Monday 24 December 1660

In the morning to the office and Commissioner Pett (who seldom comes there) told me that he had lately presented a piece of plate (being a couple of flaggons) to Mr. Coventry, but he did not receive them, which also put me upon doing the same too; and so after dinner I went and chose a payre of candlesticks to be made ready for me at Alderman Backwell’s. To the office again in the afternoon till night, and so home, and with the painters till 10 at night, making an end of my house and the arch before my door, and so this night I was rid of them and all other work, and my house was made ready against to-morrow being Christmas day. This day the Princess Royal died at Whitehall.

20 Annotations

First Reading

PHE  •  Link

The telling of time
By what means would Sam Have known it was 10 at night? By the bells of a nearby church, or by a clock on his mantlepiece?

Brian G McMullen  •  Link

The telling of time.

Actually, the technology seems to be well on the move by the mid 1600's. SP is probably as accurate with time as most of us are with our !@^$#&%^$ fangled digital display devices.

The Clockmakers' Company is an active City of London craft guild or "Livery Company". It was founded under a Royal Charter of King Charles I in 1631. The charter's first statement is:

That a body should be set up for ever, "by the name of the Master, Wardens, and Fellowship of the Art or Mystery of Clockmaking of the City of London", to include all English-born clockmakers, whether freemen or not, who live within the City, or a radius of ten miles around it.

More information will be posted under the Science and Technology heading.

Brian G McMullen  •  Link

So who has paid for all this work?

I am beginning to believe that the 'government' is spending lots of money on SP's pet project. My reason is he has not once mentioned how much this is costing him. SP and his money are not parted easily and I believe he would have had a word or two about cost overruns by this point.

vincent  •  Link

Telling of time: SP does tell us on 16th jan 1660
"...staid up till the bell-man came by with his bell just under my window as I was writing of this very line, and cried, "Past one of the clock, and a cold, frosty, windy morning." ..."

Another method was by bells [1 to 8 ea 1/2 hr]now that he is in a navy establishment with some old salts-[tars] they would have a man do the 'onors for a mere 1/4d.
Also another possibility that there were some clock towers around, and bells from some of the churches did strike a few bells, to announce the hour of curfew . Mundane things like time, was not of the essence[?tempus fugit]. The Churches did strike to call the faithful to fill the pews { 'tis why he was always available and on time for a little light listening on the dull days: the bells tolled} and bells tell of other notable events.
see fri nov 21 for bell navy connection

vincent  •  Link

"... Commissioner Pett (who seldom comes there) told me that he had lately presented a piece of plate (being a couple of flaggons) to Mr. Coventry, but he did not receive them, which also put me upon doing the same too; and so after dinner I went and chose a payre of candlesticks to be made ready for me at Alderman Backwell's …”
Benefits are acceptable, while the receiver thinks he may return them; but once exceeding that, hatred is given instead of thanks.
[Lat., Beneficia usque eo laeta sunt dum videntur exsolvi posse; ubi multum antevenere pro gratia odium redditur.]
- Tacitus (Caius Cornelius Tacitus), Annales (IV, 18)
To accept a favor is to sell one’s freedom.
[Lat., Beneficium accipere, libertatem est vendere.]
- Syrus (Publilius Syrus), Maxims

jamie yeager  •  Link

Who paid?
It's been mentioned earlier that the Navy owns the house, and that workmen from Deptford dockyard had performed most of the structural/carpentry/joinery around the place. Interior decoration case is not clear, but on evidence of Sam not complaining about the price of gilt, leather, paint, wall hangings, etc, suspect Navy labor as well.

Terry F  •  Link

Act abolishing Relics of Feudalism and Fixing an Excise

(1660. December 24. 12 Charles II c. 24. 5 S. R. 259.)

[Short title: Tenures Abolition Act 1660] http://home.freeuk.net/don-aitken…

[441] The end of the strictly feudal period of English land law came in 1660, when Tenures Abolition Act 1660 abolished most of the remaining incidents of tenure.
The Act converted all tenures into free and common socage, and prohibited other types of tenure being created in future.
It also abolished all incidents of value, except forfeiture and escheat.
Socage tenure was not affected, except by the abolition of incidents (of which aids had been the only one in any way burdensome). http://mysite.dingley.net/samfred…

Second Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

In Lords chamber

Bills passed. http://www.british-history.ac.uk/…

"An Act for taking away the Court of Wards and Liveries, and Tenures in Capite, and by Knights Service, and Purveyance, and for settling a Revenue upon His Majesty in Lieu thereof."

