Louise Hudson

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Louise Hudson has posted 508 annotations/comments since 9 November 2013.

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Third Reading

About Saturday 11 January 1661/62

Louise Hudson  •  Link

"My brother Tom came to me, and he and I to Mr. Turner the Draper’s . . ."

Interesting that he misplaces his apostrophes, just like we do 464 years later. Some things never change.

About Friday 3 January 1661/62

Louise Hudson  •  Link

"So in the 3 days since resolving to find a wife for Tom, control his profligate spending and abstain from plays and wine, . ."

Having a wife doesn't seem to have controlled Sam's profligate spending nor control his going to plays and drinking wine. Why would he think it would for Tom?

About Wednesday 1 January 1661/62

Louise Hudson  •  Link

I doubt Sam had any intention of taking Elizabeth to the play. He never mentioned her regarding the play and didn't say anything about her not going when he left. After whacking her in the face I should think he'd offer some compensation. But no.

About Thursday 21 November 1661

Louise Hudson  •  Link

"it being the first afternoon that we have sat, which we are now to do always, so long as the Parliament sits, who this day have voted the King 120,000 l. 1 to be raised to pay his debts."

The more things change the more they stay the same,

About Thursday 10 October 1661

Louise Hudson  •  Link

Telling that he counts his sixth wedding night. Not THEIR sixth wedding anniversary but HIS sixth wedding night! Perhaps Elizabeth wasn't there.

About Tuesday 4 June 1661

Louise Hudson  •  Link

I like the phrase, “The houses did not like us.” I’ve been in many houses that didn’t like me! I know exactly what Pepys meant.

About Sunday 27 January 1660/61

Louise Hudson  •  Link

I suspect Elizabeth was suffering from endometriosis. She’s had continuous menstrual problems, according to Pepys. That would explain her menstrual pain and her inability to get pregnant. The condition was unidentified in the 1600s. There are treatments for it now, unheard of then.

About Tuesday 1 January 1660/61

Louise Hudson  •  Link

£300 in 1660 would be worth about $70,000 today.

A father could be much more cavalier about a dead child than a mother who would have been physically close to the child from birth. Fathers probably paid very little attention to babies and children until perhaps when they were ready for school, and then only sons.
Apparently it didn’t occur to Anthony to stay with the mother of their only child to comfort her in her grief.

About Monday 19 November 1660

Louise Hudson  •  Link

I suspect that Elizabeth didn’t trust the maid to handle boiling water right. Imagine what would happen if it boiled over. She was probably too anxious to sleep.