"Today, yellow pencils are just normal, generic pencils, but when they were popularized in the late 19th century, they were considered the height of luxury. Before then, lacquered pencils were often a sign of low-quality wood that needed to be covered up, and they were usually finished in darker colors such as black or maroon. A decent pencil would either be plain or varnished wood. But that all changed with the introduction of luxury pencils made with the finest, purest graphite, which came from a mine on the border of China and Siberia. "The German pencil manufacturer Faber (now Faber-Castell) was the first company to get its hands on graphite from the region, and it allowed for extremely fine-tuned pencil formulas, with 16 different degrees of hardness and softness. ... "The Koh-I-Noor 1500 pencil hit the market in 1888, and, even with the higher price tag, it was a smash hit. Other pencil companies, particularly those eager to associate themselves with Asian graphite, also started painting their pencils yellow; by 1895, even Faber had a “Yellow Siberian” pencil. ..." https://historyfacts.com/science-…
So graphite is long after Pepys. He probably used charcoal with an unfinished wood surround.
Believe it or not, L&M Companion has no biography of My Lady Jemima.
WikiTree says Jemima "Countess of Sandwich" Montagu, formerly Crew Born 17 July, 1625 in Steane, Northamptonshire, England Ancestors: Daughter of John (Crewe) Crew and Jemima (Waldegrave) Crew Sister of Thomas Crew, Nathaniel Crew and Anne (Crewe) Wright
Wife of Edward Montagu MP — married 7 Nov 1642 in St Margaret, Westminster, Middlesex, England
Descendants: Mother of Jemima (Montagu) Carteret, Edward Montagu, Paulina Montagu, Sidney (Montagu) Wortley-Montagu, Anne Montagu, John Montagu, Oliver Montagu, Charles Montagu MP, Katherine (Montagu) Gardeman and James Montagu Died 1674 at about age 48 in Cotehele, Cornwall, England (see my annotation above)
The Earl and Counterss of Montagu are ancestors of William, Prince of Wales.
It then quotes bits from the Diary:
The Diary of Samuel Pepys 5 January 1660 "Then my wife and I, it being a great frost, went to Mrs Jem's to eat a sac-posset, but, Mr Edward not coming, it was put off."
12 August 1661 "At home in the afternoon and had notice that my Lord Hinchingbrooke is fallen ill, which I fear is with the fruit that I did give them on Saturday last at my house: so in the evening I went thither and there found him very ill, and in great fear of small-pox. I supped with my Lady, and did consult about him, but we find it best to let him lie where he do."
28 May 1665 "Thence to my Lady Sandwich's, where, to my shame, I had not been a great while before. Here, upon my telling her a story of my Lord Rochester's running away on Friday night last with Mrs Mallet, ..."
"Great regret is felt over this unexpected accident as it may hold up their plans against Algiers, which admit of no delay, in view of the overweening arrogance of those pirates, whose audacity alarms and troubles all Christian princes and threatens great disorders, if God does not provide a remedy before they take firmer root."
Algiers was basically ungovernable. According to Wiki, the Eyala / Pasha / Governor nominally was Ramadam Agha, but when I searched for information about him, this came up: "The Eyala of Algiers has been in a preliminary and fundamental phase since 1659, when the leaders of the sea and the Diwan of Soldiers rejected the pasha system. This prompted the Ottoman Caliphate to pledge non-interference in Algeria, by submitting a royal proclamation proclaiming the Sublime Porte's abstention to send a governor to Algeria, saying, "We will not send you a governor, pledge allegiance to whomever you wish."
"As a result, the Janissaries office at the Eyala raced to pick Khalil Agha (1659-1660) as the reigning authority's representative. The latter attempted to implement new procedures for the Agha's authority, while Ramadan Agha (1660-1661) attempted to implement a system for the distribution of marine spoils and prizes for regular troops in order to raise their income level and regulate their movements.
"Those who succeeded in reigning after Ramadan Agha experienced assassinations and internal turmoil during their reigns. Which caused the navy leaders to descend on the scene and participate in the fall of Ali Agha in 1671." https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
Buckden (near Brampton and mentioned in Uncle Robert's will).
Two factors helped shape the character of the village. The first was Buckden Palace that was the residence of the Bishop of Lincoln and would have provided many of the villagers with employment and interest down the ages. The second was the Great North Road that used to run through the middle of the village. It was an established main road from London to the North at the time of the Conquest (and, of course, the one used by the Bishops of Lincoln; hence their palace).
