Sunday 12 August 1666

(Lord’s day). Up and to my chamber, where busy all the morning, and my thoughts very much upon the manner of my removal of my closett things the next weeke into my present musique room, if I find I can spare or get money to furnish it. By and by comes Reeves, by appointment, but did not bring the glasses and things I expected for our discourse and my information to-day, but we have agreed on it for next Sunday. By and by, in comes Betty Michell and her husband, and so to dinner, I mightily pleased with their company. We passed the whole day talking with them, but without any pleasure, but only her being there. In the evening, all parted, and I and my wife up to her closett to consider how to order that the next summer, if we live to it; and then down to my chamber at night to examine her kitchen accounts, and there I took occasion to fall out with her for her buying a laced handkercher and pinner without my leave. Though the thing is not much, yet I would not permit her begin to do so, lest worse should follow. From this we began both to be angry, and so continued till bed, and did not sleep friends.

17 Annotations

First Reading

cgs  •  Link

Oh! dear what can the matter be?
frustration, unrequited satisfaction.

cape henry  •  Link

Pepys' progressive remodeling of his home is, in many ways, a good metaphor for his life.

cgs  •  Link

plague is still running around: info from the Rev J ;
"London increased total. 336. pl. 42. Colchester decreased to 95. "

Mary  •  Link

"if I.... can spare or get money to furnish it"

The recent information that Sam is assessing the possibility of retirement to the country shows why he thinks twice about laying out substantial sums of money on the Navy Office house. He thinks that he may need his considerable savings to provide the income for his country living for many years to come.

However, he is quite good at persuading himself that expenditure is worthwhile when it comes to something that he really wants. Lace handkerchiefs and pinners are quite a different matter.

Tony Eldridge  •  Link

"One lace handkerchief, and there's you off buying a twelve foot telescope!"
"Ah, well, but that's educational."

Robin Peters  •  Link

"pinner"

My aunt's mother always used to refer to her pinner (pinafore), she was from rural Wiltshire 1880ish.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

Poor Bess...Not that he wouldn't spend and hasn't spent more on her but it must be by milord Samuel's decision. His fear of poverty creeping in on him is understandable but he could allow her a little mad money at this stage. One might commend her for managing the purchases under his budget...Not to mention the fact she could have picked him clean and run off to France with his chests of gold were she of the court lady type he so admires. A little gratitude toward a decent and loving wife, Sam...

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"Wait...Bess? You managed all this on my weekly budget?"

"It wasn't easy. And that wasn't really venison pasty you've been having the past two weeks."

Hmmn...
**
"All this...On that?" Sir William Coventry blinks at Sam's account. York staring as well.

"Indeed, Sir Will. Your Grace." Sam nods, solemnly.

***
"London Gazette!" 17th equivalent of newsboy cries equivalent of "Extra!"

"King appoints woman as chief budgetary officer to the Navy! Projected naval budget to fall within Parliamentary limits for first time in war!"

***

Kate Bunting  •  Link

I'm familiar with the term "pinny" for an apron or pinafore, but I think a pinner in the 17th century was something different - a kind of linen cape pinned round the shoulders.

Eric Walla  •  Link

Maybe Sam has gone on to a new nagging worry in his mind: with all that gold piled up, Elizabeth now not only knows they're quite well off, but could actually feel it warranted to liberate a coin or two.

Not that he would begrudge her the funds, perish the thought, but it would throw off his accounting, you know ...

Mary  •  Link

the pinner.

The piece of clothing that Kate describes sounds rather more like a partlet.

By the early 18th century a pinner was a cap (could well be adorned with lace) worn high on the head and which sported long lappets (streamers) a few inches wide that hung, one on each side of the face, down onto the upper breast. These lappets could also be adorned with lace or could be embroidered (or both, I suppose).

Perhaps the late 17th century pinner was rather similar.

cgs  •  Link

To pin or not pin: so off to Pinner we go, home of the pin.
no 3 be my guess:
3 versions pinners:

1: A person who makes pins or nails; a pinmaker.
1281 ...
1611 J. FLORIO Queen Anna's New World of Words at Agucchiarúolo, A pinner or pinmaker.
1638 R. BRATHWAIT Barnabee's Jrnl. I. sig. D5 (note) A certaine Pinner, and one of the choicest of all his Flocke, being choaked with pin-dust, dyed
. 1720 J. STRYPE Stow's Survey of London (rev. ed.) II. V. xv. 241/1 Pinners and Needlers. Foreign Pins and Needles being brought in about the Year 1597, did much prejudice these Callings. 1791

2:
A person employed to impound stray animals; = PINDER n.
1499

...1664 F. GOULDMAN Copious Dict. I. s.v. Pin, A pinner or pounder of cattel, Inclusor.

3: I. Something pinned on, or fastened with pins.

1. A close-fitting cap worn by women (esp. of high social status) in the 17th and 18th centuries, having a long flap or lappet on either side, sometimes worn fastened on the breast or pinned up on the head. Also: either of these flaps. Cf. FLANDAN n. Now hist.
1575 i

2. An apron, usually with a bib; a pinafore. Cf. PINNY n. Now hist. and rare.

1674 T. DUFFETT Spanish Rogue Prol., Thus Fools are caught, but the old crafty Sinner, Takes the sound Wench; though in Straw-Hat and Pinner.

II. A person who or thing which pins something.

3. A person who fastens or attaches something with a pin; spec. a person who pins pieces of paper bearing songs on a board, wall, etc., and offers them for sale (now hist.). Freq. with up.

4. A person who inserts the pins in the revolving cylinder of a barrel organ or (occas.) a musical box.
1896

[< PIN v.2 + AFORE adv., so called because it was originally pinned upon the front of a dress. Compare PINBEFORE n.]

1. a. An apron, esp. one with a bib, originally pinned to the front of a dress; (later also) a collarless and sleeveless garment with fastenings at the back, worn (formerly esp. by young children) to protect the clothes from dirt. in pinafores: at a very young age, childish, inexperienced.
Children's pinafores were originally worn by both boys and girls.
1782
1797
1846 F. W. FAIRHOLT Costume in Eng. Gloss., Pinner, an apron with a bib pinned in front of the dress. Its more modern name is pincloth and pinafore.

Second Reading

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"... I and my wife up to her closett to consider how to order that the next summer, if we live to it; ..."

It's still secret that Charles II sent Holmes to attack the Dutch East India ships (which their navy could have commandeered to continue the fight). Yes, Pepys heard a rumor about that, but didn't believe it. Knowing that repairs are under way, but insufficient funds are going to dictate what happens next, Pepys appears to anticipate either the plague or invasion more than being fired.

Bless Louis XIV and his new fleet, trolling around in the Mediterranean, which thwarted the Dutch invasion plans last month.

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