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San Diego Sarah has posted 9,745 annotations/comments since 6 August 2015.

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Second Reading

About Monday 26 December 1664

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Sadly my Boxing Day / St. Stephen page has been combined with other posts which have nothing to do with this day ... scroll down through two irrelevant (but interesting) posts and you'll find what I am talking about. Lots of local color.

About Sunday 25 December 1664

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"Thence to the French church, ... "

Our encyclopedia says there were two French Churches at the time:
1 - Threadneedle St. L&M note: "Pepys was fond of practicing his French by attending these services."
2 - The French church in the Savoy was established by Charles II. -- Wheatley, 1899.

My vote is for the one on Threadneedle Street because it is closer to home.

About Sunday 25 December 1664

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Oh the joys of Christmas office parties:

"... Sir J. Minnes’s folly in complaining to Sir G. Carteret of Sir W. Batten and me for some family offences, such as my having of a stopcock to keepe the water from them, which vexes me, but it would more but that Sir G. Carteret knows him very well."
M: "He turned off the water!"
C: "No he didn't. Your pump must be broken."
M: "Yes, he did."
C: "Have you talked to Pepys about it?"
M: "No I haven't."
C: "Why not?"
M: "I forgot."
C: "Do it now while you remember."
M: "Good idea."

For those of us trying to comprehend the way the old building had been broken up into houses for these executives, this gives us a valuable insight.

Also, another example of how our understanding of the word "family" has changed.

About Sunday 25 December 1664

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Meanwhile, on this day at Court, a young man with an interesting future visits Charles II with a letter from his sister, Henrietta, Duchess of Orleans.

Returning to England from his studies at Padua University by the close of 1664, John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester went to Whitehall Palace to present to the King a letter from his sister, whose departure from Britain with their mother was bewailed in "To Her Sacred Majesty."

Charles II's reply to his sister indicates that he received her letter on 25 December, 1664.

Information from http://www.poetryfoundation.org/b…

About Thursday 22 December 1664

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"... losse of our honour there ..." No wonder we are having trouble understanding Pepys' moral code. Winning was honorable, loosing dishonorable.

About Thursday 22 December 1664

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

According to JD Davies -- admittedly in one of his novels, The Blast That Tears The Skies, but he takes pride in being historically accurate about his fiction -- Monck, Penn, Batten, Mennes, etc. prevailed on Charles II and James, Duke of York to recall so many Parliamentary naval captains to fight the Second Dutch War that Clarendon was alarmed. So they "balanced" these suspected commanders by promoting a number of gallant gentlemen to commands. James recent trial sail might have been to give these non-sailors a taste of what was to come.

"... there met with a copy of verses, mightily commended by some gentlemen there, of my Lord Mordaunt’s, in excuse of his going to sea this late expedition, with the Duke of York. But, Lord! they are but sorry things; only a Lord made them."

"in excuse of" meaning explaining, I think.

No one could accuse John, 1st Viscount Mordaunt of being a coward, but he was no sailor. So I think this is snide Pepys commenting on Lords being where they have no business being.

About Harwich, Essex

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Harwich, Essex -- near Felixstow -- One of the Haven ports, located on the coast with the North Sea to the east. The town became a naval base in 1657 and was heavily fortified. During the 2nd Dutch War the Navy yard there had to cope with a sudden and large amount of business because of the location of the naval campaigns.

About Friday 16 December 1664

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Turns out I am using the sort of Google account Terry advocates. I think the way to deal with this is to take a photo of the pages, and transcribe the highlights for posterity. In the meantime, read the originals as fast as you can!

About Sunday 4 December 1664

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

'Journal of the Earl of Sandwich edited by R.C. Anderson.
December. 4th. Sunday. "The Duke and Prince went for London."'

James and Rupert must have had a horse relay set up, and galloped the whole way. Boys will be boys --- any excuse for some dangerous fun.

About Friday 16 December 1664

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

A Google account ... how do you do that?

This funeral info is fabulous; then came up a sign that I had reached my viewing limit. So much for free access to out-of-print books on line!

