 |
The wider context of the John Evelyn archive
The Evelyn Papers are not just one man's
archive but a rich and varied collection, spanning several
generations and illuminating many aspects of public life,
society and culture from the Tudor period to the nineteenth
century. The extensive papers of Evelyn's father-in-law, Sir
Richard Browne, and his colleague Sir Edward Nicholas, Charles
I's Secretary of State, join those already at the British
Library and shed new light on royalist politics and the life
of the exiled court during the Civil War and Interregnum.
Browne's grandfathers, respectively Treasurer of the Navy
and household official to Elizabeth I, left important material
concerning the Tudor navy and court. The diarist's grandson
and heir, Sir John Evelyn 1st Baronet (1682-1763), kept a
fascinating diary of his own, as well as leaving a rich correspondence
with many of the leading families of his day. And as a last
major addition to the Archive, there are the 12 magnificent
albums, containing nearly 1500 historic letters and documents
in all, assembled by William Upcott (1779-1845), the discoverer
and editor of Evelyn's diary and the greatest autograph collector
of his time.
|
 |
Home > 