In September 1661 Sam and Elizabeth rode home from Brampton by the westerly route (aka the Great North Road): Brampton, Buckden, St Neots, Biggleswade, Baldock, Stevenage, Welwyn, Hatfield, Barnet, Highgate, Holloway. L&M Companion details 3 usual routes, the most easterly via Cambridge and the middle route with two Cambridge options. (I'll post them when/if I find them.) https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
Sir George Carteret, an impeccable royalist whose service at sea had begun under King Charles and who had held Jersey for him, was appointed treasurer in 1662. He had official lodgings at Whitehall, a house in Pall Mall, another at Deptford and a country mansion near Windsor, and he was the highest paid,with 2,000l. a year and the right to three pence in every pound he handled -- this was a remnant of the old way of doing things. He was also on Charles II's Privy Council at least in the early days of the Diary https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
APPOINTMENT DATES: 1660 13 July Pepys, S. 1660 4 July Berkeley of Stratton, Lord 1660 4 July Penn, Sir W. 1662 14 May Coventry, Hon. W. 1664 7 Dec. Brouncker, Viscount 1665 20 Jan. Harvey, Sir T. 1667 16 Jan. Brouncker, Viscount 1667 25 Nov. Middleton, T.
There were also Commissioners at some of the major dockyards, like Commissioner William Pett at Chatham, and Gen. Thomas Middleton at Portsmouth. They don't appear to be covered by BHO.
And, like Carteret, the London Navy Commissioners were given free housing on site. Plus they were expected to supplement their salaries with commissions, as a sign of being savvy business people. But not too much in commissions or there would be consequences. Pepys frequently takes care to document how he saved the King money, while discreetly adding a few feathers to his private nest.
Ther Navy Board maintains the Navy, the Admiralty wages war. They work closely together with many shared interests, but have vastly different functions.
"There was also two occasions more of difference at the table; the one being to make out a bill to Captain Smith for his salary abroad as commander-in-chief in the Streights. Sir J. Minnes did demand an increase of salary for his being Vice-Admiral in the Downes, he having received but 40s. without an increase, when Sir J. Lawson, in the same voyage, had 3l., and others have also had increase, only he, because he was an officer of the board, was worse used than any body else, and particularly told Sir W. Batten that he was the opposer formerly of his having an increase, which I did wonder to hear him so boldly lay it to him. So we hushed up the dispute, and offered, if he would, to examine precedents, and report them, if there was any thing to his advantage to be found, to the Duke."
L&M Companion: £2 a day was the normal daily rate at this time for a vice-admiral. Mennes had been Commander-in-Chief in the Downs in the winter of 1661-2; Lawson in that of 1662-3. The authority quoted is Tanner's 'Pepys and the Navy'. [40s. is £2.] https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/… and https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
Of course, Mennes also had his salary from being an Officer of the Navy Board.
British History Online has a whole section devoted to the evolution of the Navy Board. A few highlights which concern the Diary years: https://www.british-history.ac.uk…
Throughout the period 1660-1832 the members of the Navy Board were known both singly and collectively as Principal Officers and Commissioners of the Navy. (fn. 1) Until 1796 the Board was usually composed of officials of theoretically equal standing, some of whom supervised the conduct of specific areas of business, and some of whom, known as Extra Commissioners or Commissioners at Large, performed general duties. In 1660 the Board was composed of a Controller, a Surveyor, a Clerk of the Acts and two Extra Commissioners. (fn. 2) From then until 1686 its composition changed regularly and the number of its members fluctuated between 5 and 10. The Controller, Surveyor and Clerk of the Acts (fn. 3) were permanent members. In 1667 the offices of Controller of Treasurer's Accounts and Controller of Victualling Accounts were created to relieve the Controller of two of his duties, (fn. 4) ... From one to four Extra Commissioners were employed in the years 1660-8 and 1672-82.
In 1660 salaries of £500 were made available to the Controller and the Extra Commissioners, of £490 to the Surveyor and of £350 to the Clerk of the Acts. (fn. 27)
There were 4 principal officer positions in the Navy Board when it began in 1660: Treasurer — Sir George Carteret. for his salary, see below. Comptroller — Sir Robert Slingsby (followed by Sir John Mennes when Slingsby died within a year). Surveyor — Sir William Batten. Clerk of the Acts — Pepys.
October 13. Sunday. This night was the last of 3 night's rejoicing in Tangier for the match with Portugal. The town fired all their guns every night and hung out abundance of torches of light. All our ships in the road fired every night also, my own ship 15 guns and the rest proportionably.
On Saturday night there came in a Newfoundland ship that had touched at Cadiz; said before noon he met the Colchester off St. Peter's Island. He also gave me the first advice that de Ruyter with 14 sail of ships was gone up the Straits, 4 sail having been sent in many days before.
Copied from The Journal of Edward Mountagu, First Earl of Sandwich Admiral and General-at-Sea 1659 - 1665
Edited by RC Anderson Printed for the Navy Records Society MDCCCCXXIX
Extract from a longer entry about the working conditions of Scottish coal miners and salt makers:
In 1606, it was statute and ordained, under a penalty of £100, that no person within the realm should hire or employ colliers, coal bearers, or salters, unless furnished with a sufficient testimonial from the master whom he had last served; and further, "that sae mony colliers, coal bearers, and salters," as without such testimonial received such "fore wages and fees, should be esteemed, repute, and holden as thieves and punished in their bodies" ...
