Monday 12 December 1664

Up, and with Sir W. Batten by coach to White Hall, where all of us with the Duke; Mr. Coventry privately did tell me the reason of his advice against our pretences to the Prize Office (in his letter from Portsmouth), because he knew that the King and the Duke had resolved to put in some Parliament men that have deserved well, and that would needs be obliged, by putting them in.

Thence homeward, called at my bookseller’s and bespoke some books against the year’s out, and then to the ’Change, and so home to dinner, and then to the office, where my Lord Brunkard comes and reads over part of our Instructions in the Navy — and I expounded it to him, so he is become my disciple. He gone, comes Cutler to tell us that the King of France hath forbid any canvass to be carried out of his kingdom, and I to examine went with him to the East India house to see a letter, but came too late. So home again, and there late till 12 at night at my office, and then home to supper and to bed.

This day (to see how things are ordered in the world), I had a command from the Earle of Sandwich, at Portsmouth, not to be forward with Mr. Cholmly and Sir J. Lawson about the Mole at Tangier, because that what I do therein will (because of his friendship to me known) redound against him, as if I had done it upon his score. So I wrote to my Lord my mistake, and am contented to promise never to pursue it more, which goes against my mind with all my heart.


16 Annotations

First Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

Entries from the Carte Calendar [inventory of the Carte Papers at the Bodleian Library at Oxford]

James, Duke of York, to Sandwich
Written from: [Whitehall]

Date: 12 December 1664

Shelfmark: MS. Carte 75, fol(s). 275-276
Document type: Original; subscribed & signed

Communicates intelligence received from Holland, as to the building of new ships, and as to the speedy issue of Letters of Marque, with design "to make some spoil among our Colliers". The Duke thinks it will now be seasonable to execute the former design of sending a squadron of eight ships to the Northward. Instructs Lord sandwich to examine Hugh Salisbury, an officer of Customs at Portsmouth, with respect to his recent purchase of Powder for the 'Royal Company'. Adds that upon "full deliberation concerning the business of Guinea, it hath been resolved, for the present, to suspend that design"; and to change the victualling of the ships assigned.

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William Coventry to Sandwich
Written from: [St James's]

Date: 12 December 1664

Shelfmark: MS. Carte 75, fol(s). 277-278
Document type: Holograph

H.M.S. Mermaid has been sent to Newcastle to convoy some vessels from thence, "which she may do well against picaroons, but if any of the States' ships should go that way, she will have a hard task of it". Mentions the desirability of strengthening the Westward Squadron. Adds that "Sir Edward Seymour's service is very considerable. I have told his son here how obligingly you have mentioned it. ... I will not fail to acquaint the King and Duke with it".

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Ormond to Captain Anthony Cary, at Ostend
Written from: Whitehall

Date: 12 December 1664

Shelfmark: MS. Carte 145, fol(s). 76
Document type: Copy [in Letter Book]

The King has received very graciously the overtures of Captain Cary concerning the setting out of frigates, for his Majesty's service, in case of a war with the Hollanders. ... He may now receive Commissions; but himself, or some discreet person on his behalf, must come over, ... to enter into the bonds usual in such cases. ...
http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/dept/s…

cgs  •  Link

The other Mr Pepys was doing justice to a Bill today in the House of Commons.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"This day (to see how things are ordered in the world), I had a command from the Earle of Sandwich, at Portsmouth, not to be forward with Mr. Cholmly and Sir J. Lawson about the Mole at Tangier"

Pepys judged wrong about this on 24 October: "Thence to a Committee at White Hall of Tangier, where I had the good lucke to speak something to very good purpose about the Mole at Tangier, which was well received even by Sir J. Lawson and Mr. Cholmely, the undertakers, against whose interest I spoke; that I believe I shall be valued for it. " http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…

tonyt  •  Link

'...The King of France hath forbid any canvass to be carried out of his kingdom...' Presumably this applied to both the Dutch and the English and was intended as a signal that France, by far the most important land power in Europe at the time, would not be drawn in to the new war by either side.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

Frustrating day, no doubt. First cut out of the lucrative pie of the Prizes Office by the big boys then when one tries to do good, honest work for the Nation your patron writes you to back off.

