meech
Annotations and comments
meech has posted 34 annotations/comments since 14 December 2014.
The most recent first…
Daily entries from the 17th century London diary
meech has posted 34 annotations/comments since 14 December 2014.
The most recent first…
Comments
Second Reading
About Friday 26 December 1662
meech • Link
What Jenny said…that sounds like a Dutch oven. My husband used to cook like that with one on river trips. It’s a typical cast iron Dutch oven except the lid had a turned up edge to keep the coals on it He could made scrumptious peach cobbler in it, or (my favorite) enchiladas. You see why I married him.
About Thursday 25 December 1662
meech • Link
Thank you, Terry, for being persistent. So many of the original links are gone, I’m thrilled to have a ‘live’ one.
About Sunday 14 December 1662
meech • Link
To San Diego Sara, who’s to say, indeed. It is often not all that clear to me. But obviously no problem, as I’ve now read the entry for the 15th and the two had a lovely chat at supper the following evening. So all is well and your reading is correct. I just remember a year or so ago when she followed him that day out of the frustration of being left alone, so after the Gosnell affair I assumed the worst. But he obviously informed her of his plans. Good for him!
About Sunday 14 December 1662
meech • Link
I am a bit disturbed by today’s entry. So soon after the problems of Elizabeth’s loneliness, the coming of Gosnell, followed shortly by the going of Gosnell, makes me wonder at him, not only leaving her alone all day, but not even coming home that night. Hopefully she was aware that would happen and wasn’t up walking the floor picturing him run over by a wayward coach, or sinking through the cracked ice of the Thames. Someone said he took her to church in the morning, but I see no evidence of that. After lolling in bed would she have had time to get ready, what with Jane being a novice ladies maid. And, on those times she did go to church, didn’t she usually go to the afternoon service anyway? He did at least come home for dinner (lunch to me). He said the other day he had ‘contented’ her regarding all this. Hmm!? And if it was too nasty for him to try and make it home, wouldn’t it be too nasty for Wayneman? Although I guess servants were not allowed to be persnickety about such things. Perhaps this was all planned and known to her ahead of time and he has simply not informed us of that piece of information. I hope…
About Tuesday 25 November 1662
meech • Link
I find it ironic that although most of the links from the 2005 annotators are, sadly, no longer active, ‘raptureready’ from Australian Susan is still very much alive. That stuff never gets old.
About Friday 1 August 1662
meech • Link
Was just thinking the same thing. Especially when Australian Susan said “but men nowadays (I hope anyway) would not think they had the right to lunge at girls they fancied just because they were employees or otherwise in their control.”
About Wednesday 13 March 1660/61
meech • Link
A belated hank you, Terry, for updating the link...
About Friday 1 March 1660/61
meech • Link
A long delayed response regarding Sam' mother's health...
Instead of hypochondria, which is certainly a possibility, I have wondered if the poor thing was actually very sick with something, possibly terminal, and no one seemed to be taking it seriously. Not that anything could have been done about it if that were the case. She apparently had the same problem as Sam with stones, and did pass away a short five years after this entry. Brings to mind the popular headstone epitaph: "I told you I was sick!"
About Sunday 24 February 1660/61
meech • Link
Regarding "drunkenness"...
It's a matter of degrees, I think. In my parent's youth, the 30's and 40's, the alcohol flowed freely, and I'm talking about the hard stuff. No Cab or Chardonnay for them. Probably a reaction to Prohibition. Although from stories they've told it doesn't sound like there was much lessening of the flow even then. Having several high balls was fine as long as you could "handle your liquor". Looking back now I'm surprised at how much they drank, so by today's standards they and Sam imbibed overmuch, but in his case, that's all he had to drink. My parents generation didn't have that excuse. However he does occasionally overdo it, and has had a few bad mornings where he's been repentant, but in his mind this probably does not make him a drunkard. A 'drunkard' and 'drunkenness' may be something much worse to him than just having a hangover.
