Biography of William Glanville 1618-1702

On or before 13 Sep 1618 William Glanville was born. He was baptised 13 Sep 1618.

After 1638 William Glanville (age 19) and Jane Evelyn were married.

Evelyn's Diary. 09 Nov 1647. My [his wife] sister opened to me her marriage with Mr. Glanville (age 29).

On 16 Aug 1648 [his brother-in-law] Richard Evelyn (age 25) and Elizabeth Mynne (age 19) were married.

Before 1651 [his wife] Jane Evelyn died in childbirth.

Before 1652 [his former brother-in-law] George Evelyn of Wotton (age 34) and Mary Offley were married.

Pepy's Diary. 27 Sep 1665. Back again the same way and had most excellent discourse of [his former brother-in-law] Mr. Evelyn (age 44) touching all manner of learning; wherein I find him a very fine gentleman, and particularly of paynting, in which he tells me the beautifull Mrs. Middleton is rare, and his own wife do brave things. He brought me to the office, whither comes unexpectedly Captain Cocke (age 48), who hath brought one parcel of our goods by waggons, and at first resolved to have lodged them at our office; but then the thoughts of its being the King's house altered our resolution, and so put them at his friend's, Mr. Glanvill's (age 47), and there they are safe. Would the rest of them were so too! In discourse, we come to mention my profit, and he offers me £500 clear, and I demand £600 for my certain profit.

Pepy's Diary. 27 Sep 1665. We part to-night, and I lie there at Mr. Glanvill's (age 47) house, there being none there but a maydeservant and a young man; being in some pain, partly from not knowing what to do in this business, having a mind to be at a certainty in my profit, and partly through his having Jacke sicke still, and his blackemore now also fallen sicke. So he being gone, I to bed.

Pepy's Diary. 16 Oct 1665. Thence after dinner receiving many commands from the Duke (age 56), I to our office on the Hill, and there did a little business and to Colvill's again, and so took water at the Tower [Map], and there met with Captain Cocke (age 48), and he down with me to Greenwich, Kent [Map], I having received letters from my Lord Sandwich (age 40) to-day, speaking very high about the prize goods, that he would have us to fear nobody, but be very confident in what we have done, and not to confess any fault or doubt of what he hath done; for the King (age 35) hath allowed it, and do now confirm it, and sent orders, as he says, for nothing to be disturbed that his Lordshipp hath ordered therein as to the division of the goods to the fleete; which do comfort us, but my Lord writes to me that both he and I may hence learn by what we see in this business. But that which pleases me best is that Cocke (age 48) tells me that he now understands that Fisher was set on in this business by the design of some of the Duke of Albemarle's (age 56) people, Warcupp and others, who lent him money to set him out in it, and he has spent high. Who now curse him for a rogue to take £100 when he might have had as well £1,500, and they are mightily fallen out about it. Which in due time shall be discovered, but that now that troubles me afresh is, after I am got to the office at Greenwich, Kent [Map] that some new troubles are come, and Captain Cocke's (age 48) house is beset before and behind with guards, and more, I do fear they may come to my office here to search for Cocke's (age 48) goods and find some small things of my clerk's. So I assisted them in helping to remove their small trade, but by and by I am told that it is only the Custome House men who came to seize the things that did lie at Mr. Glanville's (age 47), for which they did never yet see our Transire, nor did know of them till to-day. So that my fear is now over, for a transire is ready for them. Cocke (age 48) did get a great many of his goods to London to-day.

Pepy's Diary. 22 Oct 1665. Thence back again, it being evening before I could get home, and there Cocke (age 48) not being within, I and Mr. Salomon to Mr. Glanville's (age 47), and there we found Cocke (age 48) and sat and supped, and was mighty merry with only Madam Penington, who is a fine, witty lady. Here we spent the evening late with great mirth, and so home and to bed.

Pepy's Diary. 04 Nov 1665. After dinner I to the office and there late, and much troubled to have 100 seamen all the afternoon there, swearing below and cursing us, and breaking the glasse windows, and swear they will pull the house down on Tuesday next. I sent word of this to Court, but nothing will helpe it but money and a rope. Late at night to Mr. Glanville's (age 47) there to lie for a night or two, and to bed.

Pepy's Diary. 05 Nov 1665. Here comes in, in the middle of our discourse Captain Cocke (age 48), as drunk as a dogg, but could stand, and talk and laugh. He did so joy himself in a brave woman that he had been with all the afternoon, and who should it be but my Lady Robinson (age 53), but very troublesome he is with his noise and talke, and laughing, though very pleasant. With him in his coach to Mr. Glanville's (age 47), where he sat with Mrs. Penington and myself a good while talking of this fine woman again and then went away.

