Thursday 28 November 1661

Annotations

• N Bradford on Sun 28 Nov 2004, 11:44pm

  “In the afternoon Mr. Pett and I met at the office; there being none more there than we two I saw there was not the reverence due to us observed, and so I took occasion to break up and took Mr. Gawdon along with me,”

  And having been dissed at work, went on a rip to show Them what we’re made of. How much smarter are we, 341 years later.

• N Paul Chapin on Mon 29 Nov 2004, 02:42am

  Nobody there?
  I don’t quite understand this passage. If there was nobody at the office, as Sam says, then there was nobody to show him “due reverence.” Does he mean there was nobody else important there? Or could Sam be making a joke?

• N vicente on Mon 29 Nov 2004, 03:53am

  People of lower rank are usually not noticed by ones betters , seen or heard, ‘tis why epaulettes and ribbons be needed. That is my take and my memories of the days, when one was hired help. {still do talk around the hoi polloi]
  

• N Australian Susan on Mon 29 Nov 2004, 05:58am

  “due reverence”
  I took that to mean that as only Sam and Mr Pett were there, the clerks didn’t show them the deference Sam felt should have been shown to the Navy Board officers and was shown when the knighted officers were present. Sam shows his power by closing the office for the day.

• N Robert Gertz on Mon 29 Nov 2004, 10:03am

  “…not the reverence due to us observed…” I wonder if it was Batten’s and Minnes’ and Penn’s clerks giving Sam embarrassing lip in front of Commissioner Pett. I’d doubt Sam’s own people would risk offending him.

  Interesting that Elisabeth’s servant problem is a little similar…She can’t get them to pay her proper respect, at least by her lights, and judging by the footnote on Sarah, they notice that the neighbors hold titles.

• N PHE on Mon 29 Nov 2004, 01:32pm

  Split personality
  It’s interesting here that Sam, who is both proud to be an upstanding citizen, and embarassed at some of his own social antics (as well as critical of others form time-to-time), should take the time to describe the latter in so much detail in his diary - and without any sense of self criticism (in this case)- just happy to record the fun.

• N Pedro. on Mon 29 Nov 2004, 02:00pm

  “some letters from my Lord Sandwich, from Tangier;”

  Does Sam get letters in chronological order from Sandwich?
  If so Sandy has been in action in Tangier, as noted by Sam on the 24th Sep, and again recently. He will hand over to Lord Peterborough in January. But it seems he has had time to sail to Lisbon and back to see the big game of the bull, as noted on the 7th November.

• N Glyn on Mon 29 Nov 2004, 04:42pm

  “one Mr. Parker

• N Glyn on Mon 29 Nov 2004, 04:57pm

  Correction: It appears that it wasn’t Mr Parker who had been captured then freed but one of his employees (“one of Mr Parker’s”).

• N Stewart on Mon 29 Nov 2004, 06:41pm

  Glyn “retaken an Englishman”

  I read this as an English SHIP, i.e. an English merchantman.

• N vicente on Mon 29 Nov 2004, 07:42pm

  Stewart’s view seems to be the correct reading, it makes more sense.
  When does noun modify another nown i.e an adjective, become a nown when it is already is a nown that should modify a missing nown.?

• N Glyn on Mon 29 Nov 2004, 08:37pm

  So we’re talking sea battles, broadsides of cannon and hand-to-hand combat? That’s a lot more interesting than Elizabeth quarrelling with her maid.

• N tc on Mon 29 Nov 2004, 10:10pm

  “…retaken an Englishman”

  Probably not a raging battle, but more likely perhaps a slip-into-the-harbor-in-the-dark sortie, to hopefully catch the night harbor watch napping. Known later as “a cutting out expedition” if you follow your Nelson (via Aubrey-Maturin-O’Brian.)

• N RexLeo on Mon 29 Nov 2004, 11:19pm

  “…I found our new maid Sarah1 come, who is a tall and a very well favoured wench, and one that I think will please us. So to bed.”

  Which bed? one in the green room with the maids?

• N Australian Susan on Tue 30 Nov 2004, 12:06am

  “retaken an Englishman”
  I wonder if this was a merchant ship in the service of the Royal navy and that is why they went to the bother of retaking it, rather than letting Mr Parker sort himself out with payments, ransom, bribes etc to get his ship back. My ancestors were ship owners in Sunderland and had all their fleet requisitioned as supply vessels to the Royal Navy in the Napoleonic Wars and lost the lot. Then the same thing happened in WWII - they got compensation that time though. Was the same thing happening at this time? Or not so well organised?

• N Paul Chapin on Tue 30 Nov 2004, 01:50am

  none more there than we two
  Thanks to Oz Sue for her interpretation of this sentence that puzzled me, which makes very good sense. The key is in the interpretation of the word “more”, which must be understood here as meaning “of higher rank” or “more important”, rather than simply as “more people” as I had thought.

• N vicente on Tue 30 Nov 2004, 03:37am

  Favourite trick of the powers to be, take it. {requisioned}. Every thing from Iron railings , Leica cameras to Englishmen’s Castle [ makes a nice bed and board for the sick or Hofficers worn out, signing chits], or Cathedral{ ST P’s was used for stabling those crowd -pleasers or -breakers, 16 hands plus}.

• N Australian Susan on Tue 30 Nov 2004, 10:03pm

  Stabling horses in Cathedrals
  This appears to have been a common practice whereever Parliamentary troops took a cathedral city (eg Lichfield). Was it done as a deliberate slight or affront to establishment churchgoers? Or simply practical - it was a secure place to keep a most valuable asset. Cavalry were the RAF of their day - the fast moving first strike troops and with out horses done for. Throughtout military history, dastardly deeds were done to enemy horses (hamstringing for example) or they were simply stolen or scattered. Sorry, this is off-topic.

• N Stewart on Wed 1 Dec 2004, 01:23am