This Act, however stringent as it may seem, was found insufficient; there was a class of persons employed in the pits whom it did not include; and so in 1661, it was further enacted, "that because watermen, who lave and draw water in the coal-heugh-heads, and gatesmen who work the ways and passages in the said heughs, are as necessary to the owners and masters of the said coal heugha as the coal hewers and coal bearers, it is therefore statute and ordained, that they should come under exactly the same penalties as the others, in the event of quitting their masters without certificate; and that it should be equally illegal, in the lack of such a document, for any person to employ them."
But even that was not considered sufficient. The poor coaI worker, discontented and miserable, grumbled at his lot, and wanted wages; but such an unreasonable demand, while it was nominally complied with, was practically denied, for it was further enacted that it should "not be lawful for any coal master in the kingdom to give any greater fee than the sum of twenty merks in fee or bountith" — a clause which, according to the interpretation of Lord James, fixed the large sum of 1l. 2s. as the yearly wages of colliers and salters.
It was found that at times the poor men became uncontrollable, and refused to work on any terms, and so there was a further clause devised to deal with the difficulty, which ran as follows: "Because coal hewers within the kingdom, and other workers within coal heughs, with salters, do lie from their works at Pasche, Yule, Whitsunday, and certain other times of the year, which times they employ in drinking and debauching to the ffrecLt offence of God and prejudice of their masters, it is therefore statute and ordained that the said coal hewers and salters, and other workmen in coal heughs in the kingdom, work all the 6 days of the week, except the time of Christmas."
Thus were these poor people — men and women — treated.
Having posted the above, it occurs to me that this accounts somewhat for why MPs were so happy to accept money from Louis XIV -- although, of course, more money is always better, so matter where it comes from.
L&M: "But all concluded that the bane of the Parliament hath been the leaving off the old custom of the places allowing wages to those that served them in Parliament, by which they chose men that understood their business and would attend it, and they could expect an account from, which now they cannot; and so the Parliament is become a company of men unable to give account for the interest of the place they serve for.
"The medieval custom whereby constituencies paid wages to their M.P.'s [held the purse strings] -- usually 2s. a day in the case of boroughs and 4s. in the case of counties -- had been greatly weakened from the 16th century onwards by competition by parliamentary candidates and by the tenure of borough seats by 'strangers' [those not owning property in the borough].
"Almost all members now served without wage, and under the terms of a bargain by which they promised not to claim any. A few of the larger cities (London among them) continued to pay wages, although not regularly: the last-known case being that of Bristol in 1696."
There's more than one answer to your question, Marie ... My reading of the text is that 3 people received one mouthful each of pork for 14d. (we'd say 1s. 2d.), which roughly means 5d. each.
There's the spending power of 14d, the earning power of 14d, and then the banking comparison.
According to that converter, in 1660 1s. 2d. was worth £6.14 in 2017 money. Now you have to convert that in your head to 2024 money. Say £10 given COVID inflation? (There's always a famine after a pandemic. Our governments have been good about staving off that outcome, but intervention costs money, and people today in the US are furious about grocery prices. Let's NOT annotate this observation!)
And what did 1s. 2d. buy in 1660? We have an encyclopedia page for 'salaries', and Terry Foreman found an accounts book which gives some prices for commodities back then: https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl… In 1659 you could get a loin of mutton for 1s. 6d.
And how long did someone work to earn 1s. 2d. in 1660? Terry's list gives this example: "a farm carpenter 1s. 6d. per day. or, 'I finding him,' 1s. per day. common labourers, generally 1s. per day;"
From time to time Pepys volunteers info which belongs on the 'salaries' page. Please join me in adding the info as it comes up.
London Marine Insurance 1438-1824 Risk, Trade, and the Early Modern State by Adrian Leonard
The first comprehensive history of marine insurance transacted in London from the industry's beginnings, to the early-19th-century, when legislative change ended parliamentary monopolies over the business.
This book describes the development and evolution of the customary, legal, and commercial institutions of marine insurance, alongside its developing organisational structures. It analyses major market interventions during the period, including state-sponsored initiatives in the late 16th century, the introduction of new corporate forms in the early 18th century, and the formation and maturation of Lloyd's of London. The book examines the impact of crises such as the Smyrna catastrophe of 1693 and the South Sea Bubble, and makes comparisons with developments in other marine insurance markets. In revealing how the London insurance market changed over centuries, the book discusses issues of risk and uncertainty, the financial revolution, the development of trade, and the reciprocal developmental roles of markets and the state. Overall, it highlights the ways that efficient and effective marine insurance capable of adapting according to circumstance was vital to the growth of trade and the economy.
Introduction 1. The merchant-insurers' system: London marine insurance to the 1570s 2. 1570-1688: Buyers and the first intervention 3. 1688 to 1720: The sellers' intervention 4. To 1824: Lloyd's and the common law 5. Conclusions Appendix: Some London underwriters active 1690-1717 Bibliography
Hardcover 9781783276929 April 2022 Buy: $130.00 / £95.00
October 10. Thursday. At noon I came to an anchor in the bay of Tangier, and put into Tangier the 4 Portugal caravels and the disembarcador.
