William Joyce (jun.)

6 Annotations

First Reading

Paul Miller  •  Link

Pepys Mother's nieces Mary and Kate Fenner married two brothers William and Anthony Joyce who Pepys considered "dull company and impertinent". They both laughed at the idea that the King might bestow knighthood on Pepys and Samuel had to assist them both from trouble in the course of the diary. Samuel's brother Tom described their Joyce cousins "they are sometimes all honey with one another and then all turd".

vicente  •  Link

the Diary excerts are v. interesting "...W. Joyce talking after the old rate and drinking hard, vexed his father and mother and wife..." jan 26 60
"...how W. Joyce would the other day have Mr. Pierce and his wife to the tavern after they were gone from my house, and that he had so little manners as to make Tom pay his share notwithstanding that he went upon his account,...........
I did this time show so much coldness to W. Joyce that I believe all the table took notice of it.............
I home with my father, he telling me what bad wives both my cozen Joyces make to their husbands, which I much wondered at.
.... In comes Will Joyce to us drunk, and in a talking vapouring humour of his state, and I know not what, which did vex me cruelly..."

Pauline  •  Link

some bits from L&M Companion
William and his brother Anthony were tallow chandlers. He and his brother "were made free of the Leathersellers' by patrimony in 1654, and inherited their father's business. William, the elder, conducted his trade from the Eagle and Child on Snow Hill, near the Holborn conduit, probably his father's premises (rated at seven hearths). He seeems to have prospered; in 1665 he had a house in Russell St, Covent Garden, and in the poll-tax of 1667 paid tax on three servants. His landlords on Snow Hill, the Saddlers' Company, had to force him by legal action to rebuild after the Fire."

Second Reading

Holly Minogue  •  Link

''...sometimes all honey with one another and then all turd,'' excellent (perhaps lack of) character description of Pepys' cousins-in-law. This illuminates the diary's account; ''When it became dark. they all went away but Mr. Pierce and W. Joyce and their wifes and Tom, and drank a bottle of wine afterwards, so that Will did heartily anger his father and mother by staying. At which I and my wife were very much pleased (26-27 Jan, 1660).''
Pepys' brother also colours the narrative of W. Joyce's concluding actions from the previous night; ''To my father's for supper, where I heard by my brother Tom how W. Joyce would the other day have Mr. Pierce and his wife to the tavern after they were gone from my house, and he had so little manner as to make Tom pay his share, notwithstanding that he went upon his account (28-30 Jan, 1660).''

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