1647 heiratete er Mary Browne, Tochter des britischen Botschafters in Paris. 1652 ließen sich Evelyn und seine Frau in Deptford im Südosten Londons nieder.
Er war bekannt für seine Kenntnis der Bäume und seine Abhandlung Sylva, or Discourse on Forest Trees (1664) schrieb er als Anregung für Landbesitzer, Bäume zu pflanzen, um die englische Flotte mit Bauholz zu versorgen. Nachauflagen erschienen noch zu seinen Lebzeiten.
Nach dem Großen Brand von London 1666, den er in seinen Tagebüchern ausführlich beschrieb, legte Evelyn einen von mehreren Plänen für den Wiederaufbau von London vor, der wie die anderen von König Karl II. ignoriert wurde. Evelyn entwarf Lustgärten, wie z. B. den von Euston Hall. Er schrieb über Theologie, Politik, Gartenbau, Architektur und Kochkunst.
1694 ging er zurück nach Wotton, weil sein älterer Bruder keine Söhne als Erben für den dortigen Familienbesitz hatte, John jedoch hatte bereits einen Enkel. Er vermietete den Besitz 1698 dem russischen Zaren Peter I., der im Rahmen seiner Großen Gesandtschaft dort für drei Monate wohnte und großen Schaden in Haus und Garten anrichtete.
John und Mary Evelyn hatten acht Kinder: Richard (1652–1658), John Standsfield (1653–1654), John (1655–1699), George (1657–1658), Richard (1664), Mary (1665–1685), Elizabeth (1667–1685) und Susanna (1669–1754). Nur Susanna überlebte ihre Eltern.
Evelyn starb 1706 in seinem Haus in der Dover Street, London. Seine Frau Mary starb drei Jahre später. Beide sind in der Evelyn Chapel der St. Johns-Kirche in Wotton begraben.
The state of France, as it stood in the IXth yeer of this present monarch, Lewis XIIII. London 1652 (Volltext).
An Essay on the First Book of T. Lucretius Carus De rerum natura. London 1656 (Volltext) – Essay über das erste Buch von Lukrez’ De rerum natura; als „Philocepos“.
The French Gardiner. Instructing How to Cultivate all Sorts of Fruit-Trees, and Herbs for the Garden […]. London 1658 (Volltext, Digitalisat) – Übersetzung von Nicolas de Bonnefons Le jardinier françois; als „Philocepos“.
The golden book of St. John Chrysostom, concerning the education of children translated out of the Greek. London 1659 (Volltext, Digitalisat) – Übersetzung eines Werkes von Johannes Chrysostomos
A character of England, as it was lately presented in a letter to a noble man of France. London 1659 (Volltext, Digitalisat).
An apology for the royal party. Written in a letter to a person of the late Councel of State. London 1659 (Volltext).
The late news, or, Message from Bruxels unmasked : and His Majesty vindicated from the base calumny and scandal therein fixed on Him. London 1660 (Digitalisat) – anonym.
The manner of ordering fruit-trees […] wherein is treated of nurseries, wall-fruits, hedges of fruit-trees, dwarf-trees, high-standers, &c. […]. London 1660 (Volltext, Digitalisat) – Übersetzung von Robert Arnauld d’AndillysLa manière de cultiver les arbres fruitiers.
A panegyric to Charles the Second presented to His Majestie the xxxiii. of April, being the day of his coronation, MDCLXI. London 1661 (Volltext, Digitalisat).
Fumifugium: or The inconveniencie of the aer and smoak of London dissipated together […]. London 1661 (Volltext, Digitalisat).
Instructions concerning erecting of a library presented to my lord, the President De Mesme. London 1661 (Volltext, Digitalisat) – Übersetzung von Gabriel NaudésAdvis pour dresser une bibliothèque.
Tyrannus, or, The mode in a discourse of sumptuary lawes. London 1661 (Volltext, Digitalisat).
