Sunday 11 October 1668

(Lord’s day). Up and to church, where I find Parson Mills come to town and preached, and the church full, most people being now come home to town, though the season of year is as good as summer in all respects. At noon dined at home with my wife, all alone, and busy all the afternoon in my closet, making up some papers with W. Hewer and at night comes Mr. Turner and his wife, and there they tell me that Mr. Harper is dead at Deptford, and so now all his and my care is, how to secure his being Storekeeper in his stead; and here they and their daughter, and a kinswoman that come along with them, did sup with me, and pretty merry, and then, they gone, and my wife to read to me, and to bed.


9 Annotations

First Reading

Michael L  •  Link

Welcome back, Sam! We missed you.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

A nice, pleasant return evening with a bit of domestic felicity...

I wonder how Bess liked dining alone with Sam...

***

Heaven...

"What does the fellow mean by that? Everyone knows I'm an endless fount of mirth, scintillating conversation, and charming storytelling...Bess?"

"Ahhh...What, Sam'l?"

Robert Gertz  •  Link

So was that "pretty merry" in a jovially charming Dickensian sense? Or more like Harvey Korman's "Monty Slick" in "Mildred Fierce" making "indecency...Pretty decent"?

Max Wainer  •  Link

I just saw this article at the Ars Technica blog and thought it might be of interest to the readers:

"European wars, famine, and plagues driven by changing climate"

http://arstechnica.com/science/ne…

In particular, it discusses the cold period that ended in 1660 and the effects it may have had on society.

Second Reading

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"they tell me that Mr. Harper is dead at Deptford, and so now all his and my care is, how to secure his being Storekeeper in his stead;"

On October 8 Ann Harper asked the Navy Commissioners to appoint her son as storekeeper at CHATHAM as he had been trained by her husband, who was unwell.
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

I should have read my own Encyclopedia annotation linked to Tom Harper.

It seem unlikely there were two storekeepers named Harper in different yards at the same time who needed replacement ... but on consideration, perhaps not; these appointments did tend to be family affairs. They might have been brothers or cousins ... or unrelated after all.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

The Domestic State Papers covering correspondence from Oct. 1668 to Dec. 1669 is at
https://play.google.com/books/rea…

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Oct. 11 1668.
Deal
Rich. Watts to [Williamson].

I have delivered the 2 packets for Lisbon.

A French merchant ship is in the Downs, bound for London, but is not permitted to pass, having been there only 2 days.

As you hear of the arrival of ships from the Post Office, I refrain from sending any account.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 247, No. 155.]

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Oct. 11 1668.
Audley End
Lord Arlington to [Williamson].

I have received your letters, but have not heard from Sec. Trevor as promised;
I return several papers signed, as also the King and his Royal Highness's letters for France, which you are to send to Lord St. Albans.

I will speak to the Lord Lientenant [of Ireland] about Barker's pretended land;

if Barker's receipt for the money Sir Dan. Bellingham is to pay me be not sufficient, you are to give your own also, and frame such a discharge as he would have from me.
The money is sent by Rob. Leigh from Ireland, but without the formality of a bill.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 247, No. 156.]

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Oct. 11 1668.
Portsmouth
Hugh Salesbury to Williamson.

The Mary Rose and Antelope have arrived at Spithead with the soldiers from Lisbon, but they are not permitted to land till they have an order from the Lord General.
These 2 ships are bound for the Thames, having above 300,000 pieces of eight for several merchants of London.

Col. (Rich.) Nicholls has arrived in a Dutch ship from his Government at New England, and has gone to London, leaving all there in good condition.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 247, No. 157.]
---
An indication of the security provided for ships containing bullion.

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Oct. 11 1668.
Portsmouth
Capt. John Tinker, master attendant, to Pepys.

The Roebuck has lost no time, has all things aboard, and will sail by the first fair wind.

The Mary Rose and Antelope have arrived at Spithead, and both want necessaries.
Prays à dormant order for supplying ships with stores in case of exigency,

and also an order to enter men on board to fit out the Milford,

and fit the rigging, and for a boatswain for the new flying ship, as they talk of launching her in 6 or 7 weeks.
[1] page, damaged. [S.P. Dom., Car. II. 247, No. 158.]

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Oct. 11 1668.
Portsmouth
Gr. Peachy, clerk of the ropeyard, to the Navy Commissioners.

Report on the wet state of Mr. Acworth’s hemp, brought from Ropeyard, Woolwich by Capt. Dudley Hooper, in the Expedition.
Has already given an account of the damage it received by the wet, and of what was rotten and not fit for the service.

Endorsed with an order 3 Nov. from the Navy Commissioners,
that the freight is to be allowed for what he received on board, abating the value of what was damaged or delivered short. - Nov. 3, 1668.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 247, No. 160.]

Gerald Berg  •  Link

Ahh, that last sentence combining his classic immediacy with tumbling confusion. "All alone" he says, with his wife but maybe he meant all alone with Hewer? Anyways, not alone. And then, has a merry time with a dead man's family? No wait, he meant Mr. Turner et al. Awkwardly constructed but allows us to see him in his coach of experience. Creates an excitement, a sort of breathlessness.

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