Sunday 30 June 1667

(Lord’s day). Up about three o’clock, and Creed and I got ourselves ready, and took coach at our gate, it being very fine weather, and the cool of the morning, and with much pleasure, without any stop, got to Rochester about ten of the clock, all the way having mighty pleasant talk of the fate that is over all we do, that it seems as if we were designed in every thing, by land by sea, to undo ourselves. At the foot of Rochester bridge, at the landing-place, I met my Lord Bruncker and my Lord Douglas, and all the officers of the soldiers in the town, waiting there for the Duke of York, whom they heard was coming thither this day; by and by comes my Lord Middleton, the first time I remember to have seen him, well mounted, who had been to meet him, but come back without him; he seems a fine soldier, and so every body says he is; and a man, like my Lord Teviott, and indeed most of the Scotch gentry, as I observe, of few words. After staying here by the water-side and seeing the boats come up from Chatham, with them that rowed with bandeleeres about their shoulders, and muskets in their boats, they being the workmen of the Yard, who have promised to redeem their credit, lost by their deserting the service when the Dutch were there, my Lord Bruncker went with Lord Middleton to his inne, the Crowne, to dinner, which I took unkindly, but he was slightly invited. So I and Creed down by boat to Chatham-yard (our watermen having their bandeleeres about them all the way), and to Commissioner Pett’s house, where my Lord Bruncker told me that I should meet with his dinner two dishes of meat, but did not, but however by the help of Mr. Wiles had some beer and ale brought me, and a good piece of roast beef from somebody’s table, and eat well at two, and after dinner into the garden to shew Creed, and I must confess it must needs be thought a sorrowful thing for a man that hath taken so much pains to make a place neat to lose it as Commissioner Pett must now this. Thence to see the batteries made; which, indeed, are very fine, and guns placed so as one would think the River should be very secure. I was glad, as also it was new to me, to see so many fortifications as I have of late seen, and so up to the top of the Hill, there to look, and could see towards Sheerenesse, to spy the Dutch fleete, but could make [out] none but one vessel, they being all gone. But here I was told, that, in all the late attempt, there was but one man that they knew killed on shore: and that was a man that had laid himself upon his belly upon one of the hills, on the other side of the River, to see the action; and a bullet come, took the ground away just under his belly, and ripped up his belly, and so was killed. Thence back to the docke, and in my way saw how they are fain to take the deals of the rope-house to supply other occasions, and how sillily the country troopers look, that stand upon the passes there; and, methinks, as if they were more willing to run away than to fight, and it is said that the country soldiers did first run at Sheerenesse, but that then my Lord Douglas’s men did run also; but it is excused that there was no defence for them towards the sea, that so the very beach did fly in their faces as the bullets come, and annoyed them, they having, after all this preparation of the officers of the ordnance, only done something towards the land, and nothing at all towards the sea. The people here everywhere do speak very badly of Sir Edward Spragge, as not behaving himself as he should have done in that business, going away with the first, and that old Captain Pyne, who, I am here told, and no sooner, is Master-Gunner of England, was the last that staid there. Thence by barge, it raining hard, down to the chaine; and in our way did see the sad wrackes of the poor “Royall Oake,” “James,” and “London;”1 and several other of our ships by us sunk, and several of the enemy’s, whereof three men-of-war that they could not get off, and so burned. We did also see several dead bodies lie by the side of the water. I do not see that Upnor Castle hath received any hurt by them, though they played long against it; and they themselves shot till they had hardly a gun left upon the carriages, so badly provided they were: they have now made two batteries on that side, which will be very good, and do good service. So to the chaine, and there saw it fast at the end on Upnor side of the River; very fast, and borne up upon the several stages across the River; and where it is broke nobody can tell me. I went on shore on Upnor side to look upon the end of the chaine; and caused the link to be measured, and it was six inches and one-fourth in circumference. They have burned the Crane House that was to hawl it taught. It seems very remarkable to me, and of great honour to the Dutch, that those of them that did go on shore to Gillingham, though they went in fear of their lives, and were some of them killed; and, notwithstanding their provocation at Schelling, yet killed none of our people nor plundered their houses, but did take some things of easy carriage, and left the rest, and not a house burned; and, which is to our eternal disgrace, that what my Lord Douglas’s men, who come after them, found there, they plundered and took all away; and the watermen that carried us did further tell us, that our own soldiers are far more terrible to those people of the country-towns than the Dutch themselves. We were told at the batteries, upon my seeing of the field-guns that were there, that, had they