Saturday 20 December 1662
Up and had 100l. brought me by Prior of Brampton in full of his purchase money for Barton’s house and some land. So to the office, and thence with Mr. Coventry in his coach to St. James’s, with great content and pride to see him treat me so friendly; and dined with him, and so to White Hall together; where we met upon the Tangier Commission, and discoursed many things thereon; but little will be done before my Lord Rutherford comes there, as to the fortification or Mole.
That done, my Lord Sandwich and I walked together a good while in the Matted Gallery, he acquainting me with his late enquiries into the Wardrobe business to his content; and tells me how things stand. And that the first year was worth about 3000l. to him, and the next about as much; so that at this day, if he were paid, it will be worth about 7000l. to him. But it contents me above all things to see him trust me as his confidant: so I bid him good night, he being to go into the country, to keep his Christmas, on Monday next.
So by coach home and to my office, being post night, and then home and to bed.
24 Annotations
First Reading
Australian Susan • Link
First mention of Christmas!!
Robert Gertz • Link
"...if he were paid..."
"Jamie, look. Sandwich sends holiday greetings and his request to be paid for two years at the Wardrobe."
"And I take it you are going to honor this debt to our dear benefactor in full, Charles. Where we would be without our favorite turncoat?"
"In full of course, certainly."
The boys eye each other...Hmmmphf...Ha, ha, ha! Charles tossing the note, then kicking it off into the nearby fireplace.
in Aqua Scripto • Link
Final Payment? "...Up and had 100l. brought me by Prior of Brampton in full of his purchase money for Barton’s house and some land...." Prior[ http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo… ]
Barton :[ http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo… ]
Interesting reread of this transaction, starts on Oct 61 paying other monies, legal matters and paper work. Would make a nice seperate chapter.
in Aqua Scripto • Link
"...if he were paid, it will be worth about 7000l..." and how much doth you owe 'me' lord to thy creditors. Is there not some other problem with those monies that ye brought with thee from Lisbonne?
Todd Bernhardt • Link
"So by coach home and to my office, being post night..."
What is "post night"?
Also, "Monday next" -- is Sandwich celebrating Xmas on the 22nd or 29th? (Why not the 25th?)
Peter • Link
Todd, I took it to mean that there was going to be a collection of post that evening.... Presumably he needed to prepare some letters in time for the collection.
JonTom Kittredge • Link
"Monday next"
I think he means that Lord Sandwich is *leaving* on the coming Monday, the 22nd, to spend Christmas at Hinchingbroke.
Lynn • Link
I read it as ".... he being to go into the country on Monday next, to keep his Christmas."
Todd Bernhardt • Link
Ah, both things are now clearer. Thanks, Peter, JonTom, and Lynn.
jeannine • Link
Question about Sam's "usual" Christmas celebration with Elizabeth--for the past 2 years I couldn't find any mention of his giving a gift to Elizabeth - any idea what would be the norm for them (or other couples) in this area???
Stolzi • Link
A proper English Christmas in those days should last for twelve days - until "Twelfth Night," the eve of the Epiphany, celebrated Jan. 6.
You want to be wary of a Wardrobe - it might have a Lion in it! (little seasonal/topical note, there)
in Aqua Scripto • Link
"post night" Each day except Sunday]the [Royal? at least Palmer gets her upkeep ?] mail will leave from differring Post Houses on differing days for the Post road of choice, it be like how thee would say market day, it be depending on the Town ye be talking about. So "Post night" be the night of handing over mail for "X" town. That be my version of the reading.
in Aqua Scripto • Link
"...I walked together a good while in the Matted Gallery...", so called because it be matted [not dull] with reeds, along with sweet smelling fragranced brushes from the country side along withe scrubs of wormwood for killing of the lice [ escapees from passers bye]. A titbit lifted from E.Picard Elizabeths London. [Then everything be recycled]
celtcahill • Link
" Up and had 100 L. brought me by Prior of Brampton in full of his purchase money for Barton’s house and some land. So to the office...."
