Wednesday 12 June 1661

Wednesday, a day kept between a fast and a feast, the Bishops not being ready enough to keep the fast for foul weather before fair weather came; and so they were forced to keep it between both.1

I to Whitehall, and there with Captain Rolt and Ferrers we went to Lambeth to drink our morning draft, where at the Three Mariners, a place noted for their ale, we went and staid awhile very merry, and so away. And wanting a boat, we found Captain Bun going down the river, and so we went into his boat having a lady with him, and he landed them at Westminster and me at the Bridge.

At home all day with my workmen, and doing several things, among others writing the letter resolved of yesterday to the Duke.

Then to White Hall, where I met my Lord, who told me he must have 300l. laid out in cloth, to give in Barbary, as presents among the Turks.

At which occasion of getting something I was very glad.

Home to supper, and then to Sir R. Slingsby, who with his brother and I went to my Lord’s at the Wardrobe, and there staid a great while, but he being now taking his leave of his friends staid out late, and so they went away.

Anon came my Lord in, and I staid with him a good while, and then to bed with Mr. Moore in his chamber.

17 Annotations

First Reading

Australian Susan  •  Link

Lambeth ale again!
And this time, actually in Lambeth. It must have been a goodly tipple!
Sam stays at the Wardrobe, but no mention of Elizabeth? Is she having to camp out at home with all the workmen's mess and dust??

A. Hamilton  •  Link

to drink our morning draft

The regularity of this practice, and Sam's tendency to guide his actions by received wisdom, have set me wondering. Could this have been considered a healthy practice, good for the constitution? And could it have been related to the dangers of the water supply?

JWB  •  Link

Capt. Bun
Can this be right? " Chelsea buns - those sticky, spicy buns that have been a great favourite since the seventeenth century when a 'Captain Bun' sold them by the thousands from the Old Chelsea Bun House." www.greatbritishkitchen.co.uk/reg…

A. Hamilton  •  Link

morning draft

Thank you, Language Hat.

vicente  •  Link

from the House itself:
ORDERED, That there be a Collection for the Poor To-morrow Morning; and the Lords to contribute according to former Proportions upon the like Occasion; videlicet, Thirty Shillings for an Earl, and Twenty Shillings for a Baron. And such Lords as are absent this Day from Prayers, are to pay their Forfeitures To-morrow.
Then the Lords went to the Abbey Church, to hear the Fast Sermons.
Adjourn.

From: British History Online
Source: House of Lords Journal Volume 11: 12 June 1661. House of Lords Journal Volume 11, ().
URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/…
Date: 13/06/2004

vicente  •  Link

add the e for eating:"..a fast and a feast .."

helena murphy  •  Link

Would Sandwich be buying English woolen cloth to present to the Turks against the cold Mediterranean winters? It could not be silk as Muslim men do not wear this fabric ,but perhaps linen is another possibility.

vicente  •  Link

'Tis strange, then one went out to break your fast, then on one of my trips to London town in the 60's, it was very hard to find such a place, one had to find a market like Spittlefields to have a bite and wash ones whistle. It being a habit of mine to break the fast out of house, to get a good start to the day with friends and strangers. "...we went to Lambeth to drink our morning draft, where at the Three Mariners, a place noted for their ale..."

vicente  •  Link

Helen: I would believe you would be correct. Other fabrics would be obtained directly from the Indies. Reading Lady Fanshawes Diary gave one the idea that gifts were very necessary for passage for the unwary. British Woolies at this time had originality, also stockings were manufactured by a stocking machine making them cheap, by not having a high labour content. English grown silks were also in vogue at this time along with lace. So the possibilities are many.

serafina  •  Link

"Captain Bun" What a fabulous name!

Sjoerd  •  Link

I found this piece of info about "turks" of the Barbary coast, showing some nice textiles as well....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/soci…

'.List, printed in London in 1682' of 160 British ships captured by Algerians between 1677 and 1680. Considering what the number of sailors who were taken with each ship was likely to have been, these examples translate into a probable 7,000 to 9,000 able-bodied British men and women taken into slavery in those years.

So not just "turks" had to be kept in stockings, and the trading area of the Barbary coast extended a bit further then i expected.

Australian Susan  •  Link

See posting against Tuesday, 11th June for more informative links on slavery relevant to this period.

Second Reading

Third Reading

MartinVT  •  Link

"At which occasion of getting something I was very glad."

Presumably, Montagu has told Sam specifically to keep some portion of the 300l. for himself. How much? Maybe we'll see. I doubt that Sam would, on his own initiative and without authorization, skim something for himself out of the 300l. allowance. Generally when Sam uses "getting something" we need to understand it as "earning something," and not "stealing something." Montagu himself has previously schooled Sam on the ways of building wealth, including this practice.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"A Form of Prayer was published to be used in London on the 12th, and in the country on the 19th of June, being the special days appointed for a general fast to be kept in the respective places for averting those sicknesses and diseases, that dearth and scarcity, which justly may be feared from the late immoderate rain and waters: ..."

This Form of Prayer must have been printed and circulated to every parish. Rev. Ralph doesn't mention it, which may not be significant. He has been mentioning the floods and rain.
I think the Brits should find the service and use it again this year -- the summer weather has yet to appear. Come to that, most of the USA could use it too. Does it cover tornadoes as well as floods?

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