Tuesday 13 October 1668

Up, and to the office, and before the office did speak with my Lord Brouncker, and there did get his ready assent to T. Hater’s having of Mr. Turner’s place, and so Sir J. Minnes’s also: but when we come to sit down at the Board, comes to us Mr. Wren this day to town, and tells me that James Southern do petition the Duke of York for the Storekeeper’s place of Deptford, which did trouble me much, and also the Board, though, upon discourse, after he was gone, we did resolve to move hard for our Clerks, and that places of preferment may go according to seniority and merit. So, the Board up, I home with my people to dinner, and so to the office again, and there, after doing some business, I with Mr. Turner to the Duke of Albemarle’s at night; and there did speak to him about his appearing to Mr. Wren a friend to Mr. Turner, which he did take kindly from me; and so away thence, well pleased with what we had now done, and so I with him home, stopping at my Lord Brouncker’s, and getting his hand to a letter I wrote to the Duke of York for T. Hater, and also at my Lord Middleton’s, to give him an account of what I had done this day, with his man, at Alderman Backewell’s, about the getting of his 1000l. paid;1 and here he did take occasion to discourse about the business of the Dutch war, which, he says, he was always an enemy to; and did discourse very well of it, I saying little, but pleased to hear him talk; and to see how some men may by age come to know much, and yet by their drinking and other pleasures render themselves not very considerable. I did this day find by discourse with somebody, that this nobleman was the great Major-General Middleton; that was of the Scots army, in the beginning of the late war against the King. Thence home and to the office to finish my letters, and so home and did get my wife to read to me, and then Deb to comb my head… [and here I had the pleasure para touch the cosa of her and all about, with a little opposition; and so to bed. – L&M]

15 Annotations

First Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

L&M provide the text of what was elided.

"so home and did get my wife to read to me, and then Deb to comb my head; and here I had the pleasure para touch the cosa of her and all about, with a little opposition; and so to bed."

Tony Eldridge  •  Link

Lucky Thomas Turner, proving the old adage that it's not what, but who, you know. Not much beats a reference from a Duke and a Lord.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

“so home and did get my wife to read to me, and then Deb to comb my head; and here I had the pleasure para touch the cosa of her and all about, with a little opposition"

I wonder how much of this dangerous didding with Deb would have been illuminated with candle-light used to make Samuel's head visible for delousing, or would have been hidden, below the reach of that light, and quite in the dark?

***

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"Sweetheart? What does this...What the hell?!!"

"Ow!!"

"Deb, you didn't drop the candle on my wig did you? Can't have that burning again? Gervais won't accept the same excuse twice."

"Sam'l!"

"What? Where are you, Bess?"

"Here? What was that?!"

"What? Where? I can't see a thing. Deb, girl, did you see anything?"

"Sir?"

"Well, go find that candle."

"Sam'l!!"

"Bess, be...Ow!!...Careful..."

"I saw...Well...I think...?"

"Deb, find that candle! It could still burn us down. What did you see, Bess? Poor Deb nearly dropped the candle on me...Is my wiggie all right?"

"Don't know, sir...Can't find it yet...Jane?! Come and help me find my candle?!"

"Sam'l...I saw...I think...What were you doing?"

"Getting me head combed and trying to keep Willet from dropping her candle on me. Why did you shout so?"

"Jane?"

"What, Mrs. Pepys...?" slightly grim.

"Oh...Jane, help Deb find her candle before the house catches fire. It's...Around here."

"So? What was it?"

("I think over here...You look there." Deb hisses. "I'll look where Mrs. P. tells me, girl.")

"She was dropping the candle? You were just steadying her? Is that you?"

"Yes, it's me...Don't poke my eye out there. Of course...Why, what did you think, Bess?"

("Candle!!" Jane calls. "Hussy...Be warned from this time on. girl." hiss to Deb. Deb, poison look back.)

"Oh...Nothing..." sigh. "Say I wanted to know what this meant." Holds up book, finger on line.

"Ah, let there be light. Thank ye, Jane, Deb. What were you reading here? 'Oceania'? Lord, I thought I burnt it years ago...Bess, give me that. It's banned."

