John Slater. Appointed messenger to the Navy Office in July 1660; it was he who usually collected the traveling charges of the Principal Officers from the Navy Treasury.
Re. Slater the messenger / cook: I wonder if he ever served in the navy & could have learned his culinary skills there? I have no idea a) if he did, & b) what the state of food / cooking onboard ship was actually like in the 17th century... presumably the captain / officers / VIP passengers at least required some sort of decent meals? It can't always have been just weevil-y biscuits? (I think I remember Sam dining in cabins on his sea-going travels a few months ago?)
I think the level of food served on board ship would be vastly different when moored in a port, from being on a month's long sea voyage. They did take livestock and throw in the occasional line to catch fish, but that only gets you so far. Notes on Navy Victualling at https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
And as to how Slater learned his culinary skills, we will never know.
3 Annotations
First Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
John Slater. Appointed messenger to the Navy Office in July 1660; it was he who usually collected the traveling charges of the Principal Officers from the Navy Treasury.
L&M Companion
Third Reading
Kentish Karen • Link
Re. Slater the messenger / cook: I wonder if he ever served in the navy & could have learned his culinary skills there? I have no idea a) if he did, & b) what the state of food / cooking onboard ship was actually like in the 17th century... presumably the captain / officers / VIP passengers at least required some sort of decent meals? It can't always have been just weevil-y biscuits? (I think I remember Sam dining in cabins on his sea-going travels a few months ago?)
San Diego Sarah • Link
Kentish Karen -- A description of Adm. Montagu's kitchen aboard ship in May 1660 can be found at https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
I think the level of food served on board ship would be vastly different when moored in a port, from being on a month's long sea voyage. They did take livestock and throw in the occasional line to catch fish, but that only gets you so far.
Notes on Navy Victualling at
https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
And as to how Slater learned his culinary skills, we will never know.