Floral

The house was built in the early 17 th century by the
Evelyn family who extended it in the later 17th century.
In the 18th century it was extended eastwards by
William Kent. Further extensions and alterations were
made in the early 19th century by Francis Edwards.
Following a fire in the 1870s the house was restored and
enlarged by Henry Woodyer. for
Wotton House and estate was the later passed down to
Evelyn's great-great-grandson Sir Frederick Evelyn 3 rd Bt.
The baronetcy next passed to Frederick Evelyn's cousins,
Sir John Evelyn, 4 th Bt and Sir Hugh Evelyn 5 th Bt, both
these two were of unsound mind and the estate was
therefore left to a remote cousin descended from the
diarist's grandfather's first marriage, in whose family it
remains to this day though they no longer occupy the
house.
The title died out in 1848. However, there are many living
descendants of John Evelyn the diarist via his daughter
Susanna, Mrs William Draper, and his granddaughter
Elizabeth, Mrs Simon Harcourt. There are also many
living descendants of his great-grandson Charles Evelyn,
who was the grandfather of the last baronet, Sir Hugh
Evelyn, 5th Bt.