Sunday 15 April 1660
(Lord’s day). Up early and was trimmed by the barber in the great cabin below. After that to put my clothes on and then to sermon, and then to dinner, where my Lord told us that the University of Cambridge had a mind to choose him for their burgess, which he pleased himself with, to think that they do look upon him as a thriving man, and said so openly at table. At dinner-time Mr. Cook came back from London with a packet which caused my Lord to be full of thoughts all day, and at night he bid me privately to get two commissions ready, one for Capt. Robert Blake to be captain of the Worcester, in the room of Capt. Dekings, an anabaptist, and one that had witnessed a great deal of discontent with the present proceedings. The other for Capt. Coppin to come out of that into the Newbury in the room of Blake, whereby I perceive that General Monk do resolve to make a thorough change, to make way for the King. From London I hear that since Lambert got out of the Tower, the Fanatiques had held up their heads high, but I hope all that will come to nothing. Late a writing of letters to London to get ready for Mr. Cook. Then to bed.
25 Annotations
First Reading
Nix • Link
The one-man Parliament!
"Burgess" in the sense that it is used here means member of parliament --
OED: "b. spec. One elected to represent his fellow-citizens in parliament; the member of parliament for a borough, corporate town, or university. Now only technical and Hist. The same term was used in some of the American colonies (as Virginia) to denote the representatives sent by the towns to the legislative body, which was called the ‘House of Burgesses’. "
So now, in addition to Dover and Weymouth, Montague is being offered the University's seat. A "thriving man" indeed.
Pauline • Link
"...for Capt. Coppin to come out of that..."
So Capt. Dekings is out, for political reasons, as captain of the Worcester; and Capt. Blake is given the commission as captain of the Worcester, moving from captain of the Newbury. And Capt. Coppin takes the vacancy on the Newbury. From whence came Coppin? Given our experience of typos and errors, and in pinning down with great dexterity a detail to next day be blown from the water, I am fain to say that the "that" that Coppin came out of is a mistranscription of "retirement."
My real question is: is there promotion involved in being moved from one ship to another. Why not just put Coppin in in Dekings' place?
And don't tell me that Dekings is a misspelling or a typo--the name is too fitting for this captain not trusted to support the king's return.
Jenny Doughty • Link
Google brought up the interesting information that the Newbury, which was built in 1654, was renamed Revenge after the Restoration and condemned in 1678. The Worcester was built in 1651, renamed Dunkirk after the Restoration and rebuilt in 1692. This suggests to me that perhaps the Worcester was a superior ship. Captains (as any reader of Patrick O'Brian will know) who were moved into larger or better ships certainly regarded themselves as being promoted.
Another reading of the 'Capt. Coppin to come out of that into the Newbury in the room of Blake' might be that Coppin was a new promotion from the ranks of the officers of the Worcester, transferred to the Newbury. It would be very difficult to be a captain in a ship in which one had been an officer among equals. However, we would need more information than I can turn up about Coppin to know that.
A scroll down this webpage - http://www.battleships-cruisers.c… - will turn up halfway down a painting of a 1650 battleship, and further down the details of the ship list of the 17th century.
Pauline • Link
"...from the ranks of the officers of the Worcester..."
Thank you, Jenny, this is very plausible by your thinking and fits well.
vincent • Link
A view of Capt Dekings and Anabaptist The Anabaptist View of the State: they appeared to consider revolution for change of Ruler(that is the bad ones (evil))
http://capo.org/premise/96/mar/p9…
Many . . . of the early Anabaptists believed that the state was part of the evil world-system from which believers were to separate themselves. If Satan were not actually the founder of the state, he had at least taken control of it. Consequently, believers were to separate themselves from the state as much as possible; they were not to vote, hold public office, serve in the armed forces, or involve themselves with government in any other way.
(Google on Anabaptist )
vk • Link
Oliver Cromwell was a member for Huntingdon in the 1628-29 Parliament, and then member for Cambridge in the Long Parliament. Edward Montagu was member for Huntingdon in the Long Parliament, so Cambridge may see him as Cromwell's successor in terms of local importance.
Mary • Link
Captain Coppping to come out of.......
At this point L&M reads:
Captain Copping to come out of the *
*footnote: 'Newbery' crossed out. Supply 'Langport'.
The Index vol. simply reiterates that Capt. John Coppin was transferred from the Newbury to the Langport on this date.It is not made clear whether the name of the Langport is adduced from research into Navy lists, or whether it is indicated in the manuscript.
