Tuesday 15 July 1662

Annotations

• N philip on Fri 15 Jul 2005, 11:37pm

  Tomalin observes that the ensuing trial re the inclement weather during this construction project illustrates the character of Jane Birch, the maid, who was one of the interesting female characters in Pepys’s life. Not to spoil anything, but we are in for some interesting times with the Pepys household.

• N Michael Robinson on Fri 15 Jul 2005, 11:51pm

  St Swithin’s Day

  According to popular tradition the inclement weather is set for the next forty days!

• N Roy Feldman on Sat 16 Jul 2005, 12:06am

  St Swithin’s Day Folklore

  Michael Robinson, or anyone else who knows about this — please do tell what the traditions for this day are! Many thanks.

• N Michael Robinson on Sat 16 Jul 2005, 01:16am

  St Swithin’s Day, if it does rain
  Full forty days, it will remain
  St Swithin’s Day, if it be fair
  For forty days, t’will rain no more

  Tis said that the humble saint wished to be buried outside and was. However on the 15th. July, when the monks of Winchester moved his body to a shrine inside the Cathedral, it rained for forty days to show his displeasure.

• N dirk on Sat 16 Jul 2005, 01:41am

  The Rev. Josselin’s diary for these days…

  “Tuesday 15 July 1662. This night with us being called St. Swithins day, at night it rained, the old saying is it rains 40 days after, this 20th its wet, and has been since.”

  “Saturday and Lords day. July. 12. 13. the sun shone wonderfully red. I thought it presaged drought. on the Lords day 2 hours before it set. we could see the body round and red, giving no light, clouds blew playing over it, it was suddenly not to be seen the sky not altering.”
  

• N Cumgranissalis on Sat 16 Jul 2005, 03:26am

  “…they two …” very telling.
  “…the house being all open at top…”
  Oh! dear me, camping out? and as suggested it be for next 40 days, and There be Sam who failed to listen to old wives tales.

• N Pedro on Sat 16 Jul 2005, 10:45am

  “but there was no help for it.”

  We would now say “but it can’t be helped” ?
  

• N A. De Araujo on Sat 16 Jul 2005, 01:02pm

  “but there was no help for it”
  Granted, there were no plastic or canvas but cow hides could have given temporary cover.

• N Dan Jenkins on Sat 16 Jul 2005, 01:21pm

  “but there was no help for it”

  What about sail material? Wasn’t that canvas yet? (I believe canvas was introduced to Europe in the 17th century.)

  I’d think there’d be plenty of ways to protect the site during construction.
  

• N Wim van der Meij on Sat 16 Jul 2005, 01:28pm

  I suppose that the sails or tarpaulins that were used on ships in those days were of a very thick and heavy material and tarred as well. It would have been imposible to stretch these across a house, there being no cranes etc.

• N Robert Gertz on Sat 16 Jul 2005, 01:41pm

  Nice to see Beth getting on well with Tom…A rare view of her relations with the rest of the Pepys. Though I suppose it could have been Cooke who made her smile…

• N Robert Gertz on Sat 16 Jul 2005, 01:47pm

  So Batten’s fine house (don’t he and his Lady live “like a prince”?) is also undergoing this trial, isn’t it?

  Lucky Beth’s in a good and merry mood, considering she could note…Continually, as the rain pours down…That she could be comfortably situated in Brampton right now if Sam had been a hair less tight.

• N Tony Eldridge on Sat 16 Jul 2005, 03:39pm

  I went to my office and there busy till sitting time.
  Has the expression ‘sitting time’ cropped up before? If so, what does it mean?

• N Robert Gertz on Sat 16 Jul 2005, 06:36pm

  Again, a interesting glance at Beth’s freedom…Though of course, Tom the bro-in-law was there.

• N Cumgranissalis on Sat 16 Jul 2005, 07:08pm

  I doubt very strongly that Tom be with Beth, he has work to do at the navy office, that be ‘wot’ he gets his pennies for, which by the way be 10 shillings a week [120] lest Sams expenses. “…Nice to see Beth getting on well with Tom

• N Cumgranissalis on Sat 16 Jul 2005, 07:12pm

  “…sitting time…” my thought, time when all the top officers get to-gether to go over the days review. i.e down to the Conference room.

• N Cumgranissalis on Sat 16 Jul 2005, 07:15pm

  My error, mis read “they two”, it be Tom and Mr Cooke.

• N Harry on Sat 16 Jul 2005, 07:53pm

  St Swithin

• N Nix on Sat 16 Jul 2005, 11:11pm

  Sitting time —

  If the usage is similar to the way they do it in courts, “sitting time” would be when they officially open for business. A judge may show up and spend hours working on cases in chambers, but is not “sitting” until he/she moves into the courtroom and the bailiff calls formal proceedings to order: “Oyez, oyez ….” — the influence of Norman French is still with us.

• N Tom Burns on Mon 18 Jul 2005, 01:33pm

  St. Swithin

  A haigiograpy from the Catholic encyclopedia:

  http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14357c.htm

• N A. Hamilton on Mon 18 Jul 2005, 02:29pm

  there was no help for it

  “With a hey ho, the wind and the rain”

  Sitting Time. Nix’s conjecture fits the chronology of the entry. Sam is busy at the office early “until sitting time” then does business with Coventry’s clerk, etc.