John Unthank

6 Annotations

First Reading

Phil Gyford  •  Link

Unthank was Elizabeth Pepys' tailor, and he had a large shop at Charing Cross.

Second Reading

Sasha Clarkson  •  Link

Unthank is an interesting name: there are a few hamlets/small villages named Unthank in the North of England; there's even an Unthank Hall. However, I suspect that more people live in Norwich's Unthank Road than in all of the other places put together.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unt…

According to Ancestry, the meaning derives from Old English unthanc ‘without consent’, i.e. a squatter’s holding.

Louise Hudson  •  Link

There was a boy in my high school graduating class (in New Jersey) whose name was Unthank. I thought it was an unusual name at the time but I never looked into its origins. it's interesting to know that it's prevalent in the North of England. I have never come across the name other than that one boy, and, of course, in Pepys' diary.

Arthur Waley  •  Link

You might be interested in Rachel and Becky Unthank from the north of England who perform with their band - The Unthanks. They started off as singers of traditional songs, but their repertoire has become much more eclectic. They are much-loved in this house.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Barbara Villiers Palmer, Countess of Castlemaine also used Unthank's. Nothing but the best for Elizabeth.

Map  •  Link

Yes the Unthanks do some of the music in the wonderful tv show Detectorists by Mackenzie Crook and when I first heard of them didn’t think that was a surname but instead a “made up name” as bands often fo
So interesting to have seen this and now wondering whether the members of the Unthanks band might be related to Pepys tailor

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References

Chart showing the number of references in each month of the diary’s entries.

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1669