Website: http://www.pepysdiary.com/
Phil Gyford
Articles
Phil Gyford has written four articles:
- Evelyn to Pepys, 26 March 1666 (26 March 2009)
- John Evelyn’s Fire of London (2 September 2009)
- Q&A with Dr Kate Loveman (14 April 2019)
- A bill of exchange (18 August 2020)
Annotations and comments
Phil Gyford has posted 771 annotations/comments since 27 December 2002.
Comments
First Reading
About New design launched
Phil Gyford • Link
Hmm, the first thing I can think of that might be causing problems is if your browser has cached the stylesheet for the old site.
Go to this URL and then click the Refresh/Reload button in your browser: http://www.pepysdiary.com/style/d…
Then try viewing the site again.
About Thursday 29 October 1663
Phil Gyford • Link
Thanks Willie and Terry - it's fixed now. Sorry about that.
About Katherine Norbury
Phil Gyford • Link
Daughter of George http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo… and Sarah http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo… Norbury.
About Mary Norbury
Phil Gyford • Link
Daughter of George http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo… and Sarah http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo… Norbury.
About Google Maps in the Encyclopedia
Phil Gyford • Link
Thanks folks - there does seem to be a problem with Windows Internet Explorer, which I'm looking into fixing... more updates as I have them!
About Lady Elizabeth Gauden
Phil Gyford • Link
Wife of Sir Denis: http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo…
About Elizabeth Gauden
Phil Gyford • Link
Wife of John, Bishop of Exeter, who died in 1662: http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo…
About John Crew (c)
Phil Gyford • Link
Son of Sir Thomas: http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo…
About James Stuart (Duke of Cambridge)
Phil Gyford • Link
Son of James Stuart, Duke of York: http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo…
About Capt. John Allen
Phil Gyford • Link
Husband of Mrs Allen: http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo…
About Mrs Allen
Phil Gyford • Link
Wife of Capt. John Allen http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo… , clerk of the Ropeyard at Chatham.
About Mrs Goldsborough
Phil Gyford • Link
Mother of Mr Goldsborough: http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo…
About Mr Goldsborough
Phil Gyford • Link
Son of Mrs Goldsborough: http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo…
About Handsel
Phil Gyford • Link
From Dreamalittle's annotation here: http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
The OED entry for ‘handsel, v.’ (citations removed for brevity) reads:
1. trans. To give handsel to (a person); to present with, give, or offer, something auspicious at the commencement of the year or day, the beginning of an enterprise, etc.; to inaugurate the new year to (any one) with gifts, or the day to (a dealer) by being his first customer; to present with earnest-money or a luck-penny in auspication of an engagement or bargain.
2. To inaugurate with some ceremony or observance of an auspicious nature; to auspicate.
b. fig. (ironical).
3. To inaugurate the use of; to use for the first time; to be the first to test, try, prove, taste.
Hence handselling vbl. n.
***
I suspect that Sam had definition 2b in mind.
About Handsel
Phil Gyford • Link
From Dirk's annotation here: http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
han(d)sel
Websters Dictionary gives the following:
1. A sale, gift, or delivery into the hand of another; especially, a sale, gift, delivery, or using which is the first of a series, and regarded as on omen for the rest; a first installment; an earnest; as the first money received for the sale of goods in the morning, the first money taken at a shop newly opened, the first present sent to a young woman on her wedding day, etc. “Their first good handsel of breath in this world.” (Fuller) “Our present tears here, not our present laughter, Are but the handsels of our joys hereafter.” (Herrick)
2. Price; payment. Handsel Monday, the first Monday of the new year, when handsels or presents are given to servants, children, etc.
Origin: OE. Handsal, hansal, hansel, AS. Handslena giving into hands, or more prob. Fr. Icel. Handsal; hand hand + sal sale, bargain; akin to AS. Sellan to give, deliver. See Sell, Sale.
http://cancerweb.ncl.ac.uk/cgi-bi…
About Handsel
Phil Gyford • Link
From Bradford's annotation here: http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
In 1975, to honor the Queen Mother’s 75th birthday, Benjamin Britten set texts by Robert Burns as a cycle for voice and harp, called “A Birthday Hansel” (Op. 92). The British CD company Chandos explains that “A ‘hansel’, or ‘handsel’, is a small gift given at the beginning of a year to wish the recipient good luck,” suggesting the word is archaic enough to be unfamiliar to today’s classical music listeners, in Britain or elsewhere.
Does L&M give this final sentence with “carrying” where syntax in any era requires “carried”? That weird usage, added to the repetition of “new pair,” suggests a writer momentarily interrupted at his task. Perhaps he was distracted by the little black dog?
About Handsel
Phil Gyford • Link
From Terry's annotation here: http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition uses a lot of other words for what seems to be “to inaugurate”.
hand·sel :
NOUN: 1. Chiefly British A gift to express good wishes at the beginning of a new year or enterprise. 2. The first money or barter taken in, as by a new business or on the opening day of business, especially when considered a token of good luck. 3a. A first payment. b. A specimen or foretaste of what is to come.
TRANSITIVE VERB:.Inflected forms: hand·seled or hand·selled, hand·sel·ing or hand·sel·ling, hand·sels or hand·sels
1. To give a handsel to. 2. To launch with a ceremonial gesture or gift. 3. To do or use for the first time.
ETYMOLOGY: Middle English hanselle, from Old English handselen, a handing over ( hand, hand + selen, gift)and from Old Norse handsal, legal transfer ( hand, hand + sal, a giving).
http://www.bartleby.com/61/62/H00…
About John Game
Phil Gyford • Link
Proprietor of the Coach and Horses Tavern, Aldgate: http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo…
About Coach and Horses ("Game's", Aldgate )
Phil Gyford • Link
Often referred to as "Game's" because it was run by John Game: http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo…
About Stempiece
Phil Gyford • Link
L&M disagree with the definition provided by Wheatley and instead say "The stempiece was the main vertical timber of the bow [of a ship]."