Annotations and comments

RM has posted 10 annotations/comments since 30 May 2022.

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Third Reading

About Monday 1 October 1660

RM  •  Link

"the painters beginning to do their work today"

If the walls had been refurbished with a lime based plaster it will be several days or even weeks before they are fully hardened off and dry, so the house probably felt distinctly damp at this time.

Before they are fully dry the walls could have been finished off with a top coat of skim tinted with pigment made from pulverised rock (presumably the painters job mentioned) and which could be skillfully burnished to create an effect of polished marble or granite, or left unburnished for a matt effect.

About Monday 27 August 1660

RM  •  Link

Alas, the Northdown hop mentioned above by Paul L is a 20th century hybrid developed in the 1960s as a bittering hop for English character ales, and better able to resist disease. It was released for commercial use by the brewing trade in 1971. It is used in one of my favourite London ales, Fuller's E.S.B., but that's as close to Pepys as it gets.

About Sunday 5 August 1660

RM  •  Link

Paying to rent a pew and thus having priority when arriving for service sounds rather like the Speedy Boarding arrangement that certain airline companies use today to harvest a bit of extra revenue.

About Friday 13 July 1660

RM  •  Link

Interesting that Charles has made use of the regicide Whalley’s former home for his rave, presumably to make his move on Palmer (or vice versa). Was this because it was away from the eyes and ears of the Court?

About Sunday 3 June 1660

RM  •  Link

Sam might have been worth more had he not played ninepins for money, but he may have seen it as a necessary investment in the web of relationships that existed in this era of patronage and favour, particulalry with 'My Lord'.

His rival, the puritan Creed, could have saved more money and kept his desk relatively clear of paper, but ultimately gained less out of such an opportunity.

Still, quadrupling peronal wealth in a couple of months – no wonder Creed was put out at not getting the secretary job on this trip.

About Sunday 1 January 1659/60

RM  •  Link

And this third time round the dates and days of the week appear to be in sync with our own!

About Monday 2 January 1659/60

RM  •  Link

“...I'm a numismatist who specializes in the coinage of Charles II, so may well point everyone towards the odd photo of various coins that Pepys himself may have used!...”

You may also have info about the tokens issued by London taverns, as the 1660s were apparently particularly troublesome for low denomination coinage that would pay for a drink or two.

About Monday 2 January 1659/60

RM  •  Link

“Verbal communication was also the principal means of keeping abreast of the news, so that personal meetings, conversation, and stopping to chat to people was a common and important part of day-to-day life.”

As indeed was dinner (i.e. lunch), often with relative strangers invited to add the possibility of interesting and useful news from further afield.

Second Reading