Biography of Mary Offley -1664

Evelyn's Diary. 29 Nov 1648. Myself, with Mr. Thomas Offley, and Lady Gerrard, christened my niece [her daughter] Mary, eldest daughter of my brother, [her future husband] George Evelyn (age 31), by my Lady Cotton, his second wife. I presented my niece a piece of plate which cost me £18, and caused this inscription to be set on it-.

Before 1652 George Evelyn of Wotton (age 34) and Mary Offley were married.

Before 13 Apr 1652 [her son] John Evelyn of Wotton was born to [her husband] George Evelyn of Wotton (age 34) and Mary Offley.

Evelyn's Diary. 19 May 1659. Came to dine with me my Lord Galloway (age 49) and his son, a Scotch Lord and learned: also my [her husband] brother (age 41) and his lady, Lord Berkeley and his lady, Mrs. Shirley, and the famous singer, Mrs. Knight, and other friends.

On 08 Aug 1664 Mary Offley died.

Evelyn's Diary. 08 Aug 1664. Came the sad and unexpected news of the death of Lady Cotton, wife to my brother [her husband] George (age 47), a most excellent lady.

Evelyn's Diary. 22 Aug 1664. I went from London to Wotton, Surrey [Map], to assist at the funeral of my sister-in-law, the Lady Cotton, buried in our dormitory there, she being put up in lead. Dr. Owen made a profitable and pathetic discourse, concluding with an eulogy of that virtuous, pious, and deserving lady. It was a very solemn funeral, with about fifty mourners. I came back next day with my wife (age 29) to London.

Evelyn's Diary. 06 Sep 1666. Thursday. I represented to his Majesty (age 36) the case of the French prisoners at war in my custody, and besought him that there might be still the same care of watching at all places contiguous to unseized houses. It is not indeed imaginable how extraordinary the vigilance and activity of the King and the Duke (age 32) was, even laboring in person, and being present to command, order, reward, or encourage workmen; by which he showed his affection to his people, and gained theirs. Having, then, disposed of some under cure at the Savoy, I returned to Whitehall [Map], where I dined at Mr. Offley's [Note. Not clear who Mr Offley is? [her former brother-in-law] John Evelyn's (age 45) brother [her former husband] George Evelyn of Wotton (age 49) was married to Mary Offley], the groom-porter, who was my relation.

Pepy's Diary. 14 Jul 1667. By and by he parted, and we took coach and to take the ayre, there being a fine breeze abroad; and I went and carried them to the well, and there filled some bottles of water to carry home with me; and there talked with the two women that farm the well, at £12 per annum, of the lord of the manor, [her former husband] Mr. Evelyn (age 50) (who with his lady, and also my Lord George Barkeley's (age 39) lady, and their fine daughter (age 17), that the King of France (age 28) liked so well, and did dance so rich in jewells before the King (age 37) at the Ball I was at, at our Court, last winter, and also their son (age 18), a Knight of the Bath, were at church this morning).

Evelyn's Diary. 04 Sep 1699. My worthy [her former husband] brother (age 82) died at Wotton, Surrey [Map], in the 83d year of his age, of perfect memory and understanding. He was religious, sober, and temperate, and of so hospitable a nature, that no family in the county maintained that ancient custom of keeping, as it were, open house the whole year in the same manner, or gave more noble or free entertainment to the county on all occasions, so that his house was never free. There were sometimes twenty persons more than his family, and some that stayed there all the summer, to his no small expense; by this he gained the universal love of the county. He was born at Wotton, Surrey [Map], went from the free school at Guildford, Surrey [Map] to Trinity College, Oxford University, Oxford, thence to the Middle Temple, as gentlemen of the best quality did, but without intention to study the law as a profession. He married the daughter of Colwall, of a worthy and ancient family in Leicestershire, by whom he had one son; she dying in 1643, left George her son an infant, who being educated liberally, after traveling abroad, returned and married one Mrs. Gore, by whom he had several children, but only three daughters survived. He was a young man of good understanding, but, over-indulging his ease and pleasure, grew so very corpulent, contrary to the constitution of the rest of his father's relations, that he died. My brother afterward married a noble and honorable lady, relict of Sir John Cotton, she being an Offley, a worthy and ancient Staffordshire family, by whom he had several children of both sexes. This lady died, leaving only two daughters and a son. The younger daughter died before marriage; the [her daughter] other afterward married [her son-in-law] Sir Cyril Wych (age 67), a noble and learned gentleman (son of Sir -- Wych), who had been Ambassador at Constantinople, and was afterward made one of the Lords Justices of Ireland. Before this marriage, her only [her son] brother married the [her daughter-in-law] daughter of Eversfield, of Sussex, of an honorable family, but left a widow without any child living; he died about 1691, and his wife not many years after, and my brother resettled the whole estate on me. His sister, Wych, had a portion of £6,000, to which was added £300 more; the three other daughters, with what I added, had about £5,000 each. My brother died on the 5th of October, in a good old age and great reputation, making his beloved daughter, Lady Wych, sole executrix, leaving me only his library and some pictures of my father, mother, etc. She buried him with extraordinary solemnity, rather as a nobleman than as a private gentleman. There were, as I computed, above 2,000 persons at the funeral, all the gentlemen of the county doing him the last honors. I returned to London, till my lady should dispose of herself and family.

On 05 Oct 1699 [her former husband] George Evelyn of Wotton (age 82) died.

[her daughter] Mary Evelyn was born to George Evelyn of Wotton and Mary Offley.