come a day sooner, they had been able to have saved all; but they had no orders, and lay lingering upon the way, and did not come forward for want of direction. Commissioner Pett’s house was all unfurnished, he having carried away all his goods. I met with no satisfaction whereabouts the chaine was broke, but do confess I met with nobody that I could well expect to have satisfaction [from], it being Sunday; and the officers of the Yard most of them abroad, or at the Hill house, at the pay of the Chest, which they did make use of to day to do part in. Several complaints, I hear, of the Monmouth’s coming away too soon from the chaine, where she was placed with the two guard-ships to secure it; and Captain Robert Clerke, my friend, is blamed for so doing there, but I hear nothing of him at London about it; but Captain Brookes’s running aground with the “Sancta Maria,” which was one of the three ships that were ordered to be sunk to have dammed up the River at the chaine, is mightily cried against, and with reason, he being the chief man to approve of the abilities of other men, and the other two ships did get safe thither and he run aground; but yet I do hear that though he be blameable, yet if she had been there, she nor two more to them three would have been able to have commanded the river all over. I find that here, as it hath been in our river, fire-ships, when fitted, have been sunk afterwards, and particularly those here at the Mussle, where they did no good at all. Our great ships that were run aground and sunk are all well raised but the “Vanguard,” which they go about to raise to-morrow. “The Henery,” being let loose to drive up the river of herself, did run up as high as the bridge, and broke down some of the rails of the bridge, and so back again with the tide, and up again, and then berthed himself so well as no pilot could ever have done better; and Punnet says he would not, for his life, have undertaken to have done it, with all his skill. I find it is true that the Dutch did heele “The Charles” to get her down, and yet run aground twice or thrice, and yet got her safe away, and have her, with a great many good guns in her, which none of our pilots would ever have undertaken. It is very considerable the quantity of goods, which the making of these platforms and batterys do take out of the King’s stores: so that we shall have little left there, and, God knows! no credit to buy any; besides, the taking away and spending of (it is possible) several goods that would have been either rejected or abatement made for them before used. It is a strange thing to see that, while my Lords Douglas and Middleton do ride up and down upon single horses, my Lord Bruncker do go up and down with his hackney-coach and six horses at the King’s charge, which will do, for all this time, and the time that he is likely to stay, must amount to a great deal. But I do not see that he hath any command over the seamen, he being affronted by three or four seamen before my very face, which he took sillily, methought; and is not able to do so much good as a good boatswain in this business. My Lord Bruncker, I perceive, do endeavour to speak well of Commissioner Pett, saying that he did exercise great care and pains while he was there, but do not undertake to answer for his not carrying up of the great ships. Back again to Rochester, and there walked to the Cathedral as they were beginning of the service, but would not be seen to stay to church there, besides had no mind, but rather to go to our inne, the White Hart, where we drank and were fain (the towne being so full of soldiers) to have a bed corded for us to lie in, I being unwilling to lie at the Hill house for one night, being desirous to be near our coach to be gone betimes to-morrow morning. Here in the streets, I did hear the Scotch march beat by the drums before the soldiers, which is very odde. Thence to the Castle, and viewed it with Creed, and had good satisfaction from him that showed it us touching the history of it. Then into the fields, a fine walk, and there saw Sir Francis Clerke’s house, which is a pretty seat, and then back to our inne and bespoke supper, and so back to the fields and into the Cherry garden, where we had them fresh gathered, and here met with a young, plain, silly shopkeeper, and his wife, a pretty young woman, the man’s name Hawkins, and I did kiss her, and we talked (and the woman of the house is a very talking bawdy jade), and eat cherries together, and then to walk in the fields till it was late, and did kiss her, and I believe had I had a fit time and place I might have done what I would with her. Walked back and left them at their house near our inne, and then to our inne, where, I hear, my Lord Bruncker hath sent for me to speak with me before I go: so I took his coach, which stands there with two horses, and to him and to his bedside, where he was in bed, and hath a watchman with a halbert at his door; and to him, and did talk a little, and find him a very weak man for this business that he is upon; and do pity the King’s service, that is no better handled, and his folly to call away Pett before we could have found a better man to have staid in his stead; so took leave of him, and with Creed back again, it being now about 10 at night, and to our inne to supper, and then to bed, being both sleepy, but could get no sheets to our bed, only linen to our mouths, and so to sleep, merrily talking of Hawkins and his wife, and troubled that Creed did see so much of my dalliance, though very little.

