Thursday 14 June 1660
Up to my Lord and from him to the Treasurer of the Navy for 500l.. After that to a tavern with Washington the Purser, very gallant, and ate and drank. To Mr. Crew’s and laid my money.
To my Lady Pickering with the plate that she did give my Lord the other day.
Then to Will’s and met William Symons and Doling and Luellin, and with them to the Bull-head, and then to a new alehouse in Brewer’s Yard, where Winter that had the fray with Stoakes, and from them to my father’s.
19 Annotations
First Reading
Larry Bunce • Link
Pepy's silence on the subject of his wife is getting louder. I would wonder if their reunion went badly. Sam is excited about his sudden rise in station, his hobnobbing with royalty, and his wife starts out scolding him for leaving her alone for so long, complaining about her accomodations, and wondering when their house will be ready again. Sam may be realising that he will always be just the ordinary Sam Pepys she married to his wife, and that she will never be able to appreciate the world he is now moving in.
chip • Link
Yes Mister Bunce, I too noted how little SP has mentioned EP. Is it possible that Sam feels beyond her? It is always difficult for the traveller to relate the journey to those left behind. But Sam's world is now much larger than it was not 3 months ago. This had to affect the marriage.
Mary • Link
Let's not read too much into Sam's failure
to mention his wife at the end of each day. He's busy networking and these entries are just succint notes of who he's met and what he's arranged each day. If the reunion had gone badly, I'm sure we should have heard about it. Once he's settled his new work-pattern I'm sure he'll find time to make domestic notes again.
Firenze • Link
Bit of stereotyping going on - casting Mrs P as a nagging shrew on total absence of evidence. Au contraire - bringing in my own generalisation here - men do not comment when things are satisfactory/normal. Only the exceptional requires record: would he really note a spot of ink on the tablecloth and NOT 'my wife uncommon peevish'?
Second Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
L&M transcribe "To Mr. Crew’s and laid the [not 'my'] money."
This is consistent with his apparent role as a carrier of government funds from point A to point B for Mountagu: ."Up to my Lord and from him to the Treasurer of the Navy for 500l."
Terry Foreman • Link
"to a new alehouse in Brewer’s Yard, where Winter that had the fray with Stoakes"
L&M note William Winter, a merchant, had had a dispute with Capt John Stoakes about a prize taken c. 1657 in the Mediterranean (CSPD 1659-60, pp/ 289-90 [subscription required]).
The Journals of the House of Commons show Captain Stoakes' case referred from the Council of State was "referred to the Court of Admiralty: And [ordered] that they determine it according to Justice: And that the Proceedings at Law in the Upper-Bench, or elsewhere, by William Winter, against the said John Stoakes, be staid in the mean time."
Journals of the House of Commons, Volume 7, By Great Britain House of Commons p. 868, 8 March 1659
http://books.google.com/books?id=…
Tonyel • Link
"to the Treasurer of the Navy for 500l. After that to a tavern......."
Would this have been in gold? A huge amount to risk in a pub!
Dick Wilson • Link
Tonyel: More probably than not, it is in gold coin. Heavy, as well as risky to transport. These people need the Bank of
England desperately, but they do not know that.
Chris Squire UK • Link
I agree with Tonyel: it seems extraordinary that he didn't deliver the money (which one might think of as £100k in today's money) straight away before he went for his dinner.
Terry Foreman • Link
Might the "money" Pepys carries from the "Treasurer of the Navy" (an office) to John Crew by way of an alehouse have been a promissory note? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prom…
L&M in the Companions article on Finances note how much of the transfer of fungible wealth was handled this way.
(For a link to that article, see my next post [below]._
Terry Foreman • Link
"These people need the Bank of England desperately, but they do not know that."
