Samuel Pepys Diary

Post Reply
User avatar
Sue
VIP Member
Posts: 7305
Joined: 23 Jan 2012, 17:04
Location: Somewhere up norf!

Samuel Pepys Diary

Post by Sue »

I am reading Samuel Pepys diary. It's great if you are an insomniac. After reading 5 days of rounds of THE SWAN, THE LEG, etc, wine, ale, mutton hang overs etc I am seriously tired. However the underlying history and snippets are interesting. I had to laugh when he stayed at home to supervise the workmen and painters as he was not much happy with their work. I have just read that 1660 was a mild winter and that by January there had been no cold weather and the Rose bushes were still in flower. He refers to a number of people dying of small pox and suffering from THE STONE, which I take as gall stones from the quantity of meat consumed. Not once has ther been a mention of a fruit or a vegetable.

I am busy reading about the return of the king and the exhumation of buried Roundheads and traitors such as Cromwell. Their bodies being exhumed so they could be hanged and buried as traitors.

An interesting snippet was how he could tell if a lady WAS A MAIDEN OR NOT. Wrap a piece of cord around her head from above the nose. If they should overlap she be a maiden, if they do not meet she is not. Hmm, interesting bit of science there :laugh5:
If you keep searching you will find it
User avatar
plaques
Donor
Posts: 8094
Joined: 23 May 2013, 22:09

Re: Samuel Pepys Diary

Post by plaques »

Sue wrote:the exhumation of buried Roundheads and traitors such as Cromwell.
A lot of people thought it was Charles 1 who was the traitor. Have a read at "Cromwell's Head" Lancashire Libraries. Rather gruesome but interesting.
The Festival of Britain met the same fate when the Conservatives got back in power. The NHS is going the same way. May is now promising to look again at the 'overlooked' people. I would have said 'ignored' people. I'll sign off now I'm beginning to sound like Stanley.
User avatar
Sue
VIP Member
Posts: 7305
Joined: 23 Jan 2012, 17:04
Location: Somewhere up norf!

Re: Samuel Pepys Diary

Post by Sue »

His words not mine about traitors such as Cromwell
If you keep searching you will find it
User avatar
Stanley
Global Moderator
Global Moderator
Posts: 89876
Joined: 23 Jan 2012, 12:01
Location: Barnoldswick. Nearer to Heaven than Gloria.

Re: Samuel Pepys Diary

Post by Stanley »

The readings of his diaries on R4 are great. I'm sure they will be available form the BBC shop.
P, you can't help sounding like me, we have exactly the same viewpoint and we've both read the history.... Keep your foot flat to the boards, in the end we will prevail.....
Stanley Challenger Graham
Stanley's View
scg1936 at talktalk.net

"Beware of certitude" (Jimmy Reid)
The floggings will continue until morale improves!
User avatar
Sue
VIP Member
Posts: 7305
Joined: 23 Jan 2012, 17:04
Location: Somewhere up norf!

Re: Samuel Pepys Diary

Post by Sue »

Just read an excellent description of Charles 11 coronation. My how this man Pepys could drink
If you keep searching you will find it
User avatar
Stanley
Global Moderator
Global Moderator
Posts: 89876
Joined: 23 Jan 2012, 12:01
Location: Barnoldswick. Nearer to Heaven than Gloria.

Re: Samuel Pepys Diary

Post by Stanley »

:grin:
Stanley Challenger Graham
Stanley's View
scg1936 at talktalk.net

"Beware of certitude" (Jimmy Reid)
The floggings will continue until morale improves!
User avatar
Sue
VIP Member
Posts: 7305
Joined: 23 Jan 2012, 17:04
Location: Somewhere up norf!

Re: Samuel Pepys Diary

Post by Sue »

He is still drinking. He was complaining of a hang over in last nights readings but then got up and before the day was out had visited three more pubs. Someone had suggested that more wine was a good remedy. Hair of the dog and all that. Things don't change.
If you keep searching you will find it
User avatar
Sue
VIP Member
Posts: 7305
Joined: 23 Jan 2012, 17:04
Location: Somewhere up norf!

Re: Samuel Pepys Diary

Post by Sue »

By the way Stanley he refers to walking on the leads. What were the leads. Is it his garden path as that seems to fit in. At first I thought it was the roof! But that didn't fit in to the context.

Last night I read he went walking on the leads with his wife and his neighbour came out on to his leads and chatted to them
If you keep searching you will find it
User avatar
Wendyf
Global Moderator
Global Moderator
Posts: 9424
Joined: 23 Jan 2012, 12:26
Location: Lower Burnt Hill, looking out over Barlick

Re: Samuel Pepys Diary

Post by Wendyf »

I think he might be talking about the roof Sue, I found this on google.

"Willoughby House is a magnificent house in Nottingham built by the Hon. Rothwell Willoughby between 1730 and 1740.

When it was built, the view