THAT was easy. Around here it'd take the rest of the day to sign and initial the forms....
in Aqua Scripto • Link
Celtcahil. The "in full' final monies, [already has received somw monies], took a few entries of negotiation, over a year, this be the last signature.
celtcahill • Link
Ah! I wondered. I didn't think the beaurocracy that generated Domesday would have fallen down on the job.
Second Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
"my Lord Sandwich...acquainting me with his late enquiries into the Wardrobe business to his content; and tells me how things stand. And that the first year was worth about 3000l. to him, and the next about as much; so that at this day, if he were paid, it will be worth about 7000l. to him."
These years included the coronation, which would make his profits (based mostly on poundage) abnormally high. The average was later reckoned at less than £1000 p.a. (L&M note)
Terry Foreman • Link
"Up and had 100l. brought me by Prior of Brampton in full of his purchase money for Barton’s house and some land."
The purchase was agreed to 31 October last year (1661):
http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
JayW • Link
And travelling 'with great content' in the coach is clearly NOT shorthand for connubial bliss.
Louise Hudson • Link
Jeannine wrote: Question about Sam's "usual" Christmas celebration with Elizabeth--for the past 2 years I couldn't find any mention of his giving a gift to Elizabeth - any idea what would be the norm for them (or other couples) in this area???
There was a time when speaking of gifts given or received was considered unseemly. It would too often be seen as bragging. Though Sam would only have been writing in his diary, habits die hard.
As for adopting children, the upper and middle classes might "take in" (not adopt) a relative's child, they would never be seen taking a common gutter snipe into their home--or even so much as touching one. They might give some charity money to an orphanage or foundling home, but they'd draw the line at actually taking in street children. They'd sooner take in a mangey dog.
Chris Squire UK • Link
I think Louise Hudson is mistaken; the practice of adoption and the word for it date back to the Middle Ages at least:
‘adopt, v. < Middle French adopter .. .
1. trans. a. To take (a child) and bring it up as one's own, (usually) assuming all rights and responsibilities from its biological parents on a permanent, legal basis. Also intr.
c1429 Mirour Mans Saluacioune (1986) l. 2880 O son hadde sho fairest be flesshely progeniture, Ane othere hadde sho adopt be law of mercyfulle cure.
1538 T. Elyot Dict. Adoptitius, he that is adopted or taken in the stede of a sonne.
1607 L. Andrewes Serm. (1856) 59 No father adopts, unless he be orbe, have no child.
a1616 Shakespeare Othello (1622) i. iii. 190, I had rather to adopt a child then get it . . ‘ [OED]
A well-known example at the start of the modern age is Jane Austen’s brother Edward who was adopted by their wealthy Knight cousins, taking their name. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edw…
Louise Hudson • Link
I think adoption as we know it in modern times is very different than it was in Pepys' time. Of course it happened sometimes, but it was almost always within families. I doubt it was common for a child who was not a family member to be taken in as a child of an adoptive family with all the privileges of a natural born child. Even Jane Austen's brother was a member of the family, not a child of the streets. In addition, Jane Austen and her brother lived 100 years after Pepys. A lot can happen in 100 years, and even in her day stranger adoption as we know it today was rare.
Terry Foreman • Link
Louise, Wikipedia supports your observation:
Adoption of institutionalized foundlings and orphans was not promoted for sentiment until the 19th century, when rather than for work, children were placed out under agreements to provide care for them as family members instead of under contracts for apprenticeship. The growth of this model is believed to have contributed to the enactment of the first modern adoption law in 1851 by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, unique in that it codified the ideal of the "best interests of the child."
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/A…
San Diego Sarah • Link
How's Christmas shopping going?
Here's a 'needs list' from the archives at Lydiard Tregoze, Swindon dated Christmas, 1662:
65 gallons of sack, 4 turkeys, 7 geese, 24 pullets, 1 calf, 1 sheep, 1 lamb ... must have been quite a party given by Lady Johanna and Sir Walter St.John MP, probably at Battersea Manor, as they used the family seat at Lydiard as their market garden.
https://www.thelydiardarchives.or…
https://www.historyofparliamenton…