I concur: The phrase "upon the leads." does mean on the roof. Could "into the leads" be a typo for onto or unto? One doesn't go out IN the tiles/leads, but ON.
Leads and leads: The text says "INTO the leads" (pronounced leeds) rather than "ONTO the leads" (pronounced leds) That is what made me think that, here anyway, he was talking about an alley rather than the roof. I haven't read ahead, so I may have got hold of the wrong end of the stick.
"Madame Palmer, a pretty woman that they have a fancy to, to make her husband a cuckold": The link shows how prescient Pepys was. A "woman of easy virtue" by any century's standards.
"I did give him two pieces, after which it was strange how civil and tractable he was to me. " I love how the sarcasm drips from Pepys' writing at times like this. A strand of British humour that continued through Oscar Wilde and Fawlty Towers to Blackadder and The Office.
A couple of typos: Gutenburg scan errors? night-down = night-gown recepi = receipt.
Dockett is used today (as docket) in Britain to mean a record of work done (timesheet) or generally as "paperwork". Here it means "An abstract of the contents of proposed letters patent, written on the monarch's bill which authorized their preparation and copied into a register” (SOED)
A short history of Seething Lane: Restoration London by Liza Picard has a short history of the Pepys household site in Seething lane from 1303 to 1673. Pages 21-22 of Pheonix Press paperback edition (2002)
Oxbridge MA/BAs: I always thought it was because a BA from Oxbridge was worth an MA from any other University... so why not call it an MA? (No, I am not an Oxbridge graduate!)
Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose: "...the Half Moon, and the house so full that we staid above half an hour before we could get anything." After 343 years, pubs still don't have enough staff to serve everyone during busy times!
Revenge is sweet: On 3rd Feb we read "...I went to see Mrs. Ann, who began very high about a flock bed I sent her, but I took her down.." 6Th February: "Mrs. Ann, ... she and I had a very high bout". There are several other entries in a similar vein where Pepys and Mrs Ann "have words" Then today: "...and there took money and paid Mrs. Anne, Mrs. Jemima's maid, off…”. I assume to pay someone off means the same as today, i.e. pay them their wages and notice pay to date, and get rid of them. His position now with Montague means he can hire and fire fairly senior servants of his boss (and settle old scores!)
Re: Jane, the wench. As Pepys refers to her as "Our wench" not "The wench" it would seem he is using it affectionately rather than in any derogatory sense. He is obviously worried about her lameness, as he mentions it twice in the same entry. Whether that is because they can't manage without her, ("we cannot tell what to do for want of her") or for more altruistic reasons, is debatable.
Can be seen slightly more clearly on this 1746 map: http://www.motco.com/MapImages/81… In fact two are shown: St Andrews Wardrobe and Wardrobe C. The former is off Puddle Dock hill, so relates more closely to Pepys saying that he went "to Puddlewharf, to the Wardrobe"
Puddle Wharf/dock: Can be seen on this 1827 map just down from Blackfriars bridge (didn't exist in 1660) http://users.bathspa.ac.uk/greenw…
Or on the 1746 map here http://www.motco.com/MapImages/81… right next to Dung Wharf (there's a name to conjure with) The King's Wardrobe can also be seen close by.
"Puddle" is probably puddle clay used for lining canals and dams, or it could be puddled steel.
Changing Money: Although it wouldn't be possible to go to the Bureau de Change on the corner, I would expect there would be a steady trade in changing money. Britain was then a trading nation, so foreign currency would be commonplace as payment for goods delivered overseas. Coinage was made from gold and silver (no real banknotes yet) so a simple exchange mechanism would be to exchange a given weight of foreign coins for the same weight of British coins (minus the exchanger's commission.) This of course assumes that the metals have equal purity. The government/King, through the Mint, guaranteed the purity of Sterling silver used for coinage (hence the familiar name of Sterling for the British currency.) Other trading countries would have a similar system. In reality, I suspect there were fixed exchange rates based on the amount of noble metal in each country's coins.
The Trinty house corporation has been responsible for safety around the coast of Britain since it was constituted under a Royal Charter granted by Henry VIII in 1514. Now famous for its lighthouses. Link here: http://www.trinityhouse.co.uk/ but the history is a bit sparse.
Comments
First Reading
About Friday 13 July 1660
Grahamt • Link
I concur:
The phrase "upon the leads." does mean on the roof. Could "into the leads" be a typo for onto or unto? One doesn't go out IN the tiles/leads, but ON.
About Friday 13 July 1660
Grahamt • Link
Leads and leads:
The text says "INTO the leads" (pronounced leeds) rather than "ONTO the leads" (pronounced leds) That is what made me think that, here anyway, he was talking about an alley rather than the roof. I haven't read ahead, so I may have got hold of the wrong end of the stick.
About Friday 13 July 1660
Grahamt • Link
"Madame Palmer, a pretty woman that they have a fancy to, to make her husband a cuckold":
The link shows how prescient Pepys was. A "woman of easy virtue" by any century's standards.