To which the Clerk of the Parliament pronounced the Royal Assent, in these Words:

"Le Roy le veult."

"An Act for a Grant of certain Impositions upon Beer and Ale, and other Liquors, for the Increase of His Majesty's Revenue, during His Life."

The Clerk of the Parliament pronounced the Royal Assent, in these Words:

"Le Roy, remerciant Ses bons Subjects, accepte leur Benevolence, et ainsi le veult."

joe fulm  •  Link

According to Pepys on the 21st the Princess Royal Mary was 'dangerously ill'. On the 22nd he said the painters were finishing up. On this day, the 24th, the Princess Royal Mary dies and the painters are still in situ until 10 at night. Since Pepys has been out of the house the last two days have the painters been taking it easy as historical events came to pass?

Terry Foreman  •  Link

Tenures Abolition Act 1660

This act essentially converted feudal dues owed by a farmer to the lord/ landowner (e.g. providing a crop grown on the land, or military service in wartime) to the cash payment of rent. This act was among the forces that, at this time, increased the pressure on the need for more and better coins and cash-equivalents.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"Commissioner Pett (who seldom comes there) told me that he had lately presented a piece of plate (being a couple of flaggons) to Mr. Coventry, but he did not receive them, which also put me upon doing the same too;"

L&M: Perhaps in similar expectation of their being returned? See http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…

Third Reading

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"This act essentially converted feudal dues owed by a farmer to the lord/ landowner (e.g. providing a crop grown on the land, or military service in wartime) to the cash payment of rent."

So was this the end of the obligation of the nobility to provide a company of soldiers whenever the king declared war?
If that's true, it must mean that Parliament has tactically accepted the necessity of having a national army, not a part-time, ad hoc, partisan, unreliable rabble, hopefully under the supervision of a experienced soldier?
Charles II needed a Royalist New Model Army -- but we know Parliament wasn't supportive of that idea.

LKvM  •  Link

"Commissioner Pett (who seldom comes there) told me that he had lately presented a piece of plate (being a couple of flaggons) to Mr. Coventry, but he did not receive them . . . ."
At first I thought that "he did not receive them" meant that they had somehow gone astray on the way to Coventry, but apparently everybody but me knew that "receive" here means "accept." Coventry did not accept them.

Tim Nolan  •  Link

So why does Mr Coventry not accepting a gift of plate put Pepys in mind to do the same thing and get a pair of candlesticks??? I don't see how those actions are related.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Tim, reread Vincent above
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
Ignore the Latin, but it does show how long people have been warned about not accepting gifts that end up obligating the receiver to the giver.

Coventry is the secretary (secretary means 'Keeper of the Secrets') to Lord High Adm. James, Duke of York. Being on the right side of Coventry is important for Pepys and Pett.

Pett's experience of giving Coventry an expensive gift, only to have it gratefully received but politely refused -- meaning Coventry understood the esteem in which he was held by Pett, but nevertheless maintained his integrity by not keeping the gift -- enabled the thrifty Pepys to buy some silver candlesticks he liked, which SPOILER he will give to Coventry, secure in the knowledge they will end up back on his own fireplace very shortly.

You don't find servants refusing gifts. They already know they are obligated. Coventry is not Pett or Pepys' servant. He is their de facto boss.

Don't confuse this Christmas gift with the gratuities commonly given by people to bureaucrats who performed services or obtained favors for them. This is not a thank-you for services rendered.

IMHO this is one of the episodes which gives Pepys confidence in Coventry as being an ethical and reliable professional to team with in the administration.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Perhaps I should have said New Year's or year end's gift instead Christmas gift. New Years was more traditionally when gifts were given (the 3 wise men were not at the nativity).

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Happy and merry everything, Pepysians -- may 2024 be kind to us all.

Tim Nolan  •  Link

Christmas greetings to all, and thank you to San Diego Sarah- the 5th reading finally made sense.

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