"Mind on other things, eh?"

Ian Greenwood  •  Link

Are we to assume (re lighting arrangements) that a candle was the sole light-source in the room? And will not Samuel have dismissed his wife and book before having a tocar of Deb's cosa?

Australian Susan  •  Link

I think the reading came before the head combing and not at the same time. I think Bess had safely gone to bed before Sam asked Deb for this personal attention.

Second Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

" James Southern do petition the Duke of York for the Storekeeper’s place of Deptford, which did trouble me much, and also the Board, though, upon discourse, after he was gone, we did resolve to move hard for our Clerks,"

L&M: James Southerne was one of the clerks in the Admiral's office. (He became Clerk if the Acts in 1677.) Thomas Turner (clerk to Mennes and Purveyor of Petty Provisions in the Navy Office) was now appointed to the storekeeper's place on 14 October.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"I did this day find by discourse with somebody, that this nobleman was the great Major-General Middleton; that was of the Scots army, in the beginning of the late war against the King."

L&M: Until 1648 Middleton had been one of the leaders of the Covenanters, playing a prominent part in the battle of Philliphaugh (1645) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bat… and the campaign of 1646 against Montrose. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sco…

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

'Entry Book: October 1668', in Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 2, 1667-1668, ed. William A Shaw (London, 1905), pp. 623-630. British History Online
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/…

@@@
Oct. 13 1668
Same to William Packer, Paymaster of the Works,
to borrow 500/. on William Harbord's orders for repair of the wall of Richmond New Park.
Treasury Miscellanea Warrants Early XXIII. pp. 16–17.

@@@
Oct. 13 1668
Same to Francis Stevens
to arrest Thomas Hosier, head collector of the borough of Brecon for arrears on the Aids:
and Thomas Phelipps as same for the hundred of Builth, co. Brecon, for the like:
and John Powell as same for the hundred of Penkelly, co. Brecon.
Treasury Miscellanea Warrants Early XXXIV. p. 131.
---
Those ads. in the London Gazette did warn you to turn in the cash ASAP. Did the Welsh think it didn't apply to them? "The king is far away, and the mountains are high" etc.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

'Calendar of State Papers Colonial, America and West Indies: Volume 5, 1661-1668, ed. W Noel Sainsbury (London, 1880), pp. 615-622. British History Online

http://www.british-history.ac.uk/…

October 1668

@@@
Oct. 13. 1668
Barbados.
#1853. Sir Tobias Bridge to the Privy Council.

Received theirs of 31st July, when his regiment was ready to be disbanded according to their order of 20th May [see ante, No. 1754], which had been done could Lord Willoughby have found out any means to have paid arrears, which his Lordship was very solicitous about, but which is left to their Lordships' consideration to make provision for.

Will with all diligence and faithfulness discharge the trust reposed in him concerning his Majesty's moiety of the 4½ per cent., but as no sugar is like to be made till after January next, they will be in great straits to subsist till that time.

Lord Willoughby has put him in possession of the receipt of that duty, which will fall very short of their Lordships' expectations, and will return punctual accounts, together with the muster rolls.

Indorsed, Rec. 7th, read Dec. 11th, 1668.
1 p. [Col. Papers, Vol. XXIII., No. 62.]
---
William, Lord WILLOUGHBY, 6th Baron of Parham MP (1616 – 1673), Gov. Barbados (1666 – 1673)
---
Tobias Bridge fought for Parliament in the English Civil Wars, served the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell during the Interregnum, and after the Restoration he served Charles II.
A year after he was knighted in 1666, Col. Sir Tobias Bridge was sent to Barbados with his regiment. In 1672 he commanded the local land forces against Tobago in one of the many wars over that island. In 1674 he was admitted to the council of Barbados.
He probably died in Bridgetown, the capital of Barbados which was named after him, but no record has been found of the date.
https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10… (you need a subscription)

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"... and to see how some men may by age come to know much, and yet by their drinking and other pleasures render themselves not very considerable."

There but for five-odd years of Vows go you, Mr. Pepys. I wonder if he thought of that, and was mentally making a note not to go the same way.