Copied from The Journal of Edward Mountagu, First Earl of Sandwich Admiral and General-at-Sea 1659 - 1665
Edited by RC Anderson Printed for the Navy Records Society MDCCCCXXIX
Section III - Mediterranean 1661/62
@@@
A caravel -- The Caravel (caravela in Spanish and Portuguese), was a type of medium-sized ship which, with its low draught and lateen or triangular sails, made it ideal for exploration from the 15th century onwards. Fast, manoeuvrable, and only needing a small crew to sail, the caravel was a mainstay of the Age of Exploration as European nations crossed oceans previously unknown to them. Picture and more info at https://www.worldhistory.org/Cara…
Ships in my company: Royal James, Mary, Montagu, Hampshire, Princess, Colchester, Forester, a ketch, Waltham's 3 Portuguese caravels (2), & Mr. Myles & one other disembarcadero for Tangier.
About 3 o'clock in the afternoon came into the bay of Oeiras a great merchant ship called the Royal Charles in 18 days from the Downs. she brought no news, only that there were 12 ships or more in the Downs to come hither, but that the Charles was not yet come there. This ships was bound for Guinea and put into Lisbon river only to mend her rudder which was wronged by bad weather at sea.
@@@
(2) M.S. carvells
I suppose Sandwich calls the merchant ship the Royal Charles, and later refers to the warship, The Royal Charles, only as the Charles to clarify between the two ships.
Queen Elizabeth freed the last English serfs in 1574. But serfdom remained in Scotland until the Colliers and Salters (Scotland) Act 1775 prevented the creation of the status, and 1799, when coal miners who had been kept in serfdom prior to the 1775 Act gained emancipation. However, most Scottish serfs had been freed by then.
Talking about weights and measures -- trying to regulate this goes back to the Romans:
Everyday terms may boggle the mind: For example, why is “pound” abbreviated as “lb”? It’s not an easy one to decipher on its own, because the word and its abbreviation don’t share a single letter. There is an answer as to why it’s shortened that way, and it dates back to ancient Rome.
The Romans used a basic unit of weight called a libra (~0.722 lbs), derived from the Latin for “scale” or “balance.” Libra pondo is a Latin phrase that translates to “a pound by weight.” When these terms reached Britain, they became the standard for weighing gold and silver. The abbreviation “lb” is a shortening of libra that was carried over to the English word “pound.”
The British currency is also called the pound, and the £ symbol represents libra.
Another concept worth mentioning is the Roman uncia, a Latin word that translates to “one-twelfth.” It was used by the Romans as a unit of measurement for one-twelfth of a libra, and it became the inspiration for the English word “ounce.”
So, where did that “z” in the abbreviation “oz” come from? On the journey from Latin to English, there was a detour with the Italian word onza. https://wordsmarts.com/pound-abbr…
Comments
Third Reading
About Saturday 4 January 1667/68
San Diego Sarah • Link
"Today, yellow pencils are just normal, generic pencils, but when they were popularized in the late 19th century, they were considered the height of luxury.
Before then, lacquered pencils were often a sign of low-quality wood that needed to be covered up, and they were usually finished in darker colors such as black or maroon. A decent pencil would either be plain or varnished wood.
But that all changed with the introduction of luxury pencils made with the finest, purest graphite, which came from a mine on the border of China and Siberia.
"The German pencil manufacturer Faber (now Faber-Castell) was the first company to get its hands on graphite from the region, and it allowed for extremely fine-tuned pencil formulas, with 16 different degrees of hardness and softness. ...
"The Koh-I-Noor 1500 pencil hit the market in 1888, and, even with the higher price tag, it was a smash hit. Other pencil companies, particularly those eager to associate themselves with Asian graphite, also started painting their pencils yellow; by 1895, even Faber had a “Yellow Siberian” pencil. ..."
https://historyfacts.com/science-…
So graphite is long after Pepys. He probably used charcoal with an unfinished wood surround.
About Jemima Mountagu ("my Lady," Countess of Sandwich, b. Crew)
San Diego Sarah • Link
Believe it or not, L&M Companion has no biography of My Lady Jemima.
WikiTree says
Jemima "Countess of Sandwich" Montagu, formerly Crew
Born 17 July, 1625 in Steane, Northamptonshire, England
Ancestors:
Daughter of John (Crewe) Crew and Jemima (Waldegrave) Crew
Sister of Thomas Crew,
Nathaniel Crew
and Anne (Crewe) Wright
Wife of Edward Montagu MP — married 7 Nov 1642 in St Margaret, Westminster, Middlesex, England
Descendants:
Mother of Jemima (Montagu) Carteret,
Edward Montagu,
Paulina Montagu,
Sidney (Montagu) Wortley-Montagu,
Anne Montagu,
John Montagu,
Oliver Montagu,
Charles Montagu MP,
Katherine (Montagu) Gardeman
and James Montagu
Died 1674 at about age 48 in Cotehele, Cornwall, England (see my annotation above)
The Earl and Counterss of Montagu are ancestors of William, Prince of Wales.
It then quotes bits from the Diary:
The Diary of Samuel Pepys
5 January 1660 "Then my wife and I, it being a great frost, went to Mrs Jem's to eat a sac-posset, but, Mr Edward not coming, it was put off."
