Wednesday 16 September 1668
Up; and dressing myself I did begin para toker the breasts of my maid Jane, which elle did give way to more than usual heretofore, so I have a design to try more when I can bring it to. So to the office, and thence to St. James’s to the Duke of York, walking it to the Temple, and in my way observe that the Stockes are now pulled quite down; and it will make the coming into Cornhill and Lumber Street mighty noble. I stopped, too, at Paul’s, and there did go into St. Fayth’s Church, and also in the body of the west part of the Church; and do see a hideous sight of the walls of the Church ready to fall, that I was in fear as long as I was in it: and here I saw the great vaults underneath the body of the Church. No hurt, I hear, is done yet, since their going to pull down the Church and steeple; but one man, on Monday this week, fell from the top to a piece of the roof, of the east end, that stands next the steeple, and there broke himself all to pieces. It is pretty here to see how the late Church was but a case wrought over the old Church; for you may see the very old pillars standing whole within the wall of this. When I come to St. James’s, I find the Duke of York gone with the King to see the muster of the Guards in Hyde Park; and their Colonel, the Duke of Monmouth, to take his command this day of the King’s Life-Guard, by surrender of my Lord Gerard. So I took a hackney-coach and saw it all: and indeed it was mighty noble, and their firing mighty fine, and the Duke of Monmouth in mighty rich clothes; but the well-ordering of the men I understand not. Here, among a thousand coaches that were there, I saw and spoke to Mrs. Pierce: and by and by Mr. Wren hunts me out, and gives me my Lord Anglesey’s answer to the Duke of York’s letter, where, I perceive, he do do what he can to hurt me, by bidding the Duke of York call for my books: but this will do me all the right in the world, and yet I am troubled at it. So away out of the Park, and home; and there Mr. Gibson and I to dinner: and all the afternoon with him, writing over anew, and a little altering, my answer to the Duke of York, which I have not yet delivered, and so have the opportunity of doing it after seeing all their answers, though this do give me occasion to alter very little. This done, he to write it over, and I to the Office, where late, and then home; and he had finished it; and then he to read to me the life of Archbishop Laud, wrote by Dr. Heylin; which is a shrewd book, but that which I believe will do the Bishops in general no great good, but hurt, it pleads for so much Popish. So after supper to bed. This day my father’s letters tell me of the death of poor Fancy, in the country, big with puppies, which troubles me, as being one of my oldest acquaintances and servants. Also good Stankes is dead.
31 Annotations
First Reading
LKvM • Link
So now we know where Fancy had disappeared to when Flora, the "new comer" spaniel bitch that Sam "could not be fond of," arrived at Seething Lane (31 Aug 1668). Rusticated to Brampton and full of puppies, Fancy probably died a wretched parturition-related death like that suffered by so many of her human counterparts.
Australian Susan • Link
1 in 3 women died in childbirth - even up until the first decades of the 19th century.
Fancy was a little spaniel - she may have been pregnant by a large farm dog. Presupposing that she went into the country with Bess, but did not return. Poor little dog. Sam's affection for the dog shows again, I think, how fond Sam would have been of children if he had had any.
A. De Araujo • Link
"among a thousand coaches that were there"
Must have been quite a sight!
Terry Foreman • Link
Fancy in London August 1664
"At night is brought home our poor Fancy, which to my great grief continues lame still, so that I wish she had not been brought ever home again, for it troubles me to see her." http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
A. De Araujo • Link
"Duke of Monmouth"
Monmouth County in New Jersey is probably named after him:"other suggestions include that it was named after James Scott,1st Duke of Monmouth(1649-1685)who had many allies among the east Jersey leadership"
cf wikipedia.
Terry Foreman • Link
"the Stockes are now pulled quite down; and it will make the coming into Cornhill and Lumber Street mighty noble"
L&M note the market building was rebuilt farther back from the crossroads.
***
"the late Church was but a case wrought over the old Church; for you may see the very old pillars standing whole within the wall of this."
L&M note there were two earlier, smaller churches (of the 7th and 10th centuries) on the site of Old St. Paul's [ just burned ].
Robert Gertz • Link
I wonder how much "no" Jane had had to apply previously. At least it suggests Sam doesn't force beyond a certain point, willing as he is to take any advantage...Poverty, subordinate husband, widowhood, etc.
JWB • Link
Monmouth County
I've an ancestor who arrived in Monmouth Co. before it was named Monmouth Co. He was. & neighbors were, Baptists. Doubtful they'd take on the name of Charles II's bastard or settle near those that would.