Pepy's Diary. 06 Nov 1665. So having done and received from me the sad newes that we are like to have no money here a great while, not even of the very prizes, I set up my rest1 in giving up the King's service to be ruined and so in to supper, where pretty merry, and after supper late to Mr. Glanville's (age 47), and Sir G. Carteret (age 55) to bed. I also to bed, it being very late.

Note 1. The phrase "set up my rest" is a metaphor from the once fashionable game of Primero, meaning, to stand upon the cards you have in your hand, in hopes they may prove better than those of your adversary. Hence, to make up your mind, to be determined (see Nares's "Glossary").

Pepy's Diary. 08 Nov 1665. My Lord and I ended all we had to say as to his business overnight, and so I took leave, and went again to Mr. Glanville's (age 47) and so to bed, it being very late.

Pepy's Diary. 09 Nov 1665. Up, and did give the servants something at Mr. Glanville's (age 47) and so took leave, meaning to lie to-night at my owne lodging. To my office, where busy with Mr. Gawden running over the Victualling business, and he is mightily pleased that this course is taking and seems sensible of my favour and promises kindnesse to me.

Pepy's Diary. 13 Nov 1665. So I to the office and among other business prepared a deed for him to sign and seale to me about our agreement, which at night I got him to come and sign and seale, and so he and I to Glanville's (age 47), and there he and I sat talking and playing with Mrs. Penington, whom we found undrest in her smocke and petticoats by the fireside, and there we drank and laughed, and she willingly suffered me to put my hand in her bosom very wantonly, and keep it there long. Which methought was very strange, and I looked upon myself as a man mightily deceived in a lady, for I could not have thought she could have suffered it, by her former discourse with me; so modest she seemed and I know not what.

Pepy's Diary. 15 Nov 1665. After dinner who comes in but my Lady Batten, and a troop of a dozen women almost, and expected, as I found afterward, to be made mighty much of, but nobody minded them; but the best jest was, that when they saw themselves not regarded, they would go away, and it was horrible foule weather; and my Lady Batten walking through the dirty lane with new spicke and span white shoes, she dropped one of her galoshes in the dirt, where it stuck, and she forced to go home without one, at which she was horribly vexed, and I led her; and after vexing her a little more in mirth, I parted, and to Glanville's (age 47), where I knew Sir John Robinson (age 50), Sir G. Smith (age 50), and Captain Cocke (age 48) were gone, and there, with the company of Mrs. Penington, whose father, I hear, was one of the Court of justice, and died prisoner, of the stone, in the Tower [Map], I made them, against their resolutions, to stay from houre to houre till it was almost midnight, and a furious, darke and rainy, and windy, stormy night, and, which was best, I, with drinking small beer, made them all drunk drinking wine, at which Sir John Robinson (age 50) made great sport.

On 07 Mar 1670 [his former brother-in-law] Richard Evelyn (age 47) died.

Evelyn's Diary. 01 Jun 1691. I went with my son (age 36), and brother-in-law, Glanville (age 72), and his son, to Wotton, to solemnize the funeral of my nephew, which was performed the next day very decently and orderly by the herald in the afternoon, a very great appearance of the country being there. I was the chief mourner; the pall was held by Sir Francis Vincent (age 45), Sir Richard Onslow (age 36), Mr. Thomas Howard (son to Sir Robert, and Captain of the King's Guard), Mr. Hyldiard, Mr. James, Mr. Herbert, nephew to Lord Herbert of Cherbury, and cousin-german to my deceased nephew. He was laid in the vault at Wotton Church, in the burying place of the family. A great concourse of coaches and people accompanied the solemnity.

On 05 Oct 1699 [his former brother-in-law] George Evelyn of Wotton (age 82) died.

Evelyn's Diary. 12 Apr 1702. My brother-in-law (age 83), Glanville, departed this life this morning after a long languishing illness, leaving a son by my [his former wife] sister, and two granddaughters. Our relation and friendship had been long and great. He was a man of excellent parts. He died in the 84th year of his age, and willed his body to be wrapped in lead and carried down to Greenwich, put on board a ship, and buried in the sea, between Dover and Calais, about the Goodwin sands; which was done on the Tuesday, or Wednesday after. This occasioned much discourse, he having no relation at all to the sea. He was a gentleman of an ancient family in Devonshire, and married my sister Jane. By his prudent parsimony he much improved his fortune. He had a place in the Alienation Office, and might have been an extraordinary man, had he cultivated his parts.

On 12 Apr 1702 William Glanville (age 83) died.