C.J.Darby  •  Link

called at my bookseller’s and bespoke some books against the year’s out,
Does this mean that the bookseller would have to go out and find the books for Sam or buy them from the publisher, or does it simply mean that he has them in stock and will keep them for Sam until he comes to collect and pay for them

Nate  •  Link

... bookseller would have to go out and find the books for Sam or buy them from the publisher ...

Or perhaps custom bound?

Ruben  •  Link

As I understand it, in Pepys days, to buy a book was to pay for it and wait till your copy is ready with your name on it. You also decided the material, color and the like of the binding. The binding could be expensive. Books were quite an expense and people used to show off to the appreciating public a library full of books, all of them with your name on it.

Pedro  •  Link

"then when one tries to do good, honest work for the Nation your patron writes you to back off."

Robert, I think as Sandwich has sent a “command” there is more in this than meets the eye. All the knowledge that Sam has about the Mole has come from Sandwich and it may be that Sam has used this for his own benefit and without permission from his Lord.

“I had the good lucke to speak something to very good purpose about the Mole at Tangier, which was well received even by Sir J. Lawson and Mr. Cholmely, the undertakers, against whose interest I spoke; that I believe I shall be valued for it.”

Ollard in his biography of Sandwich gives the following concerning the mole…

Sandwich subscribed to Cromwell’s primary objective, securing a permanent base at the entry to the Med, preferably Gibraltar. This would mean a strong squadron would always be in a position to hinder Spain and France from uniting their Med and Atlantic fleets, to harry and pillage the treasure fleets returning from Spanish America, to reach the pirates of Algiers and Tripoli, and their no less rapacious Christian rivals the Knights of St John in Malta…Sandwich had already made drawings of Gibraltar on his first Med visit. His journals show that he revisited it at the first opportunity after the Restoration.

(Now came the prospect of Tangier from the Marriage Treaty)

The roadstead was not one that ships would ride in all weathers, but it was generally agreed that the construction of a mole would remedy this deficiency. Sandwich at once and enthusiastically identified himself with the proposal…

Sandwich spent time surveying the harbour at Tangier (during the time he was there for the handover) for the building of the mole. The foul weather for which the place was notorious made this and other boatwork hazardous: “in my boat to sound again and advise about the mole; which as we were doing came up a great storm, with spouts with a levant wind, so I rowed aboard.”

Pedro  •  Link

"then when one tries to do good, honest work for the Nation your patron writes you to back off."

Robert, I think as Sandwich has sent a “command” there is more in this than meets the eye. All the knowledge that Sam has about the Mole has come from Sandwich and it may be that Sam has used this for his own benefit and without permission from his Lord.

“I had the good lucke to speak something to very good purpose about the Mole at Tangier, which was well received even by Sir J. Lawson and Mr. Cholmely, the undertakers, against whose interest I spoke; that I believe I shall be valued for it.”

Ollard in his biography of Sandwich gives the following concerning the mole…

Sandwich subscribed to Cromwell’s primary objective, securing a permanent base at the entry to the Med, preferably Gibraltar. This would mean a strong squadron would always be in a position to hinder Spain and France from uniting their Med and Atlantic fleets, to harry and pillage the treasure fleets returning from Spanish America, to reach the pirates of Algiers and Tripoli, and their no less rapacious Christian rivals the Knights of St John in Malta…Sandwich had already made drawings of Gibraltar on his first Med visit. His journals show that he revisited it at the first opportunity after the Restoration.

(Now came the prospect of Tangier from the Marriage Treaty)

The roadstead was not one that ships would ride in all weathers, but it was generally agreed that the construction of a mole would remedy this deficiency. Sandwich at once and enthusiastically identified himself with the proposal…

Sandwich spent time surveying the harbour at Tangier (during the time he was there for the handover) for the building of the mole. The foul weather for which the place was notorious made this and other boatwork hazardous: “in my boat to sound again and advise about the mole; which as we were doing came up a great storm, with spouts with a levant wind, so I rowed aboard.”

cgs  •  Link

Nate Re: Bookseller.
each of the trades did not like the other trades taking over their skills.This was the era of a skilled craftsman kept some control over his work, not order about by a pen pusher.
The Printer - printed, you could get an uncut copy of a book, especially those that were not popular with the powers to be, saucy French stories or seditious material.
The book binder cut and covered the book to order.
Twas why most of the later books in Pepys Library matched, or had a common theme.
The Author, did not have control over his product.