Going forward to August 17 1666: "Sir Richard Ford did very understandingly, methought, give us an account of the originall of the Hollands Bank, and the nature of it, and how they do never give any interest at all to any person that brings in their money, though what is brought in upon the public faith interest is given by the State for. The unsafe condition of a Bank under a Monarch, and the little safety to a Monarch to have any; or Corporation alone (as London in answer to Amsterdam) to have so great a wealth or credit, it is, that makes it hard to have a Bank here." http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
The recent and proximate occasions justifying such concerns are noted here in the Companions article on Finances:
http://books.google.com/books?id=…
What was thought at the time by Sir Richard Ford, who'd lived in Holland and had pondered these things. http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo….
Bill • Link
Not to over-prolong this discussion but... A consortium lent William III 1.2 million pounds. They then sold that debt (which the king owed them) as small promissory notes to the public. Voila! Paper Currency. National Debt. Ain't Central Banks great?
Terry Foreman • Link
"To my Lady Pickering with the plate that she did give my Lord the other day."
A banking theme?!
Items of silver were assets that, like gold coin and bars, stored personal wealth. Plate was used to secure and/or discharge debts at that time as well as ornent glass-fronted chests and the dinner table for the admiration of guests..
Third Reading
San Diego Sarah • Link
"To Mr. Crew’s and laid my/the money."
John Crew had a big house in Lincoln's Inn Fields, presumably with a basement, which would include a locked vault for just this sort of thing. And probably his wine collection as well, all under lock and key.
Also in the basement would be the coal cellar and a room full of barrels in which the waste from the house of office would collect.
https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
Terry Foreman • Link
In the House of Lords this day.
Major Rolph, for conspiring the Death of the late King, in the Isle of Wight.
This Day Major Rolph was brought to the Bar as a Delinquent; and Richard Osborne, and Dowcett, the Witnesses, had their Oath given them at the Bar.
And then Osborne was demanded what he had to charge Major Rolph withal.
And he produced a printed Paper formerly printed, which were Letters he formerly (fn. 1) wrote: (Here enter them.) And Osborne said, upon his Oath, "That the Matter in that printed Paper was true."
Dowcett also delivered in a Paper of Information; which was read: (Here enter it.) And he avouched the same to be true, by the Oath that he had taken. But nothing new, but what was formerly given in Evidence.
Major Rolph was asked what he could say for (fn. 2) himself, to quit him for this horrid Offence of conspiring the late King's Death at Carrisbrooke Castle.
He denied himself to be guilty of any such horrid Thing, as to have a Design to make away the King at Carisbrooke Castle: That he was for this Business tried at Winchester Assizes, by Order of both Houses of Parliament; and was there quitted by the Grand Jury. And he laid Hold upon the King's Gracious Offer of Pardon, in His Declaration.
The Lord Chancellor being now present, the Lord Chief Baron adjourned the House during Pleasure; and the Lord Chancellor sat upon the Woolsack as Speaker, and resumed the House.
ORDERED, That this Business concerning Rolph be recommended to the Judges, to consider and state this Business, and report to this House, that their Lordships may see whether there be Ground sufficient to except the said Rolph from His Majesty's Gracious Offer of Pardon.
https://www.british-history.ac.uk…
LKvM • Link
Regarding comments made above about Sam's "sudden rise in station, his hobnobbing with royalty," and that he "may be realising . . . that she will never be able to appreciate the world he is now moving in," it would be good to note that she is the daughter of impoverished but legitimately aristocratic Huguenot refugees from France and that her parents undoubtedly thought that when she married "ordinary Sam Pepys" she had married beneath HER station, when in fact he is now rising to it.
Sam Ursu • Link
The Bank of England was not formed until 1694, so the only promissory notes used in England (and then, almost exclusively in London) at this time were from goldsmiths, making it highly unlikely that Pepys received £500 in paper form.
Furthermore, I'd say that the line "laid out my money" also pretty much confirms that we're talking about physical coins here (as opposed to tally sticks, etc).
Doing a little back of the envelope math, £500 in gold sovereigns (the highest value coin at that time) would've weighed just under 8 kilos (~17 American pounds), which is certainly heavy but not unfeasible for lugging around to taverns and the like.