Sculptura, or, The history, and art of chalcography and engraving in copper with an ample enumeration of the most renowned masters and their works : to which is annexed a new manner of engraving, or mezzo tinto, communicated by His Highness Prince Rupert to the authour of this treatise. London 1662 (Volltext, Digitalisat).
Μυστήριον τη̃ς Ἀνομίας that is, Another part of the mystery of Jesuitism or, The new heresie of the Jesuites […] together with The imaginary heresie, in three letters […] never before published in English. London 1664 (Volltext) – Übersetzung, anonym.
Sylva, or A discourse of forest-trees, and the propagation of timber. London 1664 (Digitalisat).
A parallel of the antient architecture with the modern in a collection of ten principal authors who have written upon the five orders […] to which is added an account of architects and architecture, in an historical and etymological explanation of certain tearms particularly affected by architects. With Leon Baptista Alberti’s treatise of statues […]. London 1664 (Volltext, Digitalisat) – Übersetzung von Roland Fréart de ChambraysParallèle de l’architecture antique avec la moderne.
Neuauflage: The whole body of antient and modern architecture. London 1680 (Digitalisat).
The pernicious consequences of the new heresie of the Jesuites against the King and the state by an advocate of Parliament. London 1666 (Volltext, Digitalisat) – Übersetzung von Pierre NicolesLes Pernicieuses conséquences de la nouvelle hérésie des jésuistes contre le Roy et contre l’Estat; anonym.
The English vineyard vindicated by John Rose gard’ner to His Majesty […] with an address where the best plants maybe had at easie rates. London 1666 (Volltext, Digitalisat) – anonym.
Publick employment and an active life prefer’d to solitude and all its appanages, such as fame, command, riches, conversation, &c. in reply to a late ingenious essay of a contrary title. London 1667 (Volltext, Digitalisat) – Erwiderung auf George Mackenzies (1636–1691) A moral essay, preferring solitude to publick employment.
An idea of the perfection of painting demonstrated from the principles of art, and by examples conformable to the observations which Pliny and Quintilian have made upon the most celebrated pieces of the antient painters, parallel'd with some works of the most famous modern painters, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Julio Romano, and N. Poussin […]. London 1668 (Volltext, Digitalisat) – Übersetzung von Roland Fréart de Chambrays Idée de la perfection de la peintvre.
The history of the three late, famous impostors, viz. Padre Ottomano, Mahomed Bei and Sabatai Sevi […] with a brief account of the ground and occasion of the present war between the Turk and the Venetian. Together with the cause of the final extirpation, destruction and exile of the Jews out of the Empire of Persia. London 1669 (Volltext, Digitalisat).
Historia De tribus hujus seculi famosis Impostoribus, Das ist Beschreibung der dreyen unlängst beruffenen Betriegere, Nehmlich des Padre Ottomanno Mahomed Bei oder Johann Michael Cigala, und Sabatai Sevi […] Nebenst einer kurtzen Erzehlung […] deß jetzigen Kriegs zwischen den Türcken und Venetianern, wobey angefüget, warumb die Jüden aus dem Persianischen Reiche gäntzlich außgerottet worden. 1669 (Digitalisat).
Navigation and commerce, their original and progress containing a succinct account of traffick in general; its benefits and improvements : of discoveries, wars, and conflicts at sea, from the original of navigation to this day, with special regard to the English nation : their several voyages and expeditions, to the beginning of our late differences with Holland : in which His Majesties title to the dominion of the sea is asserted, against the novel, and later pretenders. London 1674 (Volltext).
A philosophical discourse of earth relating to the culture and improvement of it for vegetation, and the propagation of plants, &c. as it was presented to the Royal Society, April 29, 1675. London 1676 (Digitalisat, Volltext).
2. Auflage. London 1678.
3. Auflage: Terra. A philosophical discourse of earth relating to the culture and improvement of it for vegetation, and the propagation of plants, &c. as it was presented to the Royal Society. London 1706.
