Friday 27 July 1660
The last night Sir W. Batten and Sir W. Pen came to their houses at the office. Met this morning and did business till noon. Dined at home and from thence to my Lord’s where Will, my clerk, and I were all the afternoon making up my accounts, which we had done by night, and I find myself worth about 100l. after all my expenses.
At night I sent to W. Bowyer to bring me 100l., being that he had in his hands of my Lord’s. in keeping, out of which I paid Mr. Sheply all that remained due to my Lord upon my balance, and took the rest home with me late at night. We got a coach, but the horses were tired and could not carry us farther than St. Dunstan’s. So we ’light and took a link and so home weary to bed.
19 Annotations
First Reading
Paul Brewster • Link
At night I sent ...
L&M's wording: At night, I sent to W. Bowyer to bring me a 100l bag that he hath in his hands of my Lord's in keeping, out of which I paid Mr. Sheply all that remains due to my Lord upon my balance, and took the rest home with me late at night.
-- the word bag is missing from Wheatley
-- the extraneous period after “Lord’s” and before “in keeping” is a Gutenberg scan error.
vincent • Link
". So we ‘light and took a link and so home weary to bed." 'light= alight ? i.e. set ourselves down then had a lad light the way.
"and I find myself worth about 100l. after all my expenses. " It appears he enjoyed the fruits of his Labo(u)r. Has any body done an audit on this account?
Would be quite an exercise, would it not?
Quigley • Link
Vincent- 'light= alight ? Yes, but probably as the intransitive verb "to come down from something (as a vehicle)" rather than the adjective "being on fire:lighted up"
So they alight from the coach, but what does "and took a link" mean?
Mary • Link
.... took a link....
means that Sam employed a link-boy to light him home, a 'boy' of whatever age carrying a torch who walked slightly ahead of his hirer to light his footsteps.
Pauline • Link
"...I paid Mr. Sheply all that remained due to my Lord upon my balance..."
Is this clear to anyone?
It seems to say that Sam takes my lord's money from Bowyer to give (pay up his account with) my lord through Sheply. A sort of borrowing from Peter to pay Paul, but Peter and Paul are just agents for the same man. ???
And I'm surprised that Bowyer holds money for my lord. Or does he hold the Earl's money at Sam's behest?
John Richards • Link
Checking with Economic History Services, I find that SP's £100 was worth £9053.74 in 2002.
mw • Link
Vincent others inform me that tracking the money is a good exercise right throught the diary. So far the finances are in good form and fun to track. Not too difficult.
vincent • Link
linking to Mary's link see Steve H feb 4/5th or use search:
An aside: I wonder if he still gave a farthing or a mite or two;
The boy maybe known as a Glym Jack.( A link boy who carries a glym) ( glymmer of hope maybe?)
Rainer Doehle • Link
"We got a coach, but the horses were tired and could not carry us farther than St. Dunstan’s."
That's like today taking a taxi that runs out of fuel and can't get you any further. But as was pointed out in yesterday's annotation, Sam doesn't mind taking walks from time to time and from St. Dunstan's to his home it's only some 200 yards anyway.
Reminds me of that discussion here about taxi cab drivers and their bale of hay - looks like this coachman didn't give his horses enough to eat or drink.
Second Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
Today in the House of Lords http://www.british-history.ac.uk/…
King's Speech to them (and the House of Commons) to urge "the speedy Dispatch of the Act of Indemnity, as a necessary Foundation of that Security we all pray for. "
Timeline for the enactment of "An Act of Free and General Pardon, Indemnity, and Oblivion" which fulfilled the suggestion given in the Declaration of Breda that reprisals against the establishment which had developed during the English Interregnum would be restricted to those who had officiated in the regicide of King Charles I. The passage of the Indemnity and Oblivion Act through the Convention Parliament was secured by Lord Clarendon, the first minister of King Charles II, and it became law on 29 August 1660 during the first year of the English Restoration.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inde…
Dick Wilson • Link
What happened to the poor horses? If they were too spent to pull a coach with people in, were they able to pull the empty coach back to their stable? Or did the coachman have to abandon his vehicle, take these horses to a stable and return with another team to retrieve his coach? Or did one or more literally die in harness? Sam doesn't know, and can't tell us. And did link boys lounge about the streets, looking for trade? How hard was it to find one when you wanted one?