Anything else, such as coins of smaller denominations would've greatly increased the weight. Furthermore, silver coins in this era were quite untrustworthy as most had been clipped or were badly worn or were outright forgeries made with baser metals (under Isaac Newton, in 1696, when he was head of the Mint, the "Great Recoinage" was implemented to try and clean up this problem).
That's why you see elites in this era using items like (silver) plate and expensive pieces of furniture in order to perform high-value transactions.
San Diego Sarah • Link
At Court today, more supplicants for Charles II's bounty:
A more perfect account of the Address of the University of Oxford to his Majesty, on Friday June 14. [SIC]
THe Vice chancellor, Doctors, Proctors and Masters above the number of 120, all in their formalities came from Darby House, accompanied by the Earl of Southampton (by reason of the indisposition of their Chancellor the Lord Marquess of Hertford) to Whitehall, where the Vice-chancellor humbly saluted his Majesty with a Speech, and presenting a book of Verses upon his happy Re∣turn, found a gracious acceptance, and they had the honour to kiss his Majesties hand.
These are to signifie, that many of that University are much injured in the mangling and mis-printing their Verses.
FROM: "An exact accompt, communicating the chief transactions of the three nations, England, Ireland, and Scotland : With the daily votes and resolves in both houses of Parliament."
Williams, Oliver, fl. 1657-1670, editor., Redmayne, John, fl. 1659-1688, publisher.
[no.101 (15 June - 22 June 1660)]
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo…
San Diego Sarah • Link
Two weeks have elapsed since Charles II returned to London. The new Ambassadors are arriving, and already secret neetings are being held.
Chancellor Edward Hyde has established himself temporarily at Worcester House, so events there escape the Court's prying eyes.
Back in 1644, King Joao IV of Portugal, in an effort to reinforce his standing, had sent his ambassador to England to negotiate a marriage between King Charles’ eldest son, Charles the Prince of Wales, and his daughter, the Infanta Catherine. Because of the Civil Wars, the negotiations were never carried out.
Exhausted with fighting the Spaniards, King Joao died in 1656 leaving his remarkable wife, Luisa de Guzman, as regent for young King Afonso.
Queen Regent Luisa continued the fight against the dominance of Spain and enhanced Portugal’s independence through military and commercial endeavors.
Luisa soon started negotiating Catherine’s hand in marriage. At first she contemplated a marriage with Louis XIV. When that didn’t materialize, in 1660 she turned to England.
A secret meeting was set up with her ambassador and Charles II. The Portuguese offered Tangier which could be used as a base for trade in the Mediterranean, Bombay, a gateway for trade with India, free trade with Brazil and the East Indies and an enormous amount of cash, £300,000.
After a year of negotiations and overcoming his doubts about marrying a Catholic princess, Charles II announced he would marry Catherine of Braganza before Parliament on May 8, 1661. [A YEAR MEANS PRELIMINARY NEGOTIATIONS BEGAN ABOUT NOW,]
(FROM https://thefreelancehistorywriter… }
As soon as the Restoration seemed probable, the Portuguese ambassador Dom Francisco de Mello sounded out Gen. Monck as to the prospects of renewing the old project of marrying the restored Charles II to the Infanta Catherine of Braganza.
(ib. xvii. 221; EACHARD, History of England, p. 81; KENNET, Register and Chronicle, p. 394).
Charles II's return on May 29, 1660 was quickly followed by a formal proposal of the alliance. The terms offered were tempting: Tangiers, to command the mouth of the Mediterranean; Bombay, with full trading privileges in the Indies; religious and commercial freedom for English subjects in Portugal, and the vast portion of 2,000,000 of crusados (about 300,000/.) Protection from Spain and Holland, full yet defined liberty of Catholic worship for the Infanta Catherine, were trifling concessions for such great advantages.
In a secret council at Clarendon's house, Charles II expressed his willingness to proceed with the matter.
in the autumn the Portuguese ambassador Dom Francisco de Mello, confident of a successful conclusion, returned to Portugal to get further instructions.
(FROM https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Ca… )
Luisa de Guzman https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…