Bill

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Bill has posted 2,777 annotations/comments since 9 March 2013.

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Second Reading

About Gammon

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GAMMON, a Thigh, Ham, or Shoulder.
---An Universal Etymological English Dictionary. N. Bailey, 1675.

About Royal Oak

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Upon the defeat at Worcester, Charles and [Major Careless] eluded the search of Cromwell's emissaries, by concealing themselves in an oak, in Boscobel-wood, on the borders of Staffordshire.—-After the Restoration, the oak seemed to be held in as great veneration by the English, as it ever was among the ancients. Oak-leaves were worn on the 29th of May, by people of all ranks: the very horses were dressed with boughs, and every tower was crowned with branches of oak. The populace regaled themselves in oaken bowers, and the sign of the Royal Oak was erected in almost every town and village in the kingdom. The people went in pilgrimages to the tree itself: a great part of it was cut away, and converted into tobacco-stoppers, hafts of knives, and other memorials; and many plants were propagated from its acorns. The remains of this tree are enclosed with a brick wall, the inside of which is covered with laurel.
---A Biographical History of England. J. Granger, 1769.

About Balthasar St Michel ('Balty', brother-in-law)

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Pepys seems to have done well for his brother-in-law in later life, although, from the entries in the Diary, he does not appear to have had a high opinion of him. St. Michel was Muster Master at Deal in 1674, Storekeeper at Tangier in 1681, and Naval Commissioner at Deptford in 1685.
---Wheatley, 1899.

About Three Cranes (Poultry)

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This Three Cranes tavern was situated in the Poultry. There is a token of George Twine, dated 1665 (see "Boyne's Trade Tokens," ed. Williamson, vol. i., 1889, p. 704).
---Wheatley, 1899.

About Thomas Betterton

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BETTERTON, THOMAS (1635?-1710), actor and dramatist; probably first acted in company licensed to Rhodes, a bookseller, 1659, his chief successes being in 'Pericles,' the 'Mad Lover,' the 'Loyal Subject,' the 'Bondman,' and the 'Changeling'; joined Sir John Davenant's company at Lincoln's Inn Fields Theatre, 1661; visited Paris by royal command, with view of introducing in England improvements in dramatic representation; played Hamlet, 1661, and Mercutio, Sir Toby Belch, Macbeth, and Bosola ('Duchess of Malfi'), 1662-6; associated after Davenant's death (1668) with Harris and Davenant's son Charles in management of Dorset Garden Theatre, 1671; played Orestes in Charles Davenant's 'Circe,' OEdipus in Dryden and Lee's 'OEdipus,' Timon of Athens, King Lear, Troilus, and other characters in adaptations of Shakespeare by Dryden, Shadwell, and Tate; amalgamated with the rival company of Drury Lane, 1682; opened 'theatre in Little Lincoln's Inn Fields,' 1695; produced successfully Congreve's 'Love for Love,' Congreve undertaking to provide a play each year, a promise which was not kept; opened theatre erected by Sir John Vanbrugh in Haymarket, 1705, but resigned management to Congreve and Vanbrugh; performances of 'Love for Love' (1709) and the 'Maid's Tragedy' (1710) given for his benefit at Haymarket; highly esteemed as an actor by most of his contemporaries. His dramas include the 'Roman Virgin,' acted 1670, adapted from Webster's 'Appius and Virginia,' the 'Prophetess,' 1690, an opera from the 'Prophetess' of Beaumont and Fletcher, 'King Henry IV,' 1700 (in which he played Falstaff), from Shakespeare, the 'Amorous Widow,' c.1670, from Moliere's 'Georges Dandin,' and the 'Bondman,' 1719, from Massinger.
---Dictionary of National Biography: Index and Epitome. S. Lee, 1906.

About Alphonso Marsh

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Alphonso, son of Robert Marsh, one of the musicians in ordinary to Charles I., baptized at St. Margaret's, Westminster, January 28th, 1627.
---Wheatley, 1899.

About Sir John Robartes (2nd Baron Robartes, Lord Privy Seal)

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ROBARTES, Sir JOHN, first Earl Of Radnor, second Baron Robartes, and second baronet (1606-1685), of Exeter College, Oxford; succeeded his father as second baron Robartes, 1634; voted with the popular party during the Long parliament; he became a colonel in Essex's army, and in 1644 held the rank of field-marshal; was a strong presbyterian, and after Charles I's execution took no further share in public affairs; made at the Restoration lord-deputy of Ireland, an office which he exchanged for that of lord privy seal; closely associated with Clarendon's opponents from 1663; appointed lord-lieutenant of Ireland, 1669; recalled, 1670; created Earl of Radnor, 1679; appointed lord president of the council, 1679.
---Dictionary of National Biography: Index and Epitome. S. Lee, 1906.

About Sir John Robartes (2nd Baron Robartes, Lord Privy Seal)

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The Lord Privy Seal was John, Lord Robartes, and his house stood at the corner of Paradise Row and Robinson's Lane. Lord Robartes was created Earl of Radnor in 1679, and one of the streets in the neighbourhood of his house is called Radnor Street.
---Wheatley, 1899.