37 Annotations

First Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

" them that rowed with bandeleeres about their shoulders"

A bandolier or a bandoleer is a pocketed belt for holding ammunition. It was usually slung over the chest. In its original form, it was common issue to soldiers from the 16th to 18th centuries. This was very useful for quickly reloading a musket. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Band…

Bradford  •  Link

"to have a bed corded for us to lie in" --- "but could get no sheets to our bed, only linen to our mouths":

Can someone explain this first phrase? Were cords---that is, ropes---used to support a mattress, where nowadays we would have box springs? (Slats would be another method of support.) Apparently Pepys and Creed got their bed, but no sheet to go underneath them on the mattress, just one to pull up over them (where we would have a fitted and a flat sheet).

Terry Foreman  •  Link

“to have a bed corded for us to lie in"

L&M note "Beds were usually framed with cords or 'bed-lines' on which was placed a mat or mattress."

Presumable this applied to beds in inns.

JWB  •  Link

Raising scuttled ships:

"Salvaging technology in the early 17th century was much more primitive than today, but the recovery of ships used roughly the same principles as were used to raise Vasa more than 300 years later. Two ships or hulks were placed parallel to either side above the wreck, and ropes attached to several anchors were sent down and hooked to the ship. The two hulks were filled with as much water as was safe, the ropes tightened, and the water pumped out. The sunken ship then rose with the ships on the surface and could be towed to shallower waters. The process was then repeated until the entire ship was successfully raised above water level."
http://wapedia.mobi/en/Vasa_(ship….

Miss Ann  •  Link

Happy Birthday to the Pepys Librarian at Magdalene College - Dr Richard Luckett. What a job to have! I'm so jealous.

Ruben  •  Link

"Lord Bruncker...was in bed, and hath a watchman with a halbert at his door;"
I would not sleep that well if I needed someone watching my door. Difficult times. Dire straits, not only for the Dutch fleet but also for the English Establishment.

Mary  •  Link

"the cool of the morning"

Confirmation that "cool' has alluded to the prevailing temperature over the past few days and the desirability of getting work done before the day grows too hot for comfort.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"...here met with a young, plain, silly shopkeeper, and his wife, a pretty young woman, the man’s name Hawkins, and I did kiss her, and we talked (and the woman of the house is a very talking bawdy jade), and eat cherries together, and then to walk in the fields till it was late, and did kiss her, and I believe had I had a fit time and place I might have done what I would with her."

Report #1002 to the Dutch Naval Council...

"Gentlemen,

As hoped our information proved correct and in our roles as shopkeeper and wife, Kaatje and I encountered Mr. Pepys and his associate in Rochester on their return from Chatham. As expected from his reputation, Kaatje had no trouble encouraging Mr. Pepys to converse with her alone and he divulged the following information as to the disarray in the English Naval command following our recent great victory..."

Sean Adams  •  Link

"end of the chaine; and caused the link to be measured, and it was six inches and one-fourth in circumference."

It does not seem that such a small chain would block ships from a river - maybe he meant 6 inches in diameter.

Roger  •  Link

'Thence by barge, it raining hard,'

A cool, damp end to what has been a dryish and warm June 1667, ranked 93rd hottest out of 352 since 1659. The current June is a touch warmer and drier still in London.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"notwithstanding their provocation at Schelling, yet [ the Dutch ] killed none of our people nor plundered their houses, but did take some things of easy carriage, and left the rest, and not a house burned; and, which is to our eternal disgrace, that what my Lord Douglas’s men, who come after them, found there, they plundered and took all away; and the watermen that carried us did further tell us, that our own soldiers are far more terrible to those people of the country-towns than the Dutch themselves."

What remarkable events, and how keenly Pepys allots reward to the Dutch and blame to the English.

"[ the ] provocation [ of the Dutch ] at Schelling"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holm…'s_Bonfire

***

JKM  •  Link

Sean: If the rods of metal that were bent to form the links of the chain were each 6 1/4" in circumference....pause to experiment with a ruler & a piece of Scotch tape... that's a reasonably hefty chain. Perhaps that is what Sam is measuring. I don't think he would mix up circumference and diameter, he's a precise observer and an exact user of language. Plus the failure of the chain is militarily a big deal and he knows someone back in London may ask him to describe it.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"Ah, the very man I wanted to see..." beaming smile. "Somehow I knew I'd find you pottering about here."

"Sire...I'd not expected to find you here at Chatham."
Sam, low bow. Creed as well...

"Yes, bit of an inspection tour with Jamie...Incognito, you know." Charles, confidential air. "But the thing is, Pepys...Not wishing to interfere with your rounds...Could I perhaps borrow you for just a moment?"

"Sire..." Sam rises, following.

