Tuesday 26 September 1665

Up by five o’clock and got post horses and so set out for Greenwich, calling and drinking at Dartford. Being come to Greenwich and shifting myself I to the office, from whence by and by my Lord Bruncker and Sir J. Minnes set out toward Erith to take charge of the two East India shipps, which I had a hand in contriving for the King’s service and may do myself a good office too thereby. I to dinner with Mr. Wright to his father-in-law in Greenwich, one of the most silly, harmless, prating old men that ever I heard in my life. Creed dined with me, and among other discourses got of me a promise of half that he could get my Lord Rutherford to give me upon clearing his business, which should not be less, he says, than 50l. for my half, which is a good thing, though cunningly got of him. By and by Luellin comes, and I hope to get something of Deering shortly. They being gone, Mr. Wright and I went into the garden to discourse with much trouble for fear of losing all the profit and principal of what we have laid out in buying of prize goods, and therefore puts me upon thoughts of flinging up my interest, but yet I shall take good advice first. Thence to the office, and after some letters down to Woolwich, where I have not lain with my wife these eight days I think, or more. After supper, and telling her my mind in my trouble in what I have done as to buying of these goods, we to bed.

9 Annotations

First Reading

CGS  •  Link

"...After supper, and telling her my mind in my trouble in what I have done as to buying’ of these goods..."

Why the question?
Once bought,be it who will buy them. No customer in mind.
Or Be it he be a little anxious or worried by the lack of Provenance, lack of good documentation i.e. bill of sale.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

Mr. Samuel Pepys, Lord Brouncker, Sir John Mennes, Mr. Wright, Mr. Creed, Lord Rutherford, Mr. Llewellyn, Mr. Deering, &c.....

A prize ship ashore is like a downed deer that the scavenger birds circle and hover over, fixing on which parts they are determined to devour.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

A5. SAMUEL PEPYS TO JOHN EVELYN (1)

[To Evelyn's request for boats to house sick POW's]

Greenwich (2)
26 September 1665 (3)

Sir,

as I will in every thing else, soe I have in your request this afternoone done what you with any moderate reason can expect of mee. But I beseech you consider that what I have done reaches but for foure days, and therefore pray you to hasten some other expedient to serve your selfe at theyr determination; what wee have done herein being very irregular, and not excusable I thinke to bee done twise. Sir I would have been glad to have kissed your hands before I returne to the fleete which will bee to morrow afternoone (4). I will endeavour it if possible and rest

Your most affectionate humble
Servant

SPepys

Source: BL.1081. Endorsed by E, ‘Mr Pepys: 26: September Greenwich 1665.’

2 Pepys had stayed the night before at the Crowne Inne at Rochester, leaving at 5am for Greenwich (diary). Once arrived he went straight to the office there, presumably writing this letter, before setting off to requisition East India Company ships at Erith.

3 MS: ‘Greenwch Sept 26 1665’.

4 P travelled in E’s coach on the 27th to see Albemarle and later ‘had most excellent discourse of Mr Eveling touching all manner of learning; wherein I find him a very fine gentleman, and perticularly of Paynting...’ (diary, 27 September 1665).

http://www.romanbritain.freeserve…

Robert Gertz  •  Link

Interesting to imagine what Evelyn might have thought had he seen the last few days' entries.
***

I wonder if Bess knew how much gold Sam had beforehand. Interesting if she's more up on his doings than the Diary suggests. Still, it's not so hard to regret what one never realized one had.

Second Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"with Mr. Wright [Waith] to his father-in-law in Greenwich"

L&M: Robert Waith, paymaster to the Navy Treasurer, had married Elizabeth Lowe of Greenwich.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

CORRECTION to annotation 2 of Pepys' letter to Evelyn:

2 Pepys had stayed the night before at the Crown Inn, Rochester, leaving at 5 am for Greenwich. Once there, he went straight to the office, presumably writing this letter, [before setting off to requisition East India Company ships at Erith].

– it was Mennes and Brouncker who left for Erith before lunch "to take charge of the two East India ships, which I had a hand in contriving for the King’s service ..."

I wonder if these two Dutch East India merchantmen were amongst the five ships given to Evelyn yesterday for the Prisoners-of-War ... he's got 3,000 souls to house. That would explain needing local warehouses so they have somewhere secure into which they can off-load the goods.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

“That would explain needing local warehouses so they have somewhere secure into which they can off-load the goods.”

-- not that Erith, Kent and Blackwall are in any way “close” or convenient … I hope they had found something better, although the East Indiamen would be able to use the Blackwall wharfs so maybe this is for the other captured ships:

https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
Friday 22 September 1665

“… and to Blackwall, there to look after the storehouses in order to the laying of goods out of the East India ships when they shall be unloaden.”

Compiled from https://www.british-history.ac.uk…...

In 1652 the East India Company sold Blackwall Yard, and the shipwright Henry Johnson became the owner of the premises. Johnson extended the yard northwards and eastwards, altering its physical appearance as the demands of the business grew.

It was as an anchorage that spurred Blackwall's development. The moorings were protected by Blackwall Rock, a reef about 300ft long and 150ft wide, which provided shelter for ships anchored offshore. From the 15th century, Blackwall was the place where travelers wishing to avoid the long journey around the Isle of Dogs embarked and disembarked, and it also became a victualling point for outward-bound vessels.

Gerald Berg  •  Link

Speaking of the Dutch! “prating” Is this the first time he has used it? I feel not. Middle Dutch praten - chattering. Great onomatopoeia or what?

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