John Evelyn 
The Diary of John Evelyn (Vol. 1&2) 
The 17th Century Chronicles

In the times before the first newspapers and magazines saw the light of the day, chronicles, memoirs, and personal diaries were the primary source of information about the ordinary life and manners of the people. John Evelyn’s Diary is an example of such work. It was created from 1640 to 1706. He covered the developments in art, culture, and politics and gave an account of his travels and occupation. In these diaries, a reader can find comments on the execution of King Charles I, the Great Fire of London, the Great Plague, and many more A contemporary reader familiar with these events from the history books will be interested in viewing them from the point of real-time witness. Together with the diaries of Samuel Pepys, Evelyn’s Diaries were the primary source of information about the life of ordinary people in the 17th century.

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John Evelyn (1620 – 1706) was an English writer, royalist, and diarist. He was most famous for his diaries and furniture collection, which is now stored in the Victorian and Albert Museum. Being a supporter of the monarchy, he refused the position in the Commonwealth government and was in close ties with King Charles II. He also was in close relations with Sir Christopher Wren and took part in rebuilding Saint Paul’s Cathedral after the Great Fire of London. As a prolific writer, Evelyn created numerous books on different topics, from theology to vegetarianism.