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San Diego Sarah has posted 9,736 annotations/comments since 6 August 2015.

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Second Reading

About Tuesday 24 May 1664

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

I wonder if he sent a condolence note to his Aunt Hester Fenner:

Sunday 19 January 1661/62 -- and thence into the Old Bayly ... to my uncle Fenner’s; ... he having lately married a midwife that is old and ugly, and that hath already brought home to him a daughter and three children, ... NAMELY AUNT HESTER FENNER.

About Thomas Fenner (Pepys' uncle)

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Sunday 19 January 1661/62 -- and thence into the Old Bayly ... to my uncle Fenner’s; ... he having lately married a midwife that is old and ugly, and that hath already brought home to him a daughter and three children, ... NAMELY AUNT HESTER FENNER

About Monday 23 May 1664

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"What's with all the sudden desire to take Bess everywhere? A special treat to see the ships launched, perhaps? Or has Madame being letting our hero know she resents his behavior or lack thereof towards dear Uncle and this is a form of guilt appeasement?"

On a couple of occasions, Pepys has noted that people are aware of his being away every Monday afternoon at meetings ... so I don't see this outing as appeasement. He may not be able to protecting her from more unwanted advances every Monday, but today he could. Also, Elizabeth might be getting bored again ... we haven't heard about her redecorating or self-improvement activities lately. He certainly doesn't want that Catholic priest successfully dropping in any more.

About Wednesday 18 May 1664

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"At this point Admiral William Penn was 42;..."

Sir William Penn (born April 23, 1621, Bristol, Gloucestershire) so he was just 43 ... and far from being in his dotage, which Pepys' many chats must indicate.

I was wrong at casting aspersions on Carteret: "as of January 1663/64 it appears Vice Admiral Sir John Mennes may have been experiencing Parkinson's, lead or alcohol poisoning." Sorry, wrong Admiral.

About Wednesday 18 May 1664

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Evidently Capt. Shales, a Portsmouth victualing agent, and Pepys have become friends.

However, on Friday 13 November 1663 "... Shales, he and I to the Coffee-house and there talked of our victualling matters, which I fear will come to little. However I will go on and carry it as far as I can."

Pepys deals in tarr and hemp and masts ... not food. For now. But Shales is keeping the lines of communications open, just in case Mr. Pepys becomes a useful contact later.

About Wednesday 18 May 1664

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"No comment from our hero on this obvious indication that Coventry finds Admiral Sir Will P. a useful man to be entrusted with important tasks at this critical stage."

Good Lord, Robert -- the Dutch fleet is at sea. Coventry is going to use the people he has. No time for finding and training replacements. Penn knows a good ship and correct rigging when he sees it. At least, everyone hopes he still does. At least they didn't send Carteret.

About Tuesday 17 May 1664

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

I believe something like one male in 8 perished in the Civil Wars. There must have been many unmarried Pals around the country, wondering what was to become of them.

About Sunday 15 May 1664

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"It's interesting to speculate why Uncle Wight, a successful tradesman, hasn't been pressing Sam for a share in the naval provisioning business."

Fish would probably be purchased by the Victualling Office, East Smithfield, which was located a little northeast of the Tower of London. It was a short (about 500m) walk from the Navy Office complex (and the Pepys' home) on Seething Lane. Pepys was appointed Surveyor-General of Victualling in November 1665, and if Uncle Wight is still around then, this question will undoubtedly have to be addressed.

About Painted Chamber, Westminster

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Friday 13 May 1664
"In the Painted Chamber I heard a fine conference between some of the two Houses upon the Bill for Conventicles."

Conferences held in the Painted Chamber between representatives of the House of Lords and the House of Commons took place in a hall between the two Houses, and therefore the proceedings were not recorded by either.

On this day Pepys' account is the best anywhere.

About Thursday 12 May 1664

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Friday 18 December 1663 -- "... and down to Woolwich, calling at Ham Creeke, ... and so to the Ropeyarde and Docke, discoursing several things, and so back again and did the like at Deptford, and I find that it is absolutely necessary for me to do thus once a weeke at least all the yeare round, which will do me great good, ..."

Pepys hasn't been able to make these weekly visits, but he is certainly there more frequently than last year.

About Tuesday 3 May 1664

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

I'm thinking this Countess of Pembroke must be that superb money-manager, Anne Clifford Sackville Herbert, Countess of Montgomery and Pembroke??? I wish they would spell it out ... I have so much trouble figuring out who's who!

About Tuesday 3 May 1664

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

William Hempson -- Clerk of the Survey at Chatham -- But on February 2, 1664: "This evening Mr. Hempson came and told me how Sir W. Batten his master will not hear of continuing him in his employment as Clerk of the Survey at Chatham, from whence of a sudden he has removed him without any new or extraordinary cause, and I believe (as he himself do in part write, and J. Norman do confess) for nothing but for that he was twice with me the other day and did not wait upon him." http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…

About Tuesday 3 May 1664

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"... sent home for another ..." -- Now when Sam had His Boy, he used him for such errands and we have assumed that Wayneman used to accompany Sam everywhere. So, who is he using here?

Reminder: Pepys was up late last night receiving 20 new gold coins from John Bland. He must have been invited over for what passed as breakfast today. So Pepys would use one of Mr. Bland's boys for the errand ... or go out in the street and hire an urchin.

What interests me more is what John Bland and Pepys discussed over breakfast. No doubt we will find out soon enough.

I miss Wayneman.

About Monday 2 May 1664

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"... whither comes Mr. Bland, and pays me the debt he acknowledged he owed me for my service in his business of the Tangier Merchant, twenty pieces of new gold, a pleasant sight. It cheered my heart; ..."

So much was done in trust in those days. Clearly Pepys was surprised by this, as the Tangier Merchant sailed in January 1663, and I don't recall him being financially strategic with his "favors" back then. Or perhaps Bland, realizing that this gratuity would be a good investment, paid a "debt" he didn't really owe. We shall never know, of course.

About Saturday 30 April 1664

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

After Bristol's impeachment of Clarendon in July 1663 Charles II issued a proclamation for his arrest for 'crimes of a high nature against the King's person and government' (25 August, 1663); it was now believed a charge of treason could be sustained. Bristol, in hiding, wrote letters from addresses in Flanders and France to give the impression he was out of reach. On 16 March, 1664 Charles II, judging he might return for the opening of parliament, tries to arrest Bristol both at his Queen St. house and at his country mansion, Wimbledon House, but Digby is said to have narrowly escaped. Charles II sent letters to the House of Lords via his wife, which the house refused to open when it met on March 21, 1664. The story that Charles II had persuaded parliament to adjourn in order to be legally able to arrest Bristol -- parliamentary immunity not yet being in force -- is not proved, but likely and commonly repeated. Bristol did not emerge from hiding until Lord Chancellor Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon's fall in 1667. (Per L&M footnote)

About Measles

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

One detail Terry missed that I see on this website:

"Measles may cause pregnant woman to give birth prematurely, or have a low-birth-weight baby."

Oh dear ...

About Saturday 30 April 1664

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"Never more quiet in my family all the days of my life than now, there being only my wife and I and Besse and the little girl Susan, the best wenches to our content that we can ever expect."

Besse must be a paragon of virtue ... cook, laundress, child-minder, companion, upstairs maid ... I hope she was paid better than the average!

About William Cutler

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

If Pepys wanted to meet with William Cutler, or his side-kick, Sir William Rider, he would often go to the Great James inn on Bishopsgate Street. It must have been what passed in those days as an office for the victualers as Pepys occasionally mentions there being others present.