George Evelyn (bef. 1644 - bef. 1676)

Born before 23 Jan 1644 in Wotton, Surrey, England

Ancestors

Husband of Katherine (Gore) Willys — married 19 Dec 1667 in Chelsea, Middlesex, England

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Biography

George was born in about 1644 and baptised on 23 Jan of that year. ^[1][2] He was the son of George Evelyn and Mary Caldwell.

Wotton House.

It's likely his young childhood days were spent at Wotton House, which his father had inherited in 1640 when George's grandfather Richard died. Both his father and his Uncle John Evelyn busied themselves with restoring and creating the gardens, and John was a keen botanist, as well as author and diarist.^[3] George himself, according to Uncle John, had a liberal education and went on a grand tour. John writes of George's father being a bit upset at the expenses he was incurring on the trip while in Italy in 1664.^[3]

On returning, he married the daughter of a merchant, Katherine Gore, daughter of Robert, on 19 Dec 1667, at St Luke's, Chelsea (at that time known as All Saints, later Chelsea Old Church ^[4]).^[5][6]

Register of the Vicar-General of Canterbury, Marriage Licenses. " George Evelyn of Wotton—bachelor, aged about 23 years, and Mrs. Catherine Gore of Chelsea—spinster, aged about 19 years, with the Consent of her father, Robert Gore of the same merchant." (Married at St. Luke's, Chelsea, Dec. 19, 1667.)^[6]

They had 5 children, all baptised at Wotton, but only 3 survived infancy:

• Ann Evelyn (bef.1670-1671) ^[7]
• Katherin Evelyn (bef.1671-) ^[8]
• Marie Evelyn (bef.1673-) ^[9]
• Elizabeth Evelyn (bef.1674-) ^[10]
• Richard Evelyn (bef.1675-bef.1676) ^[11]

Katharine's father died only a year after their marriage, and in his will left them £200 and if her brother died she would inherit the rest of the estate. An excerpt from the will reads:

I give to my daughter Katherine Evelin for a legacie and to buy her and her husband mourning two hundred pounds.

The remainder of my Estate both reall and personall I give to my said Daughter Katherine Evelin in case my said son and Executor dye as aforesaid.^[12]

George died aged 33, no doubt due to his indulgent lifestyle, ^[3] and was buried at St John the Evangelist Church, Wotton, Surrey on 29 Sep 1676.^[13]

Evelyn family memorials.

The memorial plaques in Wotton Church list numerous members of the Evelyn family, including George.
There is a list of the family members on these plaques.^[14]

Research Notes

Because he had predeceased his father and had no survivng male heirs, Wotton House after a certain amount of wrangling was inherited by his father’s brother John, a noted author and diarist of the time.^[15]

Sources

1. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J33C-ZL3 : 19 September 2020), George Evelin, 1644. (Accessed 26 Aug 2021)
2. ↑ George Evelin cited in Archive: Surrey History Centre, Ref. WOT/1/1, Year range 1596-1812, Page 49, Record set Surrey Baptisms. 23 Jan 1643 Wotton, St John the Evangelist, © Findmypast https://www.findmypast.co.uk/transcript?id=PRS%2FSURREY%2FBAP%2F1258257 (Accessed 31 Aug 2021)
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} Diary and Correspondence of John Evelyn FRS Vol 2 page 355 (1699) (Accessed 26 Aug 2021)
4. ↑ 'Religious history: The parish church', in A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 12, Chelsea, ed. Patricia E C Croot (London, 2004), pp. 238-250. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/middx/vol12/pp238-250 [accessed 16 September 2021].
5. ↑ Ancestry UK parish register record (subscription required)
   Free to view image of parish register (record is top left of page) George Evelin Esq and Mrs Katherine Gore cited in Source Citation London Metropolitan Archives; London, England; Reference Number: P74/LUK/162 Source Information Ancestry.com. London, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Original data: Church of England Parish Registers, 1538-1812. London, England: London Metropolitan Archives.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} The history of the Evelyn family: with a special memoir of William John Evelyn by Evelyn, Helen; Blunt, Wilfrid Scawen, 1840-1922 Page -65 (Accessed 26 Aug 2021)
7. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JM8X-M8P : 19 September 2020), George Evelin in entry for Ann Evelin, 1670. (Accessed 26 Aug 2021)
8. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JM8X-MBL : 19 September 2020), George Evelyn in entry for Katherin Evelyn, 1671. (Accessed 26 Aug 2021)
9. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JM8X-98C : 19 September 2020), George Evelin in entry for Marie Evelin, 1673. (Accessed 26 Aug 2021)
10. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J33C-DZ5 : 19 September 2020), George Evelyn in entry for Elizabeth Evelyn, 1674. (Accessed 26 Aug 2021)
11. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NGDK-1S3 : 19 September 2020), George Evelyn in entry for Richard Evelyn, 1675. (Accessed 26 Aug 2021)
12. ↑ https://www.ancestry.co.uk/discoveryui-content/view/983311:5111 The National Archives; Kew, Surrey, England; Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Series PROB 11; Class: PROB 11; Piece: 328 Ancestry.com. England & Wales, Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills, 1384-1858 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013.(Accessed 26 Aug 2021)
13. ↑ Ancestry UK parish register of burial (subscription required)
    Free to view image of burial record (towards bottom of right hand page) Geo Evelyn Esq cited inSource Citation Surrey History Centre; Woking, Surrey, England; Surrey Church of England Parish Registers; Reference: WOT/1/1 Source Information Ancestry.com. Surrey, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013. (Accessed 26 Aug 2021)
14. ↑ Monuments in Wotton Church, Brayley, E. W., Brayley, E. W., Mantell, G. A., Allom, T., Britton, J. (1850). A Topographical History of Surrey. Vol 5 page 43 United Kingdom: G. Willis. Google Books
15. ↑ THE CASE OF GEORGE EVELYN OF Wotton, in the County of Surrey, Esq https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A38782.0001.001/1:1?rgn=div1;view=fulltext

Acknowledgements

‘’’This profile has been improved by a member of the England Project's Orphan Trail.’’’