12 August 1661 "At home in the afternoon and had notice that my Lord Hinchingbrooke is fallen ill, which I fear is with the fruit that I did give them on Saturday last at my house: so in the evening I went thither and there found him very ill, and in great fear of small-pox. I supped with my Lady, and did consult about him, but we find it best to let him lie where he do."
28 May 1665 "Thence to my Lady Sandwich's, where, to my shame, I had not been a great while before. Here, upon my telling her a story of my Lord Rochester's running away on Friday night last with Mrs Mallet, ..."
We can do better!
https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Cre…
About Monday 26 August 1661
San Diego Sarah • Link
"Great regret is felt over this unexpected accident as it may hold up their plans against Algiers, which admit of no delay, in view of the overweening arrogance of those pirates, whose audacity alarms and troubles all Christian princes and threatens great disorders, if God does not provide a remedy before they take firmer root."
Algiers was basically ungovernable. According to Wiki, the Eyala / Pasha / Governor nominally was Ramadam Agha, but when I searched for information about him, this came up:
"The Eyala of Algiers has been in a preliminary and fundamental phase since 1659, when the leaders of the sea and the Diwan of Soldiers rejected the pasha system. This prompted the Ottoman Caliphate to pledge non-interference in Algeria, by submitting a royal proclamation proclaiming the Sublime Porte's abstention to send a governor to Algeria, saying, "We will not send you a governor, pledge allegiance to whomever you wish."
"As a result, the Janissaries office at the Eyala raced to pick Khalil Agha (1659-1660) as the reigning authority's representative. The latter attempted to implement new procedures for the Agha's authority, while Ramadan Agha (1660-1661) attempted to implement a system for the distribution of marine spoils and prizes for regular troops in order to raise their income level and regulate their movements.
"Those who succeeded in reigning after Ramadan Agha experienced assassinations and internal turmoil during their reigns. Which caused the navy leaders to descend on the scene and participate in the fall of Ali Agha in 1671."
https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
About Buckden, Cambridgeshire
San Diego Sarah • Link
Pedro posted this in July 2004:
Buckden (near Brampton and mentioned in Uncle Robert's will).
Two factors helped shape the character of the village.
The first was Buckden Palace that was the residence of the Bishop of Lincoln and would have provided many of the villagers with employment and interest down the ages.
The second was the Great North Road that used to run through the middle of the village. It was an established main road from London to the North at the time of the Conquest (and, of course, the one used by the Bishops of Lincoln; hence their palace).
About Brampton, Cambridgeshire
San Diego Sarah • Link
In September 1661 Sam and Elizabeth rode home from Brampton by the westerly route (aka the Great North Road):
Brampton, Buckden, St Neots, Biggleswade, Baldock, Stevenage, Welwyn, Hatfield, Barnet, Highgate, Holloway.
L&M Companion details 3 usual routes, the most easterly via Cambridge and the middle route with two Cambridge options. (I'll post them when/if I find them.)
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
About Salaries
San Diego Sarah • Link
CONCLUSION:
Sir George Carteret, an impeccable royalist whose service at sea had begun under King Charles and who had held Jersey for him, was appointed treasurer in 1662. He had official lodgings at Whitehall, a house in Pall Mall, another at Deptford and a country mansion near Windsor, and he was the highest paid,with 2,000l. a year and the right to three pence in every pound he handled -- this was a remnant of the old way of doing things.
He was also on Charles II's Privy Council at least in the early days of the Diary https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
APPOINTMENT DATES:
1660 13 July Pepys, S.
1660 4 July Berkeley of Stratton, Lord
1660 4 July Penn, Sir W.
1662 14 May Coventry, Hon. W.
1664 7 Dec. Brouncker, Viscount
1665 20 Jan. Harvey, Sir T.
1667 16 Jan. Brouncker, Viscount
1667 25 Nov. Middleton, T.
There were also Commissioners at some of the major dockyards, like Commissioner William Pett at Chatham, and Gen. Thomas Middleton at Portsmouth. They don't appear to be covered by BHO.
And, like Carteret, the London Navy Commissioners were given free housing on site.
Plus they were expected to supplement their salaries with commissions, as a sign of being savvy business people. But not too much in commissions or there would be consequences. Pepys frequently takes care to document how he saved the King money, while discreetly adding a few feathers to his private nest.
The Admiralty had their own Commissioners, and British History Online has a section about them.
https://www.british-history.ac.uk…
Ther Navy Board maintains the Navy, the Admiralty wages war. They work closely together with many shared interests, but have vastly different functions.
About Salaries
San Diego Sarah • Link
Salary disputes are always uncomfortable:
"There was also two occasions more of difference at the table; the one being to make out a bill to Captain Smith for his salary abroad as commander-in-chief in the Streights. Sir J. Minnes did demand an increase of salary for his being Vice-Admiral in the Downes, he having received but 40s. without an increase, when Sir J. Lawson, in the same voyage, had 3l., and others have also had increase, only he, because he was an officer of the board, was worse used than any body else, and particularly told Sir W. Batten that he was the opposer formerly of his having an increase, which I did wonder to hear him so boldly lay it to him. So we hushed up the dispute, and offered, if he would, to examine precedents, and report them, if there was any thing to his advantage to be found, to the Duke."