Mary • Link
Addendum: the Langport.
This vessel was built in 1654 by Bright of Horsleydown. After the Restoration, she was renamed the Henrietta.
Matthew • Link
With reference to vk's annotation, was Cromwell's constituency in the Long Parliament Cambridge University or the town of Cambridge (assuming it was a parliamentary borough at the time)?
Emilio • Link
"an anabaptist, and one that had witnessed a great deal of discontent"
Today we see another step in the policy of moving Anabaptists out of positions of power in the fleet. Note also that 'witness' here is used in a sense opposite to the current one: Dekings has been displaying discontent himself rather than perceiving it in others.
And how familiar, to find Montagu so obviously pleased as he sees his star rising in the world. No wonder he and Sam get along well!
Emilio • Link
Monk vs. Montagu
It's also interesting that Sam sees Montagu doing this captain shuffle in response to a packet of letters from Monk in London. The two may be co-Generals at Sea, and Montagu the one actually with the fleet, but it seems that Monk still has the key role in setting policy.
I wonder if Montagu finds this galling, particularly after having just been basking in the light of his own importance back home. Some of Sam's emerging dislike of Monk would quite likely be coming from his Lord.
Nix • Link
Per Britannica online, Cromwell represented the borough, not the university:
"in the spring of 1640 Cromwell was elected member of Parliament for the borough of Cambridge, partly because of the important social position he held in Ely and partly because of his fame as 'Lord of the Fens'"
Allan • Link
Anabaptists. I believe these have been discussed in the annotations before. Could we have a link to that annotation?
David Bell • Link
The list of ships at http://www.battleships-cruisers.c… does distinguish between the different rates, since the 1st, 2nd, and 4th rates are distinguished from the rest.
The Newbury, Worcester, and Langport are all in the group of apparent 3rd rates, all fairly new ships, built less than a decade ago.
I doubt there's any great significance in the differences between ships, but I'd expect the Captains appointed to their ships at this time to be politically reliable -- this is a sign that Monck and Montagu trust these particular people.
Emilio • Link
Anabaptists
When in doubt, check out the Background section, although the word doesn't have a link in the text above.
http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo…
The BG annos include KVK's posting from the 1 April entry.
Phil • Link
There's a link in the diary entry now.
Emilio • Link
Cambridge and the captain shuffle
I just noticed footnotes in L&M that deal with a couple of issues we've been discussing.
First, there's this additional information related to the Cambridge seat: "Monck, elected both for Cambridge University and for Devonshire, had chosen to serve for the latter. The offer was thereupon transmitted to Mountagu. . . . But in the event Mountagu's cousin, William Mountagu, second son of Edward, 1st Baron Mountagu of Boughton, was returned." With all this jockeying for the same well-known men, MP's back then don't seem so much elected as searched for like modern executives, complete with headhunters and competing offers. With the right moves, they could probably get executive-level compensation as well.
Then more on a matter I had been wondering about: "Writing to Monck on 12 April, Mountagu had complained against Deakins of the Worcester as an Anabaptist 'much discontented & busye in stirringe up others', and against Newberry of the Plymouth who had a method of governing his ship which was 'very disconcertinge & wearisome to his men that are not of his way'. Mountagu asked that they should both be removed, but that he himself be spared the task of proposing their dismissal: Carte 73, f.399r (copy in Mountagu's hand). Deakins had been a favourite of Lawson's [the Vice-Admiral, who comes visiting tomorrow], who in fact had recently asked Mountagu to make him Rear-Admiral: ib., f.355r. He was now sent off to the Straits to convoy duty." So Montagu actually asked Monk to step in, as a means of passing the buck - as the man on the scene he didn't want to take personal responsible for getting rid of a favorite of one of his officers.
Horton Deakins • Link
Any thoughts on how we get from Daking to Dekings to Deakins? Obviously I would rather favour Deakins as the correct spelling.
Also, if someone was a captain in the RN, but subscribed to a set of religious beliefs that precluded service in the military, then either he was selective in his practice of those beliefs or was a recent convert, likely struggling with how to reconcile his beliefs with his career. And no, I am not (currently) an Anabaptist.
Aqua • Link
"ears to voice from the eyes."Any thoughts on how we get from Daking to Dekings to Deakins? " Not to too long before Auntie Beeb and gollywood got to brainwash us, each locality had its own incestous ways of speaking so that thy neighbour could ignore thee at will. [some had a spud in mouth, sum had a nasal blockage etc.]
