Monday 10 September 1666
All the morning clearing our cellars, and breaking in pieces all my old lumber, to make room, and to prevent fire. And then to Sir W. Batten’s, and dined; and there hear that Sir W. Rider says that the towne is full of the report of the wealth that is in his house, and would be glad that his friends would provide for the safety of their goods there. This made me get a cart; and thither, and there brought my money all away. Took a hackney-coach myself (the hackney-coaches now standing at Allgate). Much wealth indeed there is at his house. Blessed be God, I got all mine well thence, and lodged it in my office; but vexed to have all the world see it. And with Sir W. Batten, who would have taken away my hands before they were stowed. But by and by comes brother Balty from sea, which I was glad of; and so got him, and Mr. Tooker, and the boy, to watch with them all in the office all night, while I upon Jane’s coming went down to my wife, calling at Deptford, intending to see Bagwell, but did not ‘ouvrir la porte comme je’ did expect. So down late to Woolwich, and there find my wife out of humour and indifferent, as she uses upon her having much liberty abroad.
19 Annotations
First Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
John Evelyn's Diary
September 10. I went againe to the ruines, for it was now no longer a Citty.
http://www.reocities.com/Paris/Le…
[30 Jan 2016: Link changed from broken geocities.com version.]
Terry Foreman • Link
”“…. But by and by comes Brother Balty from sea, which I was glad of; and so got him and Mr. Tooker and the boy to watch with them all in the office all night, while I, upon Janes coming, went down to my wife; calling at Deptford, intending to Bagwell, but did not 'ouvrir la porte comme je' [ open the door like I ] did expect. ….” http://www.pepys.info/bits3.html#…
Terry Foreman • Link
Well, "to see Bagwell" -- but "to Bagwell" might work for Pepys.
cape henry • Link
"...but vexed to have all the world see it." This is an aspect of the period that has intrigued me nearly from the beginning of the diary, as Pepys began to accumulate his wealth: the stunning lack of security. Most reading this will routinely carry small fortunes around with them in the form of semi-secure credit cards, and have money in banks and funds and whatnot. But most would not think of openly transporting and storing great sums the way that is often depicted here - like asking a cabbie to help load the stacks of currency into the trunk to take it home. I once knew a pawn broker who kept an amazing store of gold objects in his home, from wedding rings to cigarette lighters to spoons and a solid gold Rolls Royce gearshift knob, but he kept them in an armored room in his attic and transported the things himself. Obviously Pepys is a bit concerned about it, but not enough to do anything really differently than he has.
Robert Gertz • Link
"...while I upon Jane’s coming went down to my wife, calling at Deptford, intending to see Bagwell, but did not ‘ouvrir la porte comme je’ did expect. So down late to Woolwich, and there find my wife out of humour and indifferent, as she uses upon her having much liberty abroad."
Sam, you slay me...While the most noble person in the Diary, Jane Birch, is rushing back to help you (when she should be grabbing whatever she can for what you did to poor Wayneman...) you are sneaking off to Deptford to see the poor woman you forced to be your mistress and complaining that Bess is too indifferent and out of humor. Perhaps Bess has guessed you aren't exactly anxious to have her with you...
Indifferent, eh?...Well...Some of us warned you...
"Cat in the cradle and the silver spoon...
Little boy and the man-in-the-moon...
'When you comin' home, Sam...?' 'I don't know when but we'll get together then, Bess. You know we'll have a good time, then...'"
Robert Gertz • Link
Heaven...
"What is the fellow complaining about?" Sam gripes to a staring Bess... "'forced her...' It's not like I fired Bagwell for not making his wife promptly available during the fire's immediate aftermath."
"Since he's dead already, would it be against the rules to beat him to death with a pan?" Bess hisses to St. Peter...Who hands her a pan.
Ruben • Link
"All the morning clearing our cellars, and breaking in pieces all my old lumber, to make room, and to prevent fire"
Lumber can be timber but I see in my dictionary that it can also be "refuse, household stuff of small value".
A. De Araujo • Link
"breaking in pieces all my old lumber"
I don't see how it could contribute to fire prevention!
A. De Araujo • Link
"'ouvrir la porte comme je' did expect"
Is he talking about penetration here?
JKM • Link
I'm wondering what happened to Pepys' neighbor Sir J. Minnes. There he was lying deathly ill and then the Great Fire of London started. He's had better weeks....
Todd Bernhardt • Link
re: "Is he talking about penetration here?"
I think we're talking about "access" -- if, that is, she even opened the literal door to let him in...
CGS • Link
"...but did not ‘ouvrir la porte comme je’ did expect...."
but did not raise the drawer bridge seeing that I did expect!!!
Terry Foreman • Link
Sir George Carteret to Sandwich
Written from: Whitehall
Date: 10 September 1666
Shelfmark: MS. Carte 75, fol(s). 475
Document type: Holograph. With seal of arms.
Expresses his surprise that Lord Sandwich should have received but one letter from him since his Lordship's arrival in Spain, the present letter being the sixth which the writer has sent to him. Adds, with reference to the great fire: - "God hath preserved my house in Broad Street. I wish I could give your Lordship the same account of the Wardrobe, but I am told your goods there are preserved. The Navy Office did escape the fire, so that all our books and papers are safe". http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/dept/s…
Second Reading
San Diego Sarah • Link
'"God hath preserved my house in Broad Street. I wish I could give your Lordship the same account of the Wardrobe, but I am told your goods there are preserved."'
I think this means that the Wardrobe building burned down, but the King's ceremonial robes and extra belongings, and the Montagu family belongings, were safely removed in time.
I wonder where all the furniture from Whitehall was taken.
San Diego Sarah • Link
"But by and by comes brother Balty from sea ..."
The fleet is hovering around Portsmouth in St. Helen's Roads off the Isle of Wight, just in case the Dutch get their act together. Since Balty has been used as a messenger before, it's reasonable to think that's why he's in London now. The regular seamen have not been released.
San Diego Sarah • Link
"... while I upon Jane’s coming went down to my wife, ..."
Jane Birch is back? She's hardly a replacement for Mercer. Pepys wants the house cleaned, so maybe that's why she's here. We shall see.
San Diego Sarah • Link
"... calling at Deptford, intending to see Bagwell ..."
She expected you yesterday, remember?
The plague is still in Deptford. Maybe she's whitewashing downstairs now her husband has left again. No wonder she refused to open the door to you.
Louise Hudson • Link
It’s always interesting when Sam lapses into Franglish.
San Diego Sarah • Link
On 10 September, the Privy Council issued a proclamation for a day of humiliation during which collections would be made for the poor.
Having overcome the immediate danger of the fire, minds now turned to the need to appease an apparently wrathful God.
The Council also expressed an understandable concern over the amount of gunpowder held in private hands, ordering any within ten miles of the City or the King’s ship yards to be brought into royal stores for safekeeping.
@@@
The final entry relating to the fire made in the register during September 1666 gives an indication of the losses suffered by some individuals.
Captain John Wadlow stated he had lost 100 tunns (casks) of Spanish and French wines as well as his greatly valuable household goods. He appears to have been unable to empty his house in the face of the oncoming flames as it was requisitioned by the Duke of York and Privy Councillors and the streets around were blocked with timber. Although he pointed out that he had paid significant amounts in customs, including one payment of £1,000 that year, he did not ask for compensation, but merely permission to import further casks of wine which he held in Flanders.
The aftermath of the fire continued to feature regularly in the Privy Council’s business for many months, and years, as plans to rebuild the City took shape.
For more information, see https://blog.nationalarchives.gov…