About Friday 13 July 1660
Grahamt • Link
a door made me into the leads:
Lead: A (garden) path; an alley. L16. (SOED)
About Friday 13 July 1660
Grahamt • Link
"I did give him two pieces, after which it was strange how civil and tractable he was to me. "
I love how the sarcasm drips from Pepys' writing at times like this. A strand of British humour that continued through Oscar Wilde and Fawlty Towers to Blackadder and The Office.
About Friday 13 July 1660
Grahamt • Link
Camlett:
a costly eastern fabric. Later, a light cloth used for cloaks etc., made of various materials
(SOED)
About Friday 13 July 1660
Grahamt • Link
A couple of typos:
Gutenburg scan errors?
night-down = night-gown
recepi = receipt.
Dockett is used today (as docket) in Britain to mean a record of work done (timesheet) or generally as "paperwork". Here it means "An abstract of the contents of proposed letters patent, written on the monarch's bill which authorized their preparation and copied into a register” (SOED)
About Seething Lane
Grahamt • Link
A short history of Seething Lane:
Restoration London by Liza Picard has a short history of the Pepys household site in Seething lane from 1303 to 1673.
Pages 21-22 of Pheonix Press paperback edition (2002)
About Flageolet
Grahamt • Link
I bought a tin/penny whistle for my son, some years ago...
... and it was referred to as a flageolot throughout all the documentation.
About Sunday 8 July 1660
Grahamt • Link
Oxbridge MA/BAs:
I always thought it was because a BA from Oxbridge was worth an MA from any other University... so why not call it an MA? (No, I am not an Oxbridge graduate!)
About Friday 6 July 1660
Grahamt • Link
Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose:
"...the Half Moon, and the house so full that we staid above half an hour before we could get anything."
After 343 years, pubs still don't have enough staff to serve everyone during busy times!
About Monday 2 July 1660
Grahamt • Link
Club in this sense is not as obsolete as OED says:
It is still common to say to "club together" to pay for something in common.
About Saturday 30 June 1660
Grahamt • Link
Revenge is sweet:
On 3rd Feb we read "...I went to see Mrs. Ann, who began very high about a flock bed I sent her, but I took her down.."
6Th February: "Mrs. Ann, ... she and I had a very high bout".
There are several other entries in a similar vein where Pepys and Mrs Ann "have words"
Then today: "...and there took money and paid Mrs. Anne, Mrs. Jemima's maid, off…”. I assume to pay someone off means the same as today, i.e. pay them their wages and notice pay to date, and get rid of them. His position now with Montague means he can hire and fire fairly senior servants of his boss (and settle old scores!)
About Friday 29 June 1660
Grahamt • Link
Re: Jane, the wench.
As Pepys refers to her as "Our wench" not "The wench" it would seem he is using it affectionately rather than in any derogatory sense. He is obviously worried about her lameness, as he mentions it twice in the same entry. Whether that is because they can't manage without her, ("we cannot tell what to do for want of her") or for more altruistic reasons, is debatable.
About King's Great Wardrobe
Grahamt • Link
Can be seen slightly more clearly on this 1746 map:
http://www.motco.com/MapImages/81…
In fact two are shown: St Andrews Wardrobe and Wardrobe C. The former is off Puddle Dock hill, so relates more closely to Pepys saying that he went "to Puddlewharf, to the Wardrobe"
About Tuesday 26 June 1660
Grahamt • Link
Puddle Wharf/dock:
Can be seen on this 1827 map just down from Blackfriars bridge (didn't exist in 1660)
http://users.bathspa.ac.uk/greenw…
Or on the 1746 map here http://www.motco.com/MapImages/81… right next to Dung Wharf (there's a name to conjure with) The King's Wardrobe can also be seen close by.
"Puddle" is probably puddle clay used for lining canals and dams, or it could be puddled steel.
About Wednesday 20 June 1660
Grahamt • Link
Changing Money:
Although it wouldn't be possible to go to the Bureau de Change on the corner, I would expect there would be a steady trade in changing money. Britain was then a trading nation, so foreign currency would be commonplace as payment for goods delivered overseas.
Coinage was made from gold and silver (no real banknotes yet) so a simple exchange mechanism would be to exchange a given weight of foreign coins for the same weight of British coins (minus the exchanger's commission.) This of course assumes that the metals have equal purity. The government/King, through the Mint, guaranteed the purity of Sterling silver used for coinage (hence the familiar name of Sterling for the British currency.) Other trading countries would have a similar system.
In reality, I suspect there were fixed exchange rates based on the amount of noble metal in each country's coins.
About Robert Bowyer
Grahamt • Link
Huntsmore/moor revisited:
Discussion about Huntsmore here - http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1… with link to aerial photo
About King's Lynn
Grahamt • Link
A little more on King's Lynn here:
http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo…
About Trinity House, Deptford
Grahamt • Link
The Trinty house corporation has been responsible for safety around the coast of Britain since it was constituted under a Royal Charter granted by Henry VIII in 1514. Now famous for its lighthouses.
Link here: http://www.trinityhouse.co.uk/ but the history is a bit sparse.