Hmmn...Creed noting rather disheveled appearance of king, takes his time following...

Rounding building rather pounded during Dutch attack, Sam notes voices...

Many voices...

Angry voices...

"Jamie?! Still with us?!" Charles calls to a beleaguered James surrounded by angry mob, his pathetic sextet of a guard looking quite ready to throw off their uniforms and join the mob.

"Told you I'd find Pepys about here!"

"Sire..." Sam hisses. "Methinks we ought to consider a withdrawl...At once."

"Just a mo, Pepys. Lads! Here he is, as promised...The Clerk of the Acts, chief administor of our Royal Navy into whose hands all authority for such adminstrative matters as your pay, the defense of our ships here at Chatham, and the fortification and relief of our naval forces on the Medway was placed."

"Sire?!...I..."

"So you can let the Duke go now and address your grievances to the man who can best help, eh lads?"

"Well done, Charlie!!" James calls, his guards looking like men risen from the dead as they are allowed through.

Several members of the mob brandishing fire and stick approach Sam...

"Tis a far, far better thing you do, Pepys..." Charlie gently pushing Sam toward the menacing group.

"Sire?!!" Despairing cry...Fading in the shouts surrounding...

"You know we really must put up a plaque or something for the poor fellow." Jamie notes to Charlie as they stroll off.

"After the staged trial and a few years' forgetfulness, of course."

"Sire?" Creed steps forward. "John Creed, Lord Sandwich's left-hand man, close friend and fully versed rival of Mr. Pepys...I understand there may be a vacancy in the naval office?"

Terry Foreman  •  Link

Dutch Ships in the Medway, June 1667 [as the locals would have seen them]

A panoramic bird's-eye view taken from above Sheerness on the Isle of Sheppey and looking roughly south-west towards Chatham and Rochester. In the distance is Rochester Castle and Cathedral, with Upnor Castle discernible to the right and the winding River Medway visible in the centre of the picture. The painting shows Admiral de Ruyter's bold foray into English waters, an event that took place during the Second Dutch War, 1665-67, following the Peace Conference at Breda in May 1667....

The picture shows the buildings of Sheerness burning in the left foreground with figures running to escape the fire. In the middle distance the ships which were sunk on Mussel Bank to obstruct the Dutch are shown and near them on the far bank is the grounded 'Santa Maria'. Beyond them on the right is shown the captured 'Royal Charles', and to her left fire-ships are wreaking havoc. To the left is the 'Unity', captured by the 'Breda'. In the right foreground is a Dutch flagship, in port-bow view, probably the 'Agatha', 50 guns, flagship of Baron van Ghent, together with several other Dutch ships. Near Upnor Castle three English ships have been burnt by four Dutch ships together with a fire-ship sent against them. Chatham can be seen beyond their smoke.

Willem Schellinks was a Dutch draughtsman and painter famous for such panoramic compositions, who was in England between 1661-63 and kept a journal of this visit. This painting may have been compiled from a number of views Schellink produced as an observer for the Dutch government, and is probably a reconstruction based on a much larger version (one of a pair) in the Rijksmuseum.

http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/…

Second Reading

Brendan Hamilton  •  Link

The Lord Douglas in question here, was actually Lord George Douglas (later Earl of Dumbarton), rather than his brother the 2nd Marquis, as linked to.

Phil Gyford  •  Link

L&M's index says it's the James Douglas, the 2nd Marquess of Douglas, so I'll leave the link as it is. Which isn't to say they're infallible!

Terry Foreman  •  Link

A picture by Willem Schellincks of the raid. The view is from the south. On the left Upnor Castle is silhouetted against the flames; on the opposite side of the river more to the front the burning dockyard of Chatham. To the north the conflagration near the chain is shown and on the horizon the ruins of Sheerness Fort are still smoking.
https://www.google.com/search?q=R…

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"by and by comes my Lord Middleton, the first time I remember to have seen him, well mounted, who had been to meet him, but come back without him; he seems a fine soldier, and so every body says he is; and a man, like my Lord Teviott, and indeed most of the Scotch gentry, as I observe, of few words"

L&M: Pepys had known Teviot (Rutherford) as Governor of Tangier, 1663-4. Middleton was the Governor-designate.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"after dinner into the garden to shew Creed, and I must confess it must needs be thought a sorrowful thing for a man that hath taken so much pains to make a place neat to lose it as Commissioner Pett must now this."

