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Tuesday 24 September 1661

We rose, and set forth, but found a most sad alteration in the road by reason of last night’s rains, they being now all dirty and washy, though not deep. So we rode easily through, and only drinking at Holloway, at the sign of a woman with cakes in one hand and a pot of ale in the other, which did give good occasion of mirth, resembling her to the maid that served us, we got home very timely and well, and finding there all well, and letters from sea, that speak of my Lord’s being well, and his action, though not considerable of any side, at Argier.1 I went straight to my Lady, and there sat and talked with her, and so home again, and after supper we to bed somewhat weary, hearing of nothing ill since my absence but my brother Tom, who is pretty well though again.

Wednesday 25 September 1661Monday 23 September 1661

13°C / 55°F
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Annotations

  • Hollaway.

    The inn at Holloway mentioned by Samuel Pepys in 1661 as the Sign of the Woman with cakes in one hand and a pot of ale in the other was the Mother Red Cap, Upper Holloway, (Footnote 65) which existed in the 1630s. (Footnote 66)

    From: British History Online
    Source: Islington: Social and cultural activities. A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume VIII, Patricia Croot (1985).

    http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=471

  • Algiers.

    For info see background under Tangier..

    http://www.pepysdiary.com/p/2783.php

  • Holloway would have been the last stop on the coaching road before arriving in London, which is downhill from there. So Sam and Elizabeth would have seen the whole city stretching out before them surrounded by the city wall and the open countryside.

  • “…only drinking at Holloway…”
    Sam and Elizabeth have come home from Brampton by the westerly route (the Great North Road): Brampton, Buckden, St Neots, Biggleswade, Baldock, Stevenage, Welwyn, Hatfield, Barnet, Highgate, Holloway. L&M Companion gives three usual routes, the most easterly via Cambridge and the middle route with two Cambridge options.

  • Coming south towards London on the M.11, one can quite clearly see Canary Wharf if its a clear day, after last night’s rain Sam would have had a wonderful view, imagine all the smoke from the Soap makers/tallow works and baker shops to mention a few, I wonder if it left a yellow grey cloud hanging over the city as they approched? John Evelyn, wrote of this pollution.

  • “letters from sea, that speak of my Lord

  • “the sign of a woman with cakes in one hand and a pot of ale in the other”
    I wonder if this is related to the pessimists’ proverb:
    “Life isn’t just cakes and ale” (Or “beer and skittles” two ther things that Pepys enjoys)

  • Today, I had a

  • So if the woman who served them did indeed look a 120 years old, then I can understand these two hard-hearted 20 somethings laughing about it.

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