Bill • Link
The link boys should have been easy to spot!
john • Link
"What happened to the poor horses?" Given the treatment of urban horses at a later time (http://www.uctc.net/access/30/Acc… for example but there must be better references), one feared the worst.
Third Reading
San Diego Sarah • Link
"And did link boys lounge about the streets, looking for trade? How hard was it to find one when you wanted one?"
I think it's much like finding a taxi today -- if you're in a busy area, there were lots of them. If you needed one from your home on a back street, better hire your local teenager to help you.
San Diego Sarah • Link
I was wondering why Pepys and Hewer did his accounts at Sandwich's apartments at Whitehall, until I realized they were probably settling up from the voyage in March-April-May, and Sandwich must have had the books.
Pepys lost a lot of games of ninepins if I remember correctly.
@@@
"A sort of borrowing from Peter to pay Paul, but Peter and Paul are just agents for the same man. ?"
Yes, Admiral Montagu's official expenses are Peter, and Cousin Edward's winnings at ninepins are Paul, Pauline.
San Diego Sarah • Link
"W. Bowyer to bring me 100/., being that he had in his hands of my Lord’s."
Will Bowyer works at the Exchequer, which was also at Whitehall. So the government owed Adm. Montagu 100/., and Clerk Pepys takes what he's owed for the voyage from that to pay off his personal running balance with Cousin Edward.
Or something.
San Diego Sarah • Link
From today's House of Lord's entry:
"The Earl of Pembrooke reported from the Committee for Privileges, "That the Opinion of the Committee was, That the King's Counsel be appointed to bring in a Charge against the Lord Viscount Purbeck within a short Time, or else that he be discharged:"
"It is Ordered, That he be bailed, giving his own Security of Ten Thousand Pounds for his Appearance. To this Purpose, the Gentleman Usher is to bring him to this Bar Tomorrow Morning."
BUT: Viscount Purbeck was a title in the Peerage of England that was created on 19 July, 1619, for John Villiers, the brother of George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham and the 1st Earl of Angelsey. It became extinct upon his death without legitimate issue on 18 February, 1657.
(In 1621 Purbeck's wife had deserted him and went to live with Sir Robert Howard. On 19 October, 1624, she gave birth to a son, known as Robert Danvers, and in October she was convicted of adultery. She died at Oxford on 4 June, 1645.)
The peerage became extinct, although the claim to it was put forward by Robert Danvers, and was for many years a cause célèbre.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joh…
So don't Google "1660 Purbeck" or "the 2nd Viscount Purbeck" because you won't find anything.
San Diego Sarah • Link
And look who's seated next to Sandwich in the House of Lords:
"Upon Information to the House, "That His Majesty hath conferred a Title of Honour upon the Lord Steward, the Marquis of Ormonde;" and his Lordship being in the Lobby, the House appointed the Lord Great Chamberlain, the Earl of Bedford, and the Earl of Strafford, with Garter at Arms, to introduct him in the usual Manner.
And his Lordship delivering his Patent to the Lord Chancellor, it was read publicly by the Clerk of the Parliament. The said Patent bears Date the 20th Day of July, 12 Car'l. II. and creates his Lordship Baron De Lanthony, and Earl of Brecknock.
Which done, he was brought to his Place and Seat, next below the Earl of Sandwich."
So James Butler is the Marquis of Ormonde now. Well deserved.
San Diego Sarah • Link
Ah -- Ormonde is introduced as the Earl of Brecknock.
Ormonde is an Irish title, and as such cannot sit in this Parliament, so Charles II made him an English/Welsh Earl while he was about it, and it is in this capacity that he joins the House of Lords.
(Wales and England have a "special relationship" older than Scotland and Ireland, so they did sit in the Lords. Please don't ask me explain. I can't. Just is. Tradition.)