About Thursday 15 December 1664

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Tonight I find a strange coincidence. Both Chomley and Muskerry are notated as being married to Lady Anne Compton.

http://www.thepeerage.com/p21663.… and
http://www.thepeerage.com/p22439.…
says this is correct, but only one entry specifies that this Anne Compton was the daughter of Spencer Compton, 2nd Earl of Northampton. The other one has no parents.

So there were two Anne Comptons? Or did she get an annulment from Muskerry after 18 months, and married Chomley a few years later?

Muskerry's memorial in Westminster Abbey makes no mention of his being married twice. If it was an annulment that would be possible.

How amazing they turn up on the same Pepys day.

About Charles MacCarty (Viscount Muskerry)

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

http://www.westminster-abbey.org/…

Charles MacCarthy, Viscount Muskerry was buried in the north ambulatory of Westminster Abbey but he has no monument or marker. He was killed fighting the Dutch at the battle of Lowestoft and was buried on 19 June 1665. He was the eldest son of Donogh, 1st Earl of Clancarty and his wife Lady Eleanor Butler, sister of the Duke of Ormond.
He married Lady Margaret Burke and their only son Charles succeeded to the title but died young. NOTE: NO MENTION OF ANNE COMPTON, DAUGHTER OF THE 2nd EARL OF NORTHAMPTON.

His grandfather Cormac MacCarthy, Baron of Blarney and Viscount Muskerry was buried in the Abbey on 27 May 1640 according to the register but he is said to have died in February. He was the eldest son of Sir Cormac MacCarty and Mary (Butler). There is no monument or marker for him.

Charles MacCarthy's nephew Donogh, Earl of Clancarty married Lady Elizabeth Spencer in the Abbey on 31 December 1684. As an adherent of James II his vast estates were forfeited but his life was spared as long as he left England for ever.

Their daughter Lady Charlotte, married John, 7th Lord Delawarr and later Earl Delawarr and was buried in the south aisle of the nave of the Abbey on 16 February 1735 (in front of the Bovey monument). Again her grave is now unmarked.

About Thursday 15 December 1664

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

I wonder why Pepys refers to Charles Berkeley as "Fitzharding" (inferior Irish title) when he was made Earl of Falmouth (superior English title) in March 1664. Disrespect probably.

About Thursday 15 December 1664

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"It is strange how the Duke also do love naturally, and affect the Irish above the English. He, of the company he carried with him to sea, took above two-thirds Irish and French."

https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
✹ Jon about 18 hours ago • Link •
Meanwhile, at the fleet in the Solent:
My summary of the Journal of the Earl of Sandwich
Nov 11 1664 HRH goes aboard the fleet. At night divided the fleet into squadrons.
Nov 25 1664 HRH removed into the Royal Charles.
Nov 27 1664 The whole fleet set sail with the wind N.E., a hard gale. The fleet consisted of 41 ships, men of war.
They sail toward Cape Hague and Alderney. There is no stated reason for this excursion so its probably to keep the fleet alert and practised and for HRH to see first hand the readiness of his fleet."

I presume today's observation about the Duke of York's curious choice of crew nationality belongs with this note from Sandwich's Journal.

Maybe James like them because French and Irish sailors were Catholic, and less likely to assassinate him?

About Thursday 15 December 1664

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"the differences between Fitzgerald and Norwood, which were very high on both sides, but most imperious and base on Fitzgerald’s, and yet through my Lord FitzHarding’s means, the Duke of York is led rather to blame Norwood and to speake that he should be called home, than be sensible of the other. He is a creature of FitzHarding’s, as a fellow that may be done with what he will, and, himself certainly pretending to be Generall of the King’s armies, when Monk dyeth, desires to have as few great or wise men in employment as he can now, but such as he can put in and keep under, which he do this coxcomb Fitzgerald."

"He is a creature of FitzHarding’s ..." Who he?

I've read this many times and can't decide if James, Duke of York or Col. FitzGerald is "owned" by Berkeley/FitzHarding, who seems to have held sway with both of them. Did FitzGerald think he could replace Gen. George Monck, who may have been ailing, but will be with us for a few more years? James also yearned to be the hero Admiral, and wanted to make a replacement for Monck irrelevant.