Men of war like Middleton had seen and done things that probably kept them up at night for the rest of their lives. Alcohol is one way of (not) dealing with what we now call PTSD. And there were many such alcoholics at the Court of St. James in Pepys' day.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

The volume of Domestic State Papers covering correspondence from Oct. 1668 to Dec. 1669 is at
https://play.google.com/books/rea…

@@@
Oct. 13 1668.
Jo. Carlile to Williamson.

Lord Mordaunt, with one servant, has gone to Calais.
The Calais and Nieuport packet boats have arrived.

The contagion continues at Dieppe and Rouen.

I will send the remainder of the accounts, which Mr. Blayney pretends are not
accounted for, by which you will see that Blayney is in error, and has put me to
50/. charge, besides the loss of time.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 247, No. 176.]

@@@
Oct. 13 1668.
Audley End
W. Perwich to Williamson.

No more letters must be sent, as Lord Arlington will be in town tomorrow

The Queen is better, but holds to her resolution of being at Whitehall on Saturday night.
The King goes to Newmarket tomorrow.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 247, No. 177.]

@@@
Oct. 13 1668.
Teddington
Lord Keeper Bridgeman to (Williamson).

I have imparted the contents of the packet sent to Sir J. Trevor, and with his
consent, have added something to his letter to Sir W. Temple enclosed, which
answers his last 3 letters, except as to the Marine Treaty.

I cannot give instructions thereon until Lord Arlington's return, nor then without consulting the Council of Trade (whose commission is not yet passed), or some other merchants, for the States will expect that the English should put in all their demands at once, and those already made only proceed from the East India Company.

I will be in town on Saturday, to attend Lord Arlington.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 247, No. 178.]

@@@
Oct. 13 1668.
Portsmouth
Hugh Salesbury to Williamson.

Col. Nicholls only went for London yesterday, not being able to despatch his
things ashore till then.

The officers of the soldiers that came from Lisbon remain at Portsmouth, no order having come for their disposal.

Consul Maynard is also come with the Mary Rose and Antelope from Lisbon, and is bound for London.

The Dartmouth frigate is fitting for the Canaries.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 247, No. 179.]

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

(Oct. 13.] 1668
Warrant
to pay to Thos. Elliott, housekeeper of the house lately bought by the King at
Newmarket, 300/. for his charges in keeping the house, airing the rooms, &c.,
from the time it was bought to Michaelmas last.
[Draft. [S.P. Dom., Car. II. 247, No. 182. Repeated on p. 83 infra.]

@@@
Oct. 13 1668.
Portsmouth
Capt. John Tinker to Sam. Pepys.

The Dartmouth arrived at Spithead , and will be off again with all possible despatch;
hopes they have ordered her provisions.

Capt . Liddell has sailed with the Roebuck for Cowes.

Asks for a supply of candles.
[Damaged. S.P. Dom., Car. II. 247, No. 183.]

@@@
Oct. 13 1668.
Ordnance Office
Edw. Sherburne to Pepys.

Desires a list of all the King's frigates, ketches, fireships, or other hired vessels that have been either taken by the Dutch, burnt, or sunk, from the beginning of the late Dutch war to the end.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 247, No. 184.]

@@@
Oct. 13 1668.
Kinsale
Capt. Wm. Poole to the Navy Commissioners.

I was forced at Vintry, in Ireland, to supply both the Crown and the Norwich with provisions upon my own credit.
The ships are incapacitated to keep at sea, for want of sails and rigging.

I have been disappointed in my hopes of a supply out of the King's stores here to carry me home, and have been obliged to run into debt for them;
I hope to be reimbursed on my arrival.

I am in great distress for a cable, and cannot be supplied although it were to save the ship, not withstanding there be some here.

I am only waiting for wind to carry me to the Downs.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 247, No. 185.]

@@@
Oct. 13 1668.
Bonadventure
Capt . John Narbrough to the Navy Commissioners.

I am at Ockam Ness in Chatham river, but detained by westerly winds;
I will get the ship up to her moorings, the first opportunity.
The guns are mostly out, but there is no officer here to receive them.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 247, No. 186.]

Log in to post an annotation.

If you don't have an account, then register here.