Person    | Male  Born 31/10/1620  Died 27/2/1706

John Evelyn

17th century diarist and garden designer. Born Wotton, Surrey. Through his 1647 marriage he came into possession of the Sayes Court estate in Deptford, on the Thames. As far as we can tell the possessions extended approximately from Princes Street in the south to Jodane Street in the north. He rebuilt the Sayes Court house and developed the surrounding grounds into an important and influential garden.

When he returned to Wotton in 1694 he let Sayes Court to Captain Benbow who was not a good tenant. Worse was to come when William III arranged for Tzar Peter of Russia to occupy the house for three months. He and his entourage trashed the place and the Treasury had to recompense both Benbow and Evelyn.

Sayes Court Park incorporates the western edge of John Evelyn's garden. The site of Sayes Court itself forms part of Convoys Wharf, currently, 2017, a large development site.

In 1695 he was appointed treasurer of Greenwich Hospital, so, although he lived the later part of his live at Wotton, he continued to travel to London about Greenwich Hospital business and he died at his son's house in Dover Street, London.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
John Evelyn

Commemorated ati

Peter the Great statue

Statue unveiled by Prince Michael of Kent, as Patron of the Peter the Great T...

Read More

Victualling Department Admiralty

{In the belt that surrounds the anchor:} Victualling Department Admiralty Th...

Read More

Whales in The Thames

We were sceptical but a 2012 article in Time confirms: “Technically, the Quee...

Read More

This section lists the memorials created by the subject on this page:
John Evelyn

Creations i

Bedford House

"Dined at my Lord Treasurer's, the Earle of Southampton, in Bloomsbury where...

Read More

Other Subjects

Well Hall Pleasaunce

Well Hall Pleasaunce

Wellehawe as an area in Eltham was first recorded in 1401. It still contains a Tudor barn built by William Roper, the son-in-law of Sir Thomas More. Another main feature, used to be Well Hall (pict...

Place, Gardens / Agriculture

2 memorials
Art in the Park

Art in the Park

Art in the Park is a charity devoted to enriching Londoners' lives and environment through visual arts. They run art and performance based education and training workshops, and are involved in comm...

Group, Art, Gardens / Agriculture, Philanthropy

1 memorial
Finsbury Park

Finsbury Park

The land that makes up Finsbury Park was originally part of the Manor of Brownswood. The New River was built 1609-13. Copt Hall was first recorded in 1649 and was probably built to house the people...

Place, Gardens / Agriculture

1 memorial
John Runtz

John Runtz

Born at 3 William Street, Kingsland Road. He became a Tunbridge Ware manufacturer, then a music teacher. He broadened his interests to the general education of working-class children and became the...

Person, Education, Gardens / Agriculture, Politics & Administration

1 memorial