Book seller was I believe, a new trade, a man that
would do the leg work for the busy man, One of the first do dabble in none relating trades.

The butcher did not deal in candles etc.

It was even a problem years later for many to purchase an item, when purchased would not be usable until another tradesman involved to complete a task.

Second Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"comes Cutler to tell us that the King of France hath forbid any canvass to be carried out of his kingdom,."

No such order has been found. Writing to Coventry on this day, Pepys expressed the suspicion that Cutler's news (given to Pepys as a secret) might be the 'foreunner of a tender'. There was a shortage of canvas and prices rose, but imports from France continued to get through. Pepys himself on 20 July 1665 would be charged with the arrangements for importing canvas from St Malo. Pepys was later to point out (in a parliamentary debate of 4 November 1675) the extent of the country's dependence on foreign supplies. Four-fifths, he said, came from abroad, and mostly from France as Vitry and Morlaix canvas. Further Corr., p. 32; CSPD 1665-6 p. 132; CSPD 1664-5, 483.
(Per L&M footnote)

Terry Foreman  •  Link

" I had a command from the Earle of Sandwich, at Portsmouth, not to be forward with Mr. Cholmly and Sir J. Lawson about the Mole at Tangier, because that what I do therein will (because of his friendship to me known) redound against him, as if I had done it upon his score. "

Cf. https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/… where Pepys reports speaking against the interest of Hugh Cholmley and Lawson, contractors for the construction of the mole. Sandwich may have had in mind being sent to Tangier as Governor; cf: https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/… Or he may have been influenced by the douceurs he had received from the contractors: cf. https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/… (L&M note)

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

From LAWSON LIES STILL IN THE THAMES by Gill Blanchard, Amberley Publishing 2017, ISBN 978 1 4456 6123 pages 31-33 - 161-165 - 189:

Admiral John Lawson probably had a tense relationship with Sir Hugh Chomley Jr. at the beginning of their task building The Mole at Tangier. Background:

Sir Hugh Chomley Sr. knew Lawson during the First Civil War, when they protected Scarborough together for Parliament -- but in March, 1643 Chomley unexpectedly defected to King Charles. Within a week, Chomley's cousin and Lawson's former commander, Capt. Browne Bushnell, and 8 or 9 townsmen scaled Scarborough Castle walls and retook the fortress. But then Chomley had a chat with his cousin and within 3 days Scarborough Castle was back in Royalist hands.

This time Chomley gave people the choice to stay or leave. Isabelle and John Lawson packed a few belongings (they had either one or two daughters, if it was one, then Isabelle was pregnant). With a few other families they journeyed 36 miles south, either through Royalist-controlled roads or over Royalist-controlled seas, to Hull.

Gov. Sir Hugh Chomley Sr. omits nearly all mention of his Parliamentary career in his memoirs, instead blaming Parliament for changing the rationale for war, failing to resupply him, and dishonoring his name.

Fast forward to 1662, and Hugh Chomley Jr. arrives in Tangier to work on The Mole. Vice Admiral John Lawson, Rear Admiral Sir Richard Stayner, and Sir Edward Mongagu, Earl of Sandwich are rebuilding and expanding the town, and had streets named after them. York Castle and Whitby Fort were probably named for Chomley and his experienced miners and construction men who traveled through France and Spain from Yorkshire to get there.

Until now Lawson had been unforgiving towards people who had betrayed The Cause. Now he had to work with the son of someone he had frequently dismissed as treacherous.

They must have grown to like and respect each other. Upon hearing of Lawson's death, Chomley said it was a great loss to the nation, but also to himself of a powerful, intelligent and worthy partner in their endeavor, and his dear friend.

In Sir John Lawson's will he asked the now Sir Hugh Chomley give the Lawson family whatever consideration he wished for the value of the equipment, boats and material Lawson had invested in The Mole. A few months later Chomley wrote the widowed Lady Lawson saying that, much as he had affection for Sir John, he would have to take legal action if Lawson's executors didn't reimburse him for the money owed for their joint Tangier endeavors, and attached detailed accounts. We do not know the resolution of this dispute, but when Chomley later met with Pepys there was no mention of this disagreement.

Sir Hugh Chomley Jr. omits all mention of Sir John Lawson in his memoir of Tangier and building The Mole. The son must have learned his memoir-writing skills from his father.

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