John Evelyn I, Oliver Cromwell's rise and eventual natural death, the last Great Plague of London, and the Great Fire of London in 1666. Evelyn's posthumously "rival" diarist, Samuel Pepys, wrote a different kind of diary, covering a much shorter period, 1660–1669, but in much greater depth, within the same era. Over the years, Evelyn's Diary has been overshadowed by Pepys's chronicles of 17th-century life. Born into a family whose wealth was largely founded on gunpowder production, John Evelyn was born in Wotton, Surrey and grew up in Lewes, Sussex. While living in Lewes, in Southover Grange, he was educated at Lewes
Addey and Stanhope School for its pupils. Addeys is a non-denominational school, however, the school has a strong moral ethos, which values and celebrates its students cultural and religious richness, and has a strong connection with the Church of England and especially St. Paul's, Deptford. The school is divided into four houses; two are named after the founders, Addey House, and Stanhope House, the other two are named after historical figures with local connections, Pepys House after Samuel Pepys, Evelyn House after John Evelyn. Peyps was a 17th-century diarist who often visited the Royal Dockyards at Deptford as Clerk to the Navy Board, and