L&M: For Pepys's admiration of both the house and the garden, see https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/… and https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
The 'neatness' of the houses of dockyard officials was suspected of having some connection with the excellence of the materials they stole from official stores. Cf. J. Holland, Discourses (ed. Tanner), pp. 97, 151.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"The people here everywhere do speak very badly of Sir Edward Spragge"

L&M: A young Vice-Admiral, influential with the Duke of York, but an Irish Papist and unpopular: cf. CSPD 1667, p. 206. Pepys has several other critical references to him at this time. In 16666 he was said to be one of those most responsible for the dividing of the fleet.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"that old Captain Pyne, who, I am here told, and no sooner, is Master-Gunner of England"

L&M: Valentine Pyne did not receive the appointment until January 1668, but for some time had performed the duties of the office while holding the post of deputy-master.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"So to the chaine,"

L&M: This ran on pulleys which turned on wheels, and was stretched across the Medway at Gillingham Reach, lying for most of the distance about 9 ft below the surface. It was guarded by batteries at either end.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"So to the chaine, and there saw it fast at the end on Upnor side of the River; very fast, and borne up upon the several stages across the River; and where it is broke nobody can tell me."

L&M: There was at this time some doubt whether it had been broken at all or whether it had been sunk by the dislodging of the stages supporting it: Brouncker to Pepys, 3 July: Rawl. A 195a, f. 142. It seems probable that it was in fact broken by a Dutch fireship. For this exploit, see P. R. Rogers, Dutch in Medway, pp. 93+.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"I...caused the link to be measured, and it was six inches and one-fourth in circumference."

L&M: It was however of inferior (Spanish) iron: Rawl. A 195a, loc. cit.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

Better link "[ the ] provocation [ of the Dutch ] at Schelling"

Holmes's Bonfire was a raid on the Vlie estuary in the Netherlands, executed by the English Fleet during the Second Anglo-Dutch War on 19 and 20 August 1666 (New Style, 9 and 10 August Old Style). The attack, named after the commander of the landing force, Rear-Admiral Robert Holmes, was successful in destroying by fire a large merchant fleet of 140 ships. During the same action the town of West-Terschelling was burnt down, causing outrage in the Dutch Republic. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hol…

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"I find it is true that the Dutch did heele “The Charles” to get her down, and yet run aground twice or thrice, and yet got her safe away, and have her, with a great many good guns in her, which none of our pilots would ever have undertaken."

L&M: Her stern piece is now displayed in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam:
https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/col…

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"Back again to Rochester, and there walked to the Cathedral as they were beginning of the service, but would not be seen to stay to church there, besides had no mind, but rather to go to our inne, the White Hart,"

L&M: A late fourteenth-century inn. on the e. side of High St., near the bridge; slept in by Queen Elizabeth; still surviving. Account in Arch. Cant., 21/315.
-----------
White Hart
15 (16) High Street
Rochester
http://www.dover-kent.com/2014-pr…

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"to our inne, the White Hart, where we drank and were fain (the towne being so full of soldiers) to have a bed corded for us to lie in, I being unwilling to lie at the Hill house"

L&M: Beds were usually framed with cords or 'bed-lines' on which were placed a mat or mattress.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"Then into the fields, a fine walk, and there saw Sir Francis Clerke’s house, which is a pretty seat"

L&M: Clerke was M.P. for Rochester and a colleague of Pepys on the Chatham Chest. The house was Elizabethan, of red brick, in Crow Lane, and is now know as Restoration House from the fact that the King slept there on 28-9 May 1660 on his way from Dover to London.
----------
Restoration House in Rochester, Medway, South East England, is a fine example of an Elizabethan mansion. It is so named after the visit of King Charles II on the eve of his restoration.

Charles had landed in Dover on 25 May 1660 and by the evening of the 28th arrived in Rochester. He was received by the Mayor and eventually retired for the night to the home of Colonel Gibbon. The following day Charles continued to London and was proclaimed King on 29 May, his 30th birthday. Although the home of Colonel Gibbon, the property was actually owned by Sir Francis Clerke (he was knighted during the visit), a fact which has led to confusion in the past.[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Res…

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"so took leave of him"

L&M: On 3 July Brouncker wrote to Pepys: 'I found in my Chamber an Indian staffe which I supposed was yours' (Rawl. A 195a, f. 142).

Gerald Berg  •  Link

"...and troubled that Creed did see so much of my dalliance, though very little." Good thing SP is a good judge of what is "fit time and place". Otherwise Creed might have had a real "raree-show" to talk about!

john  •  Link

As did Sean, I recommend cutting a strip of paper the same length and looping it -- a hefty chain, indeed. Though L&M footnote this: "It was however of inferior (Spanish) iron."

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