L&M Companion: £2 a day was the normal daily rate at this time for a vice-admiral. Mennes had been Commander-in-Chief in the Downs in the winter of 1661-2; Lawson in that of 1662-3. The authority quoted is Tanner's 'Pepys and the Navy'.
[40s. is £2.]
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/… and
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
Of course, Mennes also had his salary from being an Officer of the Navy Board.
British History Online has a whole section devoted to the evolution of the Navy Board. A few highlights which concern the Diary years:
https://www.british-history.ac.uk…
Throughout the period 1660-1832 the members of the Navy Board were known both singly and collectively as Principal Officers and Commissioners of the Navy. (fn. 1) Until 1796 the Board was usually composed of officials of theoretically equal standing, some of whom supervised the conduct of specific areas of business, and some of whom, known as Extra Commissioners or Commissioners at Large, performed general duties.
In 1660 the Board was composed of a Controller, a Surveyor, a Clerk of the Acts and two Extra Commissioners. (fn. 2)
From then until 1686 its composition changed regularly and the number of its members fluctuated between 5 and 10. The Controller, Surveyor and Clerk of the Acts (fn. 3) were permanent members.
In 1667 the offices of Controller of Treasurer's Accounts and Controller of Victualling Accounts were created to relieve the Controller of two of his duties, (fn. 4) ...
From one to four Extra Commissioners were employed in the years 1660-8 and 1672-82.
In 1660 salaries of £500 were made available to the Controller and the Extra Commissioners, of £490 to the Surveyor and of £350 to the Clerk of the Acts. (fn. 27)
There were 4 principal officer positions in the Navy Board when it began in 1660:
Treasurer — Sir George Carteret. for his salary, see below.
Comptroller — Sir Robert Slingsby (followed by Sir John Mennes when Slingsby died within a year).
Surveyor — Sir William Batten.
Clerk of the Acts — Pepys.
About Sunday 13 October 1661
San Diego Sarah • Link
From Sandwich's log, in the bay of Tangier:
October 13. Sunday.
This night was the last of 3 night's rejoicing in Tangier for the match with Portugal. The town fired all their guns every night and hung out abundance of torches of light. All our ships in the road fired every night also, my own ship 15 guns and the rest proportionably.
On Saturday night there came in a Newfoundland ship that had touched at Cadiz; said before noon he met the Colchester off St. Peter's Island. He also gave me the first advice that de Ruyter with 14 sail of ships was gone up the Straits, 4 sail having been sent in many days before.
Copied from
The Journal of Edward Mountagu,
First Earl of Sandwich
Admiral and General-at-Sea 1659 - 1665
Edited by RC Anderson
Printed for the Navy Records Society
MDCCCCXXIX
Section III - Mediterranean 1661/62
@@@
Tangier https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
Cadiz https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
Straits https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl… and
https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
Newfoundland https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/… (starts half way down)
de Ruyter https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
St. Peter's Island - there is a San Pietro Island (Italian: Isola di San Pietro) approximately 7 kilometres (4 nautical miles) off the southwestern coast of Sardinia, Italy, facing the Sulcis peninsula. With an area of 51 sq. kilometres (19-3⁄4 sq. mi.) it is the sixth-largest island of Italy by area. The inhabitants are mostly concentrated in the fishing town of Carloforte, the only comune in the island. It is included in the province of South Sardinia. It is named after St. Peter.
Since sailing ships tack, this could be the island referred to?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San…
About Friday 11 October 1661
San Diego Sarah • Link
From Sandwich's log, in the bay of Tangier:
October 11. Saturday.
I sent the Colchester to Cadiz to bring me intelligence, and the ketch of Waltham's to Malaga to enquire of Sir John Lawson.
Copied from
The Journal of Edward Mountagu,
First Earl of Sandwich
Admiral and General-at-Sea 1659 - 1665
Edited by RC Anderson
Printed for the Navy Records Society
MDCCCCXXIX
Section III - Mediterranean 1661/62
@@@
Vice Admiral Sir John Lawson - https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
Malaga -- https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
Cadiz -- https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
About Salaries
San Diego Sarah • Link
Extract from a longer entry about the working conditions of Scottish coal miners and salt makers:
In 1606, it was statute and ordained, under a penalty of £100, that no person within the realm should hire or employ colliers, coal bearers, or salters, unless furnished with a sufficient testimonial from the master whom he had last served; and further, "that sae mony colliers, coal bearers, and salters," as without such testimonial received such "fore wages and fees, should be esteemed, repute, and holden as thieves and punished in their bodies" ...
