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San Diego Sarah has posted 9,756 annotations/comments since 6 August 2015.

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Second Reading

About Hackney

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Adam Dant's "Hackney Treasure Map" shows:

Prince Rupert’s Mill. Prince Rupert’s metal secret died with him – it was a composition from which indestructible cannons were cast and bored.

Temple Mills. Once belonging to the Knights Templars, these mills were used for grinding points on pins and needles, sent on to Worcestershire to receive eyes.

Beresford’s White House. Occasional home to highwayman Dick Turpin, attached to the house was a fishery, offering sport for a shilling.

Roman Burial Ground. Discovered under Hackney Marsh, part of the Roman stone causeway to Essex, and a marble sarcophagus at Brooksby’s Walk.

Lord Zouch’s House. A peer judge to Mary Queen of Scots, Edward, Lord Zouch conducted experimental gardening.

Sutton House. Known as “Bryck House,” was built for Henry VIII’s courtier Ralph Sadleir, who sold it to cloth merchant John Machell.

The Black & White House. Home of Robert Vyner, drinking pal of Charles II, AKA “Bohemia Place” from being the residence of the Queen of Bohemia.

Barber’s Barn. Home of the low-born John Okey, sixth signatory of Charles I’s death warrant.

St. John’s Place/Beaulieu. Said to have been the priory of St. John, it later acquired the name “Shoreditch Place” for Jane Shore, mistress to Edward IV.

Brook House. Given by Edward VI to the Earl of Pembroke, the house passed to the Earl of Warwick then to Dr. Monro as a ‘recepiticle for insane persons.’

Shacklewell House. The ancient seat of the Herons, and residence of Cecilia, Thomas More’s daughter, later home of regicide Owen Rowe.

Abney House. Built for Thomas Gunstone to hymn writer & divine Isaac Watts’ plans.

Brownswood House. The Hornsey Wood Tavern incorporates old Copthall and the Manor House of Brownswood.

Newington Green Manor. A home to dissenters in the 17th century.

Palatine House. Built to house Protestant refugees from the Rhine Palatinate, later used as a retreat by John Wesley.

Whitmore House. A moated house adapted by London haberdasher Sir William Whitmore for his son Sir George.

Baumes House. Built by two Spanish merchants in 1540, it became known as Sir George Whitmore’s house and in 1691 hosted King William.

Alderman John Brown’s House. Home of the serjeant, painter to Henry VIII.

Nag’s Head. A coaching inn and haunt of robber Dick Turpin.

The Theatre. Home of Shakespeare & Burbage’s Lord Chamberlain’s New Acting Troupe. The timber was dismantled and used to construct the Globe.

Holywell Mount. Near the priory of St. John the Baptist, plague burials are said to take place here.

The Rectory, Hackney. Site of the Manor of Grumbolds and home of John & Jane Daniel, accused of blackmailing the Countess of Essex.

Geffrye Almshouses. Paid for by Sir Robert Geffrye in his will of 1703 which declared his remaining fortune to the Ironmongers’ Company for provision of almshouses.

About Mrs Lovett

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"Thence home, where I find Mr. Lovett and his wife came to see us. They are a pretty couple, and she a fine bred woman. They dined with us, and Browne, the paynter, and she plays finely on the lute. My wife and I were well pleased with her company."

I wonder if Pepys is making a class statement by not giving us Mr. and Mrs. Lovett's first names, no matter how finely she plays the lute.

https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…

About Monday 28 May 1666

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"... and then by agreement to the Excise Office, where I waited all the morning for the Cofferer and Sir St. Foxe’s coming, but they did not, so I and the Commissioners lost their labor and expectation of doing the business we intended."

I'm surprised Pepys and the other Commissioners were not more upset at this disrespect by Fox and Ashburnham. The fleet is about to sail, and financing the victualing is key to their success. Fox and Ashburnham have boys they could send with notes explaining their absence, which I think Pepys would have mentioned had that happened.

But it does give Tom Wilson more time to work on those victualing accounts for Coventry, and an excuse for not being further along in the process should an excuse be needed.

About Sunday 27 May 1666

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

What a curious day ... lunch with the relatives so they can hear the latest gossip from Mr. Shepley re: Sandwich, Brampton and Hinchingbrooke, then he gets out of the house to visit his main mistress, her husband, and a desired woman who must be their friend, for no particular reason, for a couple of hours, then he goes around to his old local for no particular reason. Then home and he takes the wife for an airing down the Thames.

If this was 1660 I'd think he was out gathering intelligence on the temper of the people to report to Sandwich ... but now? Perhaps he was simply tired of acting the toff, and took off his proverbial hat by talking to 'real people' for an afternoon.

About Elizabeth Burrows

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

A curious tea party took place one Sunday in May, 1666:

"After dinner ... I by water to Westminster to Mrs. Martin’s, and there sat with her and her husband and Mrs. Burrows, the pretty, an hour or two,"

So the Elizabeths knew each other, and Mr. Burrows knew Pepys, and they all sat around for an hour or two discussing ... the weather?

https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…

About Scilly, Isles of

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Lucky Prince Charles, as he left England for exile in Jersey and France, followed by wandering all over the place, this is where he stayed. I hope he remembered fondly his stay in the Isles of Scilly. Scroll down for a picture of the two castles there ... one was built by Cromwell after Charles had left.

https://www.afar.com/magazine/the…

Otherwise, the isles were most often used by the fleet which stayed here for six weeks of quarantine if they had been to an infected place.