About William Craven (1st Earl of Craven)

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William, first Earl of Craven, eldest son of Sir William Craven, born 1606. Knighted by Charles I. in 1627, and a few days later created Baron Craven of Hampstead Marshall, Berks. He was rich, and aided the king with money; but in 1649 his estates were confiscated. He recovered them at the Restoration, and in 1664 he was created Earl of Craven. High Steward of the University of Cambridge, 1667, and Master of the Trinity House, 1670-71. He was a devoted adherent of the Queen of Bohemia, and was supposed to be married to her, but there is no direct evidence of such marriage. He died April 9th, 1697.
---Wheatley, 1899.

About Matthew Nicholas

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NICHOLAS, MATTHEW (1594-1661), dean of St. Paul's; brother of Sir Edward Nicholas; scholar of Winchester College and New College, Oxford; D.C.L., 1627; canon of Salisbury and dean of Bristol; 1639; canon of Westminster, 1642; deprived at the rebellion; canon and dean of St Paul's, London, 1660.
---Wheatley, 1899.

About Friday 16 August 1661

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"the famous Tom Fuller is dead of it"

Dr. Thomas Fuller, who died on this day, was buried at Cranford, Middlesex, by his patron, Lord Berkeley. Dr. Hardy, Dean of Rochester, preached his funeral sermon. — Smyth's Obituary, p. 54.
---Wheatley, 1899.

About Thursday 15 August 1661

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"so home after we had made shift to fuddle Mr. Falconer"

To SHIFT ... 5. To practice indirect methods.
SHIFT ... 3. Fraud; artifice; strategem.
---A Dictionary Of The English Language. Samuel Johnson, 1756.

To FUDDLE, to bib or drink till one is tipsey or drunken.
---An Universal Etymological English Dictionary. N. Bailey, 1675.

About Thursday 15 August 1661

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"Sir H. Finch, reader at the Temple"

Sir Heneage Finch, the Solicitor-General, was treasurer of the Inner Temple, and was selected as autumn reader, when he revived the splendid festivities which had long been discontinued.
---Wheatley, 1899.

A Reader - This gentleman was selected from the utter barristers, and being elected reader, was in due course called to be a Master of the Bench. He had, during his period of office, precedence over other Masters of the Bench, and certain privileges with regard to the admission of members. He was however required to give entertainments which were of a costly character, and this he could only avoid by refusing the readership and paying a substantial fine to the house.
---The Inner Temple: Its Early History. 1896.

Finch had early secured the favour of Charles, and upon his appointment as Autumn Reader in 1661 he gave one of the most magnificent entertainments ever recorded in the Inner Temple Hall. The feast lasted several days, and was honoured on the last day by the presence of the King in person, accompanied by the Duke of York.
---The Inner and Middle Temple, H.H. Leigh Bellot, 1902.

About Neat Houses

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"some trees near the Neate houses"

Neat Houses (The), at Chelsea, in the low ground by the Thames side west of Vauxhall Bridge. The name clearly points to the original purposes of the houses: neat-house = cow-house. The parish of St. Gabriel's, Pimlico, now occupies the site of the Neat House estate, belonging to St. George's, Hanover Square.

The Neat Houses are a parcel of Houses most seated on the banks of the river Thames, and inhabited by gardeners, for which it is of note for the supplying London and Westminster Markets with Asparagus, Artichoaks, Cauliflowers, Musmelons, and the like useful things that the earth produceth; which by reason of their keeping the ground so rich by dunging it (and through the nearness of London they have the soil cheap) doth make their crops very forward, to their great profit, in coming to such good markets.—Strype, B. vi. p.67.
---London, Past and Present. H.B. Wheatley, 1891.

There are encyclopedia entries for:
Neat's Tongue: www.pepysdiary.com/encyclopedia/1…
Neat's Feet: www.pepysdiary.com/encyclopedia/5…

There is a discussion of Neat Houses in the annotations of 19 August 1661.

About Monday 22 July 1661

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"the chappell with brave pictures"

BRAVE, courageous, gallant, excellent, skillful.
---An Universal Etymological English Dictionary. N. Bailey, 1675.

About Sidney Mountagu (son of Sandwich)

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Hon. Sidney Montagu assumed the name of Wortley, and was father of Edward Wortley Montagu (husband of Lady Mary Wortley Montagu). He died in 1727.
---Wheatley, 1899.

About St James-the-Less

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The old parish church of St. James the Less, Clerkenwell, was pulled down in 1788, and the first stone of the present church was laid on December 16th of that year. The church was completed in 1792.
---Wheatley, 1899.

About Friday 9 August 1661

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"we went up to his chamber over the gate at White Hall"

The Signet and Privy Seal office was situated in what is now Whitehall Yard, a little north of the site of the United Service Institution.
---Wheatley, 1899.

About Friday 9 August 1661

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"his father is a dying"

Mr. Pierce did not die at this time, and is mentioned in the Diary on September 18th, 1665.
---Wheatley, 1899.