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Monday 12 November 1660

Lay long in bed to-day. Sir Wm. Batten went this morning to Deptford to pay off the Wolf. Mr. Comptroller and I sat a while at the office to do business, and thence I went with him to his house in Lime Street, a fine house, and where I never was before, and from thence by coach (setting down his sister at the new Exchange) to Westminster Hall, where first I met with Jack Spicer and agreed with him to help me to tell money this afternoon. Hence to De Cretz, where I saw my Lord’s picture finished, which do please me very well. So back to the Hall, where by appointment I met the Comptroller, and with him and three or four Parliament men I dined at Heaven, and after dinner called at Will’s on Jack Spicer, and took him to Mr. Fox’s, who saved me the labour of telling me the money by giving me 3000l. by consent (the other 1000l. I am to have on Thursday next), which I carried by coach to the Exchequer, and put it up in a chest in Spicer’s office. From thence walked to my father’s, where I found my wife, who had been with my father to-day, buying of a tablecloth and a dozen of napkins of diaper [?? D.W.], the first that ever I bought in my life. My father and I took occasion to go forth, and went and drank at Mr. Standing’s, and there discoursed seriously about my sister’s coming to live with me, which I have much mind for her good to have, and yet I am much afeard of her ill-nature. Coming home again, he and I, and my wife, my mother and Pall, went all together into the little room, and there I told her plainly what my mind was, to have her come not as a sister in any respect, but as a servant, which she promised me that she would, and with many thanks did weep for joy, which did give me and my wife some content and satisfaction. So by coach home and to bed. The last night I should have mentioned how my wife and I were troubled all night with the sound of drums in our ears, which in the morning we found to be Mr. Davys’s jack, but not knowing the cause of its going all night, I understand to-day that they have had a great feast to-day.

Tuesday 13 November 1660Sunday 11 November 1660

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Parliament on this day

Annotations

  • “napkins of Diaper”

    “This word has an interesting etymology. It actually refers to the cloth of the diaper (diaper = napkin or nappy in British English) and not the function of it. …

    “Diaper fabric was originally linen (15th century) but retained its name when it came to be made of cotton. … The word is first recorded with the “baby clout” (“nappy”) meaning in Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew” of 1596. This usage stuck in America, but in Britain a new word took its place: nappy (short for napkin, another word which is used differently on either side of the Atlantic).”

    From the “Take Our Word For It” website (third item):
    http://www.takeourword.com/TOW157/page2.html

    On this side of the Atlantic, diapers are put on babys’ behinds and napkins on the table.

  • ”[?? D.W.]”

    Phil’s “About the Text” page states:

  • Sir Wm. Batten went this morning to Deptford to pay off the Wolf.

    The Wolf being a ship, one presumes?

  • At least he set up the terms of residence very clearly.”…discoursed seriously about my sister

  • Sam plays bagman here with a great deal of money. Is it coins, notes, both or what?

  • Banknotes

    No banknotes were issued in England until 1694, immediately following the establishment of the Bank of England. One presumes that Pepys was handling coin of the realm; bulky, heavy and difficult to move discreetly in this quantity.

    Sam treats this transfer of funds much more prosaically than the earlier instance when he was walking home with personal funds tucked tight under his arm and just the boy to light his way.

  • Napkins:
    Napkins are also placed on the table in Britain; the word “nappy” is no longer synonymous.

  • not as a sister in any respect, but as a servant

    only yesterday was sam complaining about the servants sitting too close in church. speculation here was that pall would be more a companion to elizabeth than a domestic, but in light of today’s entry one wonders. the pepys still have their ‘girl’ and ‘boy’ living with them too.

    anyone notice yesterday that after sam’s rich uncle announces he’d make any child of elizabeth his heir, sam refers to his young servant as ‘my little boy’? wishful thinking perhaps. however, considering the diary begins in the aftermath of one of elizabeth’s miscarriages, one senses sam’s poignant need of family, one that extends very literally into the public realm.

  • Diaper (OED):

    I. 1. The name of a textile fabric; now, and since the 15th c., applied to a linen fabric (or an inferior fabric of

  • “Mr. Comptroller”

    Using the word “Mr.” in front of a job title is done in the United States for people who hold certain offices, but almost exclusively during official government meetings (except for “Mr. Chairman,” used in any meeting where there’s a chairman). Is this the case in other English-speaking countries?

    The most well-known example here is “Mr. President,” but I’ve also heard “Mr. Prosecutor” in court and I know “Mr. Chief Justice” is used. Also, “Mr. Speaker” in legislatures. “Mr. Chairman” is probably the most common use of this kind of “Mr.” It’s always seemed a very republican kind of title, and I’m surprised to see it as far back as Pepys’s time.

    When women are in these roles, they’re usually called “Madam Prosecutor” etc.

    The term also works well if you forget the person’s name.

    (And in my neck of the woods, businesses sometimes use the word: “Mr. Shower Door,” “Mr. Souvlaki,” “Mr. Plumber.” Several business owners told me they thought it lent an air of authority to the business, along with some amusing comments. Then there’s “Mrs. Field’s Cookies” … )

  • Mr. = MAster NOT MIster

    David, two points…

    ‘Using the word

  • H.M.S. “WOLF”

    Both Colledge and Manning & Walker confirm that H.M.S. “Wolf” was a 16-gun ship captured from the Spanish in 1656 and sold in 1663. Colledge uses the spelling “Woolf” and gives her as the Spanish “Lobo” of 120 tons b.m. while M&W states she was “Nostra Senora del Socorro”.

  • I’m betting he was carrying paper rather than coinage.

    Banknotes weren’t issued, but you could get the equivalent of bankdrafts from goldsmiths, moneylenders, etc. Goldsmiths were especially trusted because they had strong vaults to store their gold in. The Lombards had a thriving banking system as did others (the Greshams).

    If you were going from London to (say) Rome you didn’t need to take your money with you. Just get a promissory note from one merchant banker to redeem from his cousin. The same procedure worked within cities as well as between them.

  • Carrying that 3000L… in gold it would have been around 42 Kg, or 93 Lbs. No problem in a coach, but not something to slip casually into a pocket.

    Harvey

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