About Wednesday 12 December 1660
meech • Link
Never mind! I just re-read the passage. It was her children Pepys visited, so Lady Batten must still be in Woolwich with Elizabeth waiting for the weather to clear. Though still wondering what Lady Sandwich has to do with any of it.
About Wednesday 12 December 1660
meech • Link
"Troubled with the absence of my wife."
Now I'm really confused. It was my understanding that Samuel took his wife and Lady Batten to see the wreck of the Assurance. And that due to her fear Lady Batten stayed behind and kept Elizabeth with her when Samuel returned to London. Therefore I was confused when today he goes to visit Lady Batten who has obviously returned, yet Elizabeth is still missing. So I have two questions: Where is Elizabeth and when did Lady Sandwich get involved in this?
About Wednesday 5 December 1660
meech • Link
AND...although he does sometimes take her with him, he often leaves her somewhere, like his or her parents, and then goes off on his own. But there may be a perfectly good reason for all this. Just not sure what it could be.
About Wednesday 5 December 1660
meech • Link
A very late response to Mary House regarding SP not taking his wife to the play...
I think it is more that it is either the lifestyle at this point in time or at least Sam's lifestyle not to take his wife with him. As I'm sure you've noticed he takes her very few places. He goes to taverns and drinks with men, (although a few times there's been a wife present), to people's homes, including his family, and dines with them without her, to plays, to promenade Westminster Hall and get the latest gossip, etc., while Elizabeth is presumably at home. As I've said before, he lives as if he were single most of the time, and goes and does as he pleases. I can only hope she also has another life going for her. Or is she at home doing the wash and other household chores all the time?
About Thursday 18 October 1660
meech • Link
I agree, Ivan. By saying that he was ordering them "against to-morrow morning" gave me the impression that he was ordering them to wear to the executions.
About Tuesday 16 October 1660
meech • Link
I agree with Peter: "Consider the last few days from Elizabeth's perspective ......"
If the L&M translation is more accurate..."so home with him and from thence to the Cockpitt" it could mean that he came home and got Elizabeth and went to the play, although he doesn't mention her at all, and then for whatever reason he won't stay. So we are left wondering if he took her with him, if the three of them went, did he leave her there with Moore or by herself, or did she have to come home with him. Either way, his treatment of her comes across as shabby and indifferent. Cavalier, you might say. (Sorry.) But it was considered normal in his time. It was the way of the world up until very recently. And probably still is in some areas.
About Saturday 15 September 1660
meech • Link
Remember Sam's comment about Charles II causing problems for his staff because he was such an early riser. I believe he said that Charles arose at 5am daily.
About Saturday 18 August 1660
meech • Link
I am a little confused. Sam's father is a tailor. And yet he his having his clothes made by another tailor, and now we see Elizabeth has her own tailor, also not Pepys senior. Yet she apparently goes to senior for her petticoat. Understandable that a women would have a different tailor than a man, but one would think Sam would use his own father's services.
About Wednesday 1 August 1660
meech • Link
Regarding the lobster, it almost sounds as if he bought the lobster on the way home, but then ran into two friends buying sturgeon, so they all ate together. Makes me wonder if his original intention was to take it home to share with his wife. But even if not, it is another example of the irregularity of his comings and goings at home and makes me wonder how she would know when or whether to prepare something for his dinner. He conducts himself more like a single man than a married one, and seems to come and go as it suits him.
About Sunday 15 July 1660
meech • Link
Ivan - Sam mentioned showing his wife their new place on July 13th:
"So to the Navy office, and showed her my house, and were both mightily pleased at all things there, and so to my business."
At least that's how I interpreted it.
About Saturday 30 June 1660
meech • Link
No one has mentioned the letter from Mr. Turner. Sounds like, instead of trying to buy him off, he's trying to buy in to Sam's new position, with a further promise of help to keep Barlow off. Am I reading this correctly?