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Brief Lives, Vol. 2

Chapter 13: Note.
By John Aubrey
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BiographiesBritish LiteratureHistory - Early Modern (c. 1450-1750)

About This Book

A collection of concise biographical sketches of contemporaries and earlier figures recorded by an antiquarian observer, combining factual entries—births, offices, publications, and inscriptions—with personal anecdotes, hearsay, heraldic and parish-register notes, bibliographic references, and occasional critical judgments. Entries range from terse records to extended reminiscences, often citing documentary sources or witness statements, and reflect an informal, detail-driven approach aimed at preserving lives, reputations, and local traditions for reference and remembrance.

George Johnson (1625/6-1683).

[31]It pleased God at Whitsuntide last to bereave me of a deare, usefull, and faithfull friend Mr. Johnson who had the reversion of the place of Master of the Rolles; who generously, for friendship and neighbourhood sake (we were borne the same weeke and within 4 miles and educated together), gave me the graunt to be one of his secretaries—which place is worth 500 li. per annum. He was a strong lustie man and died of a malignant fever, infected by the earl of Abington's brother, making of his will. It was such an opportunity that I shall never have the like again.

[B]George Johnson, esq., borne at Bowdon parke, March the sixth 1625/6; respondet that he remembers his mother sayed 'twas just at noone. His mother was three dayes in labour with him.

Fever at Bowdon about 1669; quaere R. Wiseman.

Fever, most dangerous, at London Nov. and Dec, 1677.

Burghesse of Devises, 166-; made one of the judges of Ludlow, ...; maried about 1660; reader of the Middle Temple,....

Mr. Vere Bertie[32] was his chamber-fellowe in anno 1655, the wintertime, which was his rise.

My honoured and kind friend George Johnson, esq., died at his house at Bowdon-lodge, of an ague and feaver on the 28th of May[33] at 10h A.M., being Whit-munday,

cujus animae propitietur Deus.

His death is an extraordinary losse to me, for that had he lived to have been Master of the Rolles I had been one of his secretarys, worth 600 li. +:—sed fiat voluntas Domini.

He went from London the Monday before; came home Tuesday; ill that night. Thursday pretty well. Fell ill again of an intermitting fever and died.

Note.

[B] Anthony Wood notes:—'you do not set downe the yeare that Mr. Johnson died.' In 1683 Whitmonday fell on May 28. The reversion of the Mastership of the Rolls was granted to Johnson Aug. 15, 1667, but Sir Harbottle Grimston, appointed Nov. 3, 1660, did not die till Jan. 2, 1684/5.