Eveleigh Nash, London, 1915)
2. ↑ ^{2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10} History of Parliament online: EVELYN, George II (1641-99), of Ventris House, Nutfield, Surr
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6} Savile, Cecil. (Liverpool, 1905) Page 36: George Evelyn Catalogue of Portraits, Miniatures, &c.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Catalogue of portraits, miniatures &c. : in the possession of Cecil George Savile, 4th Earl of Liverpool, Lord Steward, &c Page 62
5. ↑ British History online: Parishes: Godstone
6. ↑ Wikipedia: Cavalier Parliament
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} [http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1660-1690/constituencies/bletchingley History of Parliament online: Bletchingley 1660-1690]
8. ↑ Wikipedia: Habeas Corpus Parliament
9. ↑ History of Parliament online: Bletchingley 1690-1715
10. ↑ History of Parliament online: Gatton 1690-1715