Terry Foreman • Link
"No hurt, I hear, is done yet, since their going to pull down the Church and steeple; but one man, on Monday this week, fell from the top to a piece of the roof, of the east end, that stands next the steeple, and there broke himself all to pieces. "
Glad to hear the man who "fell from the top to a piece of the roof...and there broke himself all to pieces" suffered "no hurt," or is there another meaning here?'
Odd conjunction, whatever, methinks!
Mary • Link
"no hurt ...... but one man"
but one man = except that one man
Glyn • Link
And even three hundred years later, Mrs Stankes is overlooked in preference to a dog.
Glyn • Link
I keep forgetting that Pepys and his contemporaries are currently living in a large building site. Not only are the official buildings such as churches being rebuilt but all of the ordinary Londoners must have moved back home and started rebuilding their own little homes. Winter isn't very far away. (It must have been a great time to be a builder in London - but then, it always is.)
Australian Susan • Link
"large building site"
Brisbane still has many wrecked empty houses after our January floods. One problem we have, which 17th c London probably had as well is shortage of tradespeople - so much work and not enough skilled people to do it. We also have the problem that these skilled people can earn much more doing truck driving or similar at mine sites, so naturally they go off to do this. Sam has not been having any house alterations recently. If he does, it will be interesting to learn if he has difficulties in getting the tradesmen to do it.
Glyn • Link
"Sam has not been having any house alterations recently. If he does, it will be interesting to learn if he has difficulties in getting the tradesmen to do it."
That's an extremely observant point. I'm not sure if it's completely correct, though. I think he has had some things done in the last year, but I suppose he would have had to pay more than pre-Fire.
Mary • Link
House improvements.
Glyn is right; it was only a few weeks ago that Sam had a new chimney-piece installed. However, this is the kind of 'accessory' that could, if necessary, be dismantled and moved to a different location - Brampton, for example.
Second Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
"It is pretty here to see how the late Church was but a case wrought over the old Church; for you may see the very old pillars standing whole within the wall of this."
Paul's Cathedral was the medieval cathedral of the City of London that, until 1666, stood on the site of the present St Paul's Cathedral. Built from 1087 to 1314 and dedicated to Saint Paul, the cathedral was the fourth church on the site at Ludgate Hill. Work on the cathedral began during the reign of William the Conqueror after a fire in 1087 that destroyed much of the city. Work took more than 200 years, and construction was delayed by another fire in 1135. The church was consecrated in 1240 and enlarged again in 1256 and the early 14th century. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old…'s_Cathedral
Terry Foreman • Link
"I find the Duke of York gone with the King to see the muster of the Guards in Hyde Park; and their Colonel, the Duke of Monmouth, to take his command this day of the King’s Life-Guard, by surrender of my Lord Gerard."
In March 1665 Gerard was granted a pension of £1,000 per annum to retire from the post of captain of the guard, which Charles desired to confer on the Duke of Monmouth. His retirement, however, did not take place until 1668, when Pepys says that he received £12,000 for it. [+ more scandal] http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo…
Terry Foreman • Link
"Monmouth County"
JWB, I too have ancestors who settled in what is now Monmouth County before it was so constituted. They were among a group of Quaker families from Long Island who settled the Monmouth Tract, an early land grant from Richard Nicolls issued in 1665. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mon…
San Diego Sarah • Link
I wonder if Pepys knew this ... and how many others went blind from "over study":
Dr. Peter Heylyn afterwards lost his sight through over study, and died on Holy Thursday, 1663, in his 63rd year.
THE Civil War in Hampshire (1642-45) and the Story of Basing House
by Rev. G. N. GODWIN, B.D.
https://archive.org/stream/civilw…
Chapter VIII - Sufferings of the Clegy
San Diego Sarah • Link
Fancy in London August 1664:
"At night is brought home our poor Fancy, which to my great grief continues lame still, so that I wish she had not been brought ever home again, for it troubles me to see her." http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
I wonder how Fancy survived the killing of the dogs at the start of the plague? Maybe she has been in the country for a few years?
"By mid July [1665] over 1,000 deaths per week were reported in the city. It was rumored that dogs and cats spread the disease, so the Lord Mayor ordered all the dogs and cats destroyed. Author Daniel Defoe in his Journal of the Plague Years estimated that 40,000 dogs and 200,000 cats were killed. The real effect of this was that there were fewer natural enemies of the rats who carried the plague fleas, so the germs spread more rapidly."