Mundus muliebris: or, The ladies dressing-room unlock’d, and her toilette spread. In burlesque. Together with the fop-dictionary, compiled for the use of the fair sex. London 1690 (Volltext, Digitalisat) – anonym.
Numismata. A discourse of medals, ancient and modern together with some account of heads and effigies of illustrious, and famous persons in sculps, and taille-douce, of whom we have no medals extant, and of the use to be derived from them. To which is added a digression concerning physiognomy. London 1697 (Volltext, Digitalisat).
Acetaria. A Discourse of Sallets. London 1699 (Digitalisat).
An advertisement of a way of making more lively counterfaits of nature in wax, then are extant in painting: and a new kinde of maps in a low relievo; both practised in France. In: Philosophical Transactions. Band 1, Nr. 6, 6. November 1665, S. 99–100 (doi:10.1098/rstl.1665.0044).
A letter […] concerning the spanish sembrador or new engin for ploughing, and equal sowing at sorts of grain, and harrowing, at once. In: Philosophical Transactions. Band 5, Nr. 60, 20. Juni 1670, S. 1055–1057 (doi:10.1098/rstl.1670.0006).
An abstract of letter from the worsbipful John Evelyn Esq; sent to one of the secretaries of the R. society concerning the dammage to his gardens by the preceding Winter. In: Philosophical Transactions. Band 14, Nr. 158, 20. April 1684, S. 559–563 (doi:10.1098/rstl.1684.0025).
An account of divers schemes of arteries and veins, dissected from adult human bodies […]. In: Philosophical Transactions. Band 23, Nr. 280, 31. August 1702, S. 1177–1779 (doi:10.1098/rstl.1702.0022).
Sonstige
[The snow pits in Italy.] In: Robert Boyle: New Experiments and Observations Touching Cold or an Experimental History of Cold, Begun. London 1665, S. 407–409 (Digitalisat).
Panificium or the several manners of making bread in France where by universal consent the best bread in the world is eaten. In: John Houghton: A collection of letters for the improvement of husbandry and trade. Nr. 12, 1683, S. 127–136.
William Bray (Hrsg.): Memoirs, illustrative of the life and writings of John Evelyn […] comprising his diary, from the year 1641 to 1705–6, and a selection of his familiar letters […]. 2 Bände, Henry Colburn, London 1818.
2. Auflage. 2 Bände, Henry Colburn, London 1819 (Band 1, Band 2).
Mavis Batey (Hrsg.): A Celebration of John Evelyn. Proceedings of a Conference to Mark the Tercentenary of His Death. Surrey Gardens Trust, [West Byfleet, Surrey] 2007, ISBN 954-06-3023-1.
Douglas D. C. Chambers, David Galbraith (Hrsg.): The Letterbooks of John Evelyn. 2 Bände, University of Toronto Press, Toronto / Buffalo / London 2014, ISBN 978-1-4426-4786-2.
Gillian Darley: John Evelyn. Living for Ingenuity. Yale University Press, New Haven / London 2006, ISBN 0-300-11227-0 (Digitalisat).
John E. Ingram (Hrsg.): Elysium Britannicum or The Royal Gardens. University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia 2001, ISBN 0-8122-3536-3 (Digitalisat).
Geoffrey Keynes: John Evelyn. A Study in Bibliophily with a Bibliography of His Writing. 2. Auflage. Clarendon Press, Oxford 1968 (Digitalisat).
William Upcott (Hrsg.): The Miscellaneous Writings of John Evelyn, Esq., F. R. S. London 1825 (Digitalisat).
Therese O’Malley, Joachim Wolschke-Bulmahn (Hrsg.): John Evelyn’s „Elysium Britannicum“ and European gardening. Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, Washington, D.C. 1998, ISBN 0-88402-240-4.
Michael M. Repetzki (Hrsg.): John Evelyn’s translation of Titus Lucretius Carus „De rerum natura“ (= Münsteraner Monographien zur englischen Literatur Band 22). Lang, Frankfurt am Main u. a. 2000, ISBN 3-631-35881-4.