Thursday 24 March 1663/64
Called up by my father, poor man, coming to advise with me about Tom’s house and other matters, and he being gone I down by water to Greenwich, it being very-foggy, and I walked very finely to Woolwich, and there did very much business at both yards, and thence walked back, Captain Grove with me talking, and so to Deptford and did the like- there, and then walked to Redriffe (calling and eating a bit of collops and eggs at Half-way house), and so home to the office, where we sat late, and home weary to supper and to bed.
16 Annotations
First Reading
Terry F • Link
"And thence walked back, Captain Grove with me, talking;"
Punctuation being "almost all editorial," as L&M remind us, their comma clarifies.
Ruben • Link
...down by water to Greenwich,... and I walked very finely to Woolwich,... and thence walked back, and so to Deptford..., and then walked to Redriffe..., and so home to the office...
A lot of walking. Sex. Sprigtime. Good for your health.
Australian Susan • Link
Sam sounds tired today as if the stresses and strains of the past week or so have caught up with him. No bereavement leave for him.
Martin • Link
"where we sat late"
I'm sure this has been covered before, but what exactly is meant by these "sittings" at the office? Sam often says "we sat til noon", "we sat til night", "we sat late", etc. Does mean they are having meetings, or something else?
Xjy • Link
Added an etymological note on "collops".
language hat • Link
And a good one, too!
JWB • Link
Zee hacken die fleisch und cloppen zugedder, und denn zee dollop ein eirer getoppen und zee getten collopen, nicht war?
Terry F • Link
"my father...coming to advise with me about Tom's house"
This had been the house-with-tailor-shop-in-front in St. Bride's parish, off Fleet St., that John, the paterfamilias, had himself succeeded his master in - had owned and occupied, with his wife Margaret & family, during his time in the trade. Not a light-hearted matter for him, for sure. Who will take possession of the place? John, Jr., perhaps?
tel • Link
"where we sat late"
Martin, I raised the same question a while ago. The concensus was that it referred to the Navy Board's meeting, formal or casual, discussing business.
Australian Susan • Link
Did Sam's dad actually own the freehold of this property? Or was it rented? What rights did they have in it?
Terry F • Link
I too wondered, Australian Susan. In what capacity John, Sr., and Tom Pepys paid chimney-tax on the house is unclear from the L&M Companion. Age 60, Papa moved to Brampton in 1661 as soon as he inherited it from his brother Robert; now the controlling interest in the London house apparently reverts to him on Tom's death. I wonder still.
Robert Gertz • Link
I would imagine John Sr. plans to sell off or rent the house to pay Tom's debts and with luck slightly improve the financial situation at Brampton. Neither Sam or John Jr. being much interested in the tailoring profession it would be rather a waste not to pass it on to a tailoring man.
Second Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
"to Woolwich, and there did very much business at both yards"
Sc. the dockyard and the ropeyard. (L&M footnote)
San Diego Sarah • Link
Friday 18 December 1663
"... and down to Woolwich, calling at Ham Creeke, ... and so to the Ropeyarde and Docke, discoursing several things, and so back again and did the like at Deptford, and I find that it is absolutely necessary for me to do thus once a weeke at least all the yeare round, which will do me great good, ..."
Pepys hasn't been able to do this once a week, but he is certainly there more frequently than last year. I suspect he is trying to create a sense of urgency and excellence so they will be "ship shape" when preparations for war finally occur. (I'm thinking of the long ride he took with Coventry last year to Chatham when they did good-cop-bad-cop on poor old Pett. I see Pepys is getting more in-put from Coventry these days than from Sandwich.) http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
Sasha Clarkson • Link
Who owned the Pepys house in Fleet St/Salisbury Court?
We now know that John Sr had a lease on the property from its landlord, Edward Franke, and would go on to sub-let it. A leaseholder has more rights - and obligations - than a mere tenant.
http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo…
http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo…
The area was rebuilt after the Great Fire, but it's worth a look on Google Street View. Pepys was brought up right next to St Bride's Church.
Chris Squire UK • Link
Re: ‘ . . I walked very finely to Woolwich . . ’
This seems to be some mix of:
‘finely, adv. . .
5. With reference to action, speech, etc.: with subtlety or delicacy. Also: in a refined manner; elegantly.
. . 1710 T. Hearne Remarks & Coll. (1886) II. 369 In ye City of Rome they spoke more finely..than in Provinces . . ‘
‘6. a. In a manner that elicits admiration; admirably; excellently.
. . 1661 S. Pepys Diary 19 May (1970) II. 103 Captain Cooke, Mr. Gibbons, and others of the King's Musique were come to present my Lord with some songs and Symphonys, which were performed very finely . . ‘
and:
‘ . . b. ironically. Cf. fine adj. 7c.
. . 1694 R. South 12 Serm. II. 613, I doubt not but you will find that Kingdom..finely governed in a short time . . ‘
(OED)