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
San Diego Sarah • Link
The volume covering correspondence from November 1667 through September 1668 is at
https://play.google.com/books/rea…
PAGES 634-635
@@@
Commission by the King to his beloved son, James Duke of Monmouth and Buccleugh,
to be captain of the Life Guards, in place of Charles Lord Gerard of Brandon,
and subject to orders from himself only.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 246, No. 58.]
@@@
Sept. 16. 1668
Thos. Holden to Hickes.
Falmouth
The Virgin of Falmouth from Rochelle reports that several great ships are building there, without additional taxes,
and that war is expected between France and Holland;
that money is very plentiful there,
and that the English are said to be likely to fall out amongst themselves.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 246, No. 62.]
San Diego Sarah • Link
"Up; and dressing myself I did begin para toker the breasts of my maid Jane, which elle did give way to more than usual heretofore, so I have a design to try more when I can bring it to."
Pepys didn't really dress himself ... Jane was around.
But where was his boy, Tom Edwards? On Tuesday 11 February 1668 Tom and Jane wanted to be married, and Pepys was sad because he would have to fire them both ... but that hasn't happened. What changed, Pepys?
That strapping teenager could have decked him. Living dangerously as usual. Perhaps Pepys wants to get caught?
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
San Diego Sarah • Link
Will 19-year-old James Scott, Duke of Monmouth be as ruthless and as successful guarding the Monarch's life as the ruthless old warrior, Charles, Lord Gerard?
LKvM • Link
"Work took more than 200 years . . . ."
I'm surprised it didn't take longer than that. The book "Sarum" is a good read about how long it took to build a cathedral, and "Secrets of the Castle" on Amazon Prime Videos shows what went into construction in early times.
Sad to hear about poor Fancy.
Nicolas • Link
In today’s entry why didn’t Wheatley censor Sam’s remarks about his activity with Jane. Was it not salacious enough?
Sam Ursu • Link
First, reading this from a modern perspective, it truly hurts to see Pepys navigating through a world in which the SLIGHTEST act of disrespect to a man could lead to a duel or other type of violent confrontation, but groping a woman is perfectly okay. And it's not just "okay" but somehow "justified" because she didn't "protest enough." Ugh.
Frankly, today's entry is nothing new, but it does show that rather nasty, predatory side of Pepys' that is often overlooked due to his erudition and the importance of the historical events that he eyewitnessed.
Secondly, while many HUMAN mothers died of childbirth during the 1600s, the same was definitely not true of dogs. Even today, human mothers usually die during childbirth due to a mix of a) poor hygiene and b) malnutrition. Neither of these would've been such a factor for dogs in the 17th century, believe it or not.
Scube • Link
The link to Jane probably has the wrong dates of her employment. It indicates that Jane was a young maid in the Pepys household between 1658 and 1661 and married Tom in 1669. Here we are in 1668. As to his amours with Jane, Sam seems to regard this as pure sport with sort of a no harm no foul outlook to it all. Note that he is apparently very fond of Jane and settled an annuity on her after she was twice widowed.
San Diego Sarah • Link
Scube, Jane was rehired after working somewhere else for several years.
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
Scube • Link
SDS - Thanks for that! Hard to keep all the staff comings and goings straight. Mystery to Sam and to us as to why she left in the first place.
San Diego Sarah • Link
Jane was a young teenager, and the Pepys lived in a garrett and expected her to do all the work including killing a chicken. By 1663 she thought the grass was greener, there would be less work, more benefits, whatever, in another household, so she left.
In 1666 Elizabeth tracked her down:
"This day my wife wanting a chambermaid with much ado got our old little Jane to be found out, who come to see her and hath lived all this while in one place, but is so well that we will not desire her removal, but are mighty glad to see the poor wench, who is very well and do well."
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
Either the Pepys offered her more money, or after seeing the improved conditions and Pepys' elevated status, Jane gave notice. She could move in three weeks as it was a Quarter Day when contracts ended, people changed jobs, started new leases, etc.
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Scube, I don't remember all these details. I click through to the person's name in the Encyclopedia, then look at the References page. You can see there's a gap in mentions between 1663 and 1666.
So I clicked through from References to the first two entries in 1666 and came up with the answer to your question.
Mind you, I like questions because this is a blog, which implies that we interact. They also challenge my assumptions, which is always helpful.
San Diego Sarah • Link
"She could move in 3 weeks" ... was that a typo or a math breakdown? Should be 6 weeks for March 25th (Lady Day).