About Thursday 24 May 1666

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"John Hunt was serving as a sub-commissioner for Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire in December 1661, and later [early in 1666]." (L&M footnote for 12 Mar. 1660/61)

About Wednesday 23 May 1666

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"Thence to Westminster to look after getting some little for some great tallys, but shall find trouble in it."

Apparently the money lenders are not yet comfortable with this new system. Change takes time, and Pepys needs his money now.

About John Belasyse (1st Baron Belasyse)

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

John, 1st Baron Belasyse of Worlaby lived in Lincolns Inn Fields, and was married at this time to Anne Paulet, daughter of the Marquis of Winchester.

Per L&M: His rapacity was well-known: cf. [Marvell?] Third Advice to a Painter (1666), ll. 79-86:
“Let Bellasis' autumnal face be seen,
Rich with the spoils of a poor Algerine,
Who, trusting in him, was by him betrayed;
And so should we, were his advice obeyed.
The hero once got honour by the sword;
He got his wealth by breaking of his word;
He now hath got his daughter great with child,
And pimps to have his family defiled.”

Prizes in Tangier (although technically subject to H.M.'s Principal Commissioners at Whitehall) were at the disposal of the Governor, acting through power of admiralty given to him by the Lord High Admiral. In theory, proceeds from their sale went to defray government expenses on the spot.

A reorganization was made in July 1666 whereby a commission for prizes was set up in Tangier: -- Routh, p. 85.

I haven't found any references to Belasyse being rapacious in his biographies, but since the Diary covers this time, no doubt this will be explained. And as for incest and pimping ... not a word. "Fake News" is nothing new.

About Additional Aid Act (1665)

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

The Act for an Additional Aid of £1 1/4 m. (17 Car. II c.i) would be “a new venture in English public finance” (L&M) in which bills would be paid by the Exchequer on credit.

Pepys was initially skeptical of financing on credit (a concern he will share with Carteret and the bankers), but the scheme is a success.

http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…...

About Samuel Martin

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Hi Carla ... please read Phil's notes "About The Text" at
https://www.pepysdiary.com/about/…
in which he explains -- amongst a whole lot of other helpful information -- that Lathom and Matthews put out the first translation of Pepys' Diary about 200 years ago (as I recall) in which they did "annotations" as known at the time. Since most of that information would only know be known to historians with access to the archives, their notes have been added to our annotations over the years by kind people who possess various editions of their printed version of the Diary. Most of the time I find them very helpful.

About Martin Luther

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

With interest I read in this Wikipedia article that "In 1542, Luther read a Latin translation of the Qur'an. He went on to produce several critical pamphlets on Islam, which he called "Mohammedanism" or "the Turk". Though Luther saw the Muslim faith as a tool of the devil, he was indifferent to its practice: "Let the Turk believe and live as he will, just as one lets the papacy and other false Christians live." He opposed banning the publication of the Qur'an, wanting it exposed to scrutiny."

Terry Forman shared this article with me today about the role Muslims played in the history and development of the Americas, and how the Puritans and the Pilgrims have taken over the foundation story of the USA. So although Pepys never mentions slavery or much about the Muslim religion, you might like to take 10 minutes and acquaint yourself with what was happening in Portugal, Spain, West Africa, the Caribbean, Brazil, and the mainland of North America during his lifetime. I found it fascinating.

https://aeon.co/essays/muslims-li…

About Friday 18 May 1666

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Maybe I don't understand Tallys properly yet ... but if the Navy is out of cash, so is the Exchequer. Those slow clerks were doing their master's bidding and not issuing credit they couldn't back. And I still think Pepys would get better service if he was a little more generous with the tips.

About Wednesday 16 May 1666

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"... and so to the Exchequer, where the lazy rogues have not yet done my tallys, which vexes me."

Time to grease some palms, Pepys? Sounds like you have been a Scrooge with the King's money. Got to share sometimes to get the best service.

About Wednesday 16 May 1666

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"being by and by to attend the Duke and Mr. Coventry, and so I was willing to carry something fresh that I may look as a man minding business, which I have done too much for a great while to forfeit, and is now so great a burden upon my mind"

I don't agree with Bradford's take on this: I think Pepys is tired of York, Monck and Coventry asking him about what's happening, and his having to say "I don't know -- I'll get back to you on that." So he trotted off to Deptford this morning looking for information which he can bring up at their meeting later in the day, and be first with the news. Much better to be the pitcher and not the catcher all the time.

About Thursday 17 May 1666

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

I have three more thoughts on Pepys' revived interest in doing some work, finally:
(1) a rumor had reached his superiors while they were at Oxford last year that Pepys was drinking too much (which I think we can agree with; only his vows keep him sober);
(2) while he was working from Greenwich, 99 per cent of the time he was the only member of the Navy Board there. He got used to being his own boss, his time not even supervised by his wife; he was coming and going at will;
and (3) the war is going to heat up any day now, and he's now admitting he's not ready. Remember last year, he tried to inspect the yards every week, to keep them working hard? He's been once this year. (Must admit it's hard to prepare when the bank account is empty, but still ...)

About Monday 14 May 1666

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"would the hackney driver be sent to the public bar with a shilling for his supper and be told to wait? Or were hackneys readily available at inns when you were ready to go home?"

This is more like the old days with taxis than UBER.

By reviewing the annotations my guess is that Pepys hired the Hackney for half a day at a set rate (although the example given is for William & Mary's time, 40 years from now). The driver wouldn't have wanted to drive back to the City or Westminster from the country empty, and not too many people in those parts would have wanted to hire him. And Pepys would have had no way to contact a new coach when he was ready to go home.