For centuries before the mighty presses started distributing strange ideas of what the Bible said and created havoc with the clergy, each Laudly manor had its own version of kingly speech, so as more lads and lasses were allowed to learn their Catechism and some abc's , they would have differing ways os recording the local versions of Nouns. There was no computer making people spell uniformly so that the Royals [Governments] could not keep track of Hatches, Matches and Dispatches, so that they could collect poll taxes and other monies, tythes, donations. In Peps time his moniker had many spellings, but on the most part it pronounced the same? Peepes?
There be others that will have Pep_pay
as the rite weigh.
Deakins, ea a e is a luverly subject for learned ones in linguistics, ins ings , Many be lazy and drop the g as in 'untin' phish_in' and shoo_tin'
For an academic result ask LanguageHat.
I be just a macadamian nut and my simplistic version of speech evolution.
Second Reading
Dick Wilson • Link
The Army has agreed to stand by the decisions of the new Parliament. Monck and Sandwich have their choices of which seats to take in it. The final decision might well be based upon whom they exclude by selecting one seat over another. Each has doubtless made his own secret deal with the King. To bring in the King and to reap the rewards they have been promised, they need the friendliest Parliament they can arrange. Sandwich is still arranging for new MP's who will follow his own lead, first. He is not quite ready to start openly recruiting new MP's to form a Royalist party, to take direction from the King. His is a role requiring great subtlety. Whether Pepys realizes it yet or not, he must help Sandwich pull it off.
Bill • Link
I've added a little information on Capt. Coppin to the Encyclopedia/People/Capt. John Coppin
Terry Foreman • Link
"to dinner, where my Lord told us that the University of Cambridge had a mind to choose him for their burgess, which he pleased himself with, to think that they do look upon him as a thriving man, and said so openly at table."
L&M: Monck. elected both for Cambridge University and for Devonshire, had chosen to serve for the latter. This offer was thereupon transferred to Mountagu: W. Hetley to Mountagu, Cambridge, 12 April; Carte 73, f.400r. But in the event Mountagu's cousin, William Mountagu, second son of Edward, 1st Baron Mountagu of Boughton, was returned. Cf. M. B. Rex, University representation in Engl. 1604-90, pp. 198-200, App. vi.
Third Reading
San Diego Sarah • Link
The other day Montagu confided in Pepys that he has doubts about the reliability of Capt. Roger Cuttance, but did not mention Lt. David Lambert.
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
Today's note that Gen. John Lambert is firing up the opposition to the monarchy makes me wonder if David is related to John, which coincides with notes in his biographies. In which case, why didn't Montagu mention Lambert?
Apparently Montagu wasn't worried enough about Cuttance to request his removal.
Good management move making Monck the "bad" guy on these personnel changes.
San Diego Sarah • Link
" the University of Cambridge had a mind to choose him for their burgess"
"BURGESS -- In the context of Cambridge University, a representative in Parliament; in the context of the town either that or a freeman of the borough.
"From 1604 until the abolition of the University constituencies in 1950, resulting from the Representation of the People Act of 1948, the University returned two members of Parliament." --
https://www.lib.cam.ac.uk/univers…
"L&M: Monck, elected [as MP] both for Cambridge University and for Devonshire, had chosen to serve for the latter. This offer was thereupon transferred to Montagu"
So now Montagu now has his choice of 3 seats in the House of Commons.
Four months ago he was quietly retired at Hinchingbrooke, biding his time, hoping the world would turned upside down again. It's gratifying to come out on top of the rollercoaster of history, even if it doesn't necessarily last.
I see no harm in expressing gratitude and appreciation for the good times to your friends.
San Diego Sarah • Link
"Writing to Monck on 12 April, Montagu complained against Capt. Deakins of the Worcester as an Anabaptist ... and against Newberry of the Plymouth ... Montagu asked that they should both be removed, but that he be spared the task of proposing their dismissal: Carte 73, f.399r (copy in Montagu’s hand)."
So Montagu had not confided these misgivings to Pepys 2 days ago. In order for Monck to reply to Montagu this fast, there had to be relays of riders, pushing through a storm no less, and Monck replying immediately.
I think this demonstrates teamwork and support for Sandwich, not disrespect on Monck's part.
So I wonder why Emilio says "Some of Sam's emerging dislike of Monk would quite likely be coming from his Lord." I see no evidence to support this comment on anyone's part.