This Act, however stringent as it may seem, was found insufficient; there was a class of persons employed in the pits whom it did not include; and so in 1661, it was further enacted, "that because watermen, who lave and draw water in the coal-heugh-heads, and gatesmen who work the ways and passages in the said heughs, are as necessary to the owners and masters of the said coal heugha as the coal hewers and coal bearers, it is therefore statute and ordained, that they should come under exactly the same penalties as the others, in the event of quitting their masters without certificate; and that it should be equally illegal, in the lack of such a document, for any person to employ them."
But even that was not considered sufficient. The poor coaI worker, discontented and miserable, grumbled at his lot, and wanted wages; but such an unreasonable demand, while it was nominally complied with, was practically denied, for it was further enacted that it should "not be lawful for any coal master in the kingdom to give any greater fee than the sum of twenty merks in fee or bountith" — a clause which, according to the interpretation of Lord James, fixed the large sum of 1l. 2s. as the yearly wages of colliers and salters.
It was found that at times the poor men became uncontrollable, and refused to work on any terms, and so there was a further clause devised to deal with the difficulty, which ran as follows: "Because coal hewers within the kingdom, and other workers within coal heughs, with salters, do lie from their works at Pasche, Yule, Whitsunday, and certain other times of the year, which times they employ in drinking and debauching to the ffrecLt offence of God and prejudice of their masters, it is therefore statute and ordained that the said coal hewers and salters, and other workmen in coal heughs in the kingdom, work all the 6 days of the week, except the time of Christmas."
Thus were these poor people — men and women — treated.
The beginning of the article is at
https://www.pepysdiary.com/news/2…
About Salaries
San Diego Sarah • Link
Having posted the above, it occurs to me that this accounts somewhat for why MPs were so happy to accept money from Louis XIV -- although, of course, more money is always better, so matter where it comes from.
About Salaries
San Diego Sarah • Link
An essay on how members of parliament were paid in the 16th and 17th centurues.
https://academic.oup.com/ehr/arti…
L&M: "But all concluded that the bane of the Parliament hath been the leaving off the old custom of the places allowing wages to those that served them in Parliament, by which they chose men that understood their business and would attend it, and they could expect an account from, which now they cannot; and so the Parliament is become a company of men unable to give account for the interest of the place they serve for.
"The medieval custom whereby constituencies paid wages to their M.P.'s [held the purse strings] -- usually 2s. a day in the case of boroughs and 4s. in the case of counties -- had been greatly weakened from the 16th century onwards by competition by parliamentary candidates and by the tenure of borough seats by 'strangers' [those not owning property in the borough].
"Almost all members now served without wage, and under the terms of a bargain by which they promised not to claim any. A few of the larger cities (London among them) continued to pay wages, although not regularly: the last-known case being that of Bristol in 1696."
About Monday 23 September 1661
San Diego Sarah • Link
There's more than one answer to your question, Marie ...
My reading of the text is that 3 people received one mouthful each of pork for 14d. (we'd say 1s. 2d.), which roughly means 5d. each.
There's the spending power of 14d, the earning power of 14d, and then the banking comparison.
The National Archives website has a currency converter which can be found at https://www.nationalarchives.gov.…
According to that converter, in 1660 1s. 2d. was worth £6.14 in 2017 money.
Now you have to convert that in your head to 2024 money. Say £10 given COVID inflation? (There's always a famine after a pandemic. Our governments have been good about staving off that outcome, but intervention costs money, and people today in the US are furious about grocery prices. Let's NOT annotate this observation!)
And what did 1s. 2d. buy in 1660?
We have an encyclopedia page for 'salaries', and Terry Foreman found an accounts book which gives some prices for commodities back then:
https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
In 1659 you could get a loin of mutton for 1s. 6d.
And how long did someone work to earn 1s. 2d. in 1660?
Terry's list gives this example:
"a farm carpenter 1s. 6d. per day.
or, 'I finding him,' 1s. per day.
common labourers, generally 1s. per day;"
From time to time Pepys volunteers info which belongs on the 'salaries' page. Please join me in adding the info as it comes up.
About Bottomry
San Diego Sarah • Link
London Marine Insurance 1438-1824
Risk, Trade, and the Early Modern State
by Adrian Leonard
The first comprehensive history of marine insurance transacted in London from the industry's beginnings, to the early-19th-century, when legislative change ended parliamentary monopolies over the business.
This book describes the development and evolution of the customary, legal, and commercial institutions of marine insurance, alongside its developing organisational structures. It analyses major market interventions during the period, including state-sponsored initiatives in the late 16th century, the introduction of new corporate forms in the early 18th century, and the formation and maturation of Lloyd's of London.
The book examines the impact of crises such as the Smyrna catastrophe of 1693 and the South Sea Bubble, and makes comparisons with developments in other marine insurance markets.
In revealing how the London insurance market changed over centuries, the book discusses issues of risk and uncertainty, the financial revolution, the development of trade, and the reciprocal developmental roles of markets and the state.
Overall, it highlights the ways that efficient and effective marine insurance capable of adapting according to circumstance was vital to the growth of trade and the economy.
Introduction
1. The merchant-insurers' system: London marine insurance to the 1570s
2. 1570-1688: Buyers and the first intervention
3. 1688 to 1720: The sellers' intervention
4. To 1824: Lloyd's and the common law
5. Conclusions
Appendix: Some London underwriters active 1690-1717
Bibliography
Hardcover
9781783276929
April 2022
Buy: $130.00 / £95.00
Ebook (EPDF)
9781800105225
April 2022
Buy: $29.95 / £19.99
https://boydellandbrewer.com/9781…
About Thursday 10 October 1661
San Diego Sarah • Link
From Sandwich's log, in the Med.:
October 10. Thursday.
At noon I came to an anchor in the bay of Tangier, and put into Tangier the 4 Portugal caravels and the disembarcador.
Copied from
The Journal of Edward Mountagu,
First Earl of Sandwich
Admiral and General-at-Sea 1659 - 1665
Edited by RC Anderson
Printed for the Navy Records Society
MDCCCCXXIX
Section III - Mediterranean 1661/62
@@@
A caravel -- The Caravel (caravela in Spanish and Portuguese), was a type of medium-sized ship which, with its low draught and lateen or triangular sails, made it ideal for exploration from the 15th century onwards. Fast, manoeuvrable, and only needing a small crew to sail, the caravel was a mainstay of the Age of Exploration as European nations crossed oceans previously unknown to them.
Picture and more info at https://www.worldhistory.org/Cara…
Tangier was still in the hands of the Portuguese -- https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
About Saturday 5 October 1661
San Diego Sarah • Link
From Sandwich's log, in the Atlantic:
October 5. Saturday.
At 9 o'clock in the morning the Cape St. Vincent bore of us N.E. by N. about 8 leagues off.
Copied from
The Journal of Edward Mountagu,
First Earl of Sandwich
Admiral and General-at-Sea 1659 - 1665
Edited by RC Anderson
Printed for the Navy Records Society
MDCCCCXXIX
Section III - Mediterranean 1661/62
@@@
Cape St. Vincent -- https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
About Thursday 3 October 1661
San Diego Sarah • Link
Oooopps missed the next paragraphs again. Sorry.
Ships in my company: Royal James, Mary, Montagu, Hampshire, Princess, Colchester, Forester, a ketch, Waltham's 3 Portuguese caravels (2), & Mr. Myles & one other disembarcadero for Tangier.
About 3 o'clock in the afternoon came into the bay of Oeiras a great merchant ship called the Royal Charles in 18 days from the Downs. she brought no news, only that there were 12 ships or more in the Downs to come hither, but that the Charles was not yet come there. This ships was bound for Guinea and put into Lisbon river only to mend her rudder which was wronged by bad weather at sea.
@@@
(2) M.S. carvells
I suppose Sandwich calls the merchant ship the Royal Charles, and later refers to the warship, The Royal Charles, only as the Charles to clarify between the two ships.
Guinea -- https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
Anyone know what a disembarcadero was?
About Thursday 3 October 1661
San Diego Sarah • Link
From Sandwich's log, at Oeiras near Lisbon:
October 3. Thursday.
At 4 o'clock in the evening weighed anchor in the Bay of Oeiras bound for Tangier and got to sea without the Cachopps (1).
Copied from
The Journal of Edward Mountagu,
First Earl of Sandwich
Admiral and General-at-Sea 1659 - 1665
Edited by RC Anderson
Printed for the Navy Records Society
MDCCCCXXIX
Section III - Mediterranean 1661/62
@@@
(1) Cachopps = The Cachopo shoals at the mouth of the river Tagus. Also called the Hetchoopes or Heckoups in English.
The Bay of Oeiras -- https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
Tangier -- https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
About Samuel Pepys and Slaves
San Diego Sarah • Link
Queen Elizabeth freed the last English serfs in 1574. But serfdom remained in Scotland until the Colliers and Salters (Scotland) Act 1775 prevented the creation of the status, and 1799, when coal miners who had been kept in serfdom prior to the 1775 Act gained emancipation. However, most Scottish serfs had been freed by then.
More about the coal miners at
https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
About Chaldron
San Diego Sarah • Link
Talking about weights and measures -- trying to regulate this goes back to the Romans:
Everyday terms may boggle the mind: For example, why is “pound” abbreviated as “lb”? It’s not an easy one to decipher on its own, because the word and its abbreviation don’t share a single letter.
There is an answer as to why it’s shortened that way, and it dates back to ancient Rome.
The Romans used a basic unit of weight called a libra (~0.722 lbs), derived from the Latin for “scale” or “balance.” Libra pondo is a Latin phrase that translates to “a pound by weight.”
When these terms reached Britain, they became the standard for weighing gold and silver.
The abbreviation “lb” is a shortening of libra that was carried over to the English word “pound.”
The British currency is also called the pound, and the £ symbol represents libra.
Another concept worth mentioning is the Roman uncia, a Latin word that translates to “one-twelfth.” It was used by the Romans as a unit of measurement for one-twelfth of a libra, and it became the inspiration for the English word “ounce.”
So, where did that “z” in the abbreviation “oz” come from?
On the journey from Latin to English, there was a detour with the Italian word onza.
https://wordsmarts.com/pound-abbr…