His seate was at Missenden in the county of Bucks, where his descendents still remaine.
[944]John Fletcher, invited to goe with a knight into Norfolke or Suffolke in the plague-time 1625, stayd but to make himselfe a suite of cloathes; fell sick of the plague, and dyed.
[945]Mr. John Fletcher, poet: in the great plague, 1625, a knight of Norfolk (or Suffolke) invited him into the countrey. He stayed but to make himselfe a suite of cloathes, and while it was makeing, fell sick of the plague and dyed[946]. This I had (1668) from his tayler, who is now a very old man, and clarke of St. Mary Overy's.
[947]John Florio was borne in London in the beginning of king Edward VI, his father and mother flying from the Valtolin ('tis about Piedmont or Savoy) to London for religion: Waldenses.----The family is originally of Siena, where the name is to this day.
King Edward dying, upon the persecution of queen Mary, they fled back again into their owne countrey, where he was educated.
Afterwards he came into England, and was by king James made 'informator' to prince Henry for the Italian and French tongues, and clarke to the closet to queen Anne.
First and second fruits, being two books of the instruction to learne the Italian tongue:
He dyed of the great plague at Fulham anno 1625.
[948]Edward Ford[949], esquire, printed 5 or 6 sheetes in 4to--Mr. Edmund Wyld haz it--
'A designe for bringing a river from Rickmansworth in Hartfordshire to St. Gyles in the fields, the benefits of it declared and the objections against it answered, by Edward Ford of Harting in Sussex, esq., London, printed for John Clarke, 1641.' Memorandum that now (1681/2) London is growne so populous and big that the new river of Middleton can serve the pipes to private houses but twice a weeke, quod N. B.
I beleeve this was afterwards Sir Edward Ford, quondam a gentleman commoner of Trinity College, Oxon: de quo vide in prima parte A. W.
Vide in my trunke of papers a printed sheet of his of....
['Twas[950] he built the high water-house over against Somerset howse, pulled downe since the restauration because a nusance.]
[951]'Experimental proposalls how the king may have money to pay and maintaine his fleetes with ease to the people, London may be re-built and all proprietors satisfied, money be lent at 6 _li._ per cent on pawnes, and the fishing trade sett-up; and all without strayning or thwarting any of our lawes or customes,' by Sir Edward Forde, London, printed by W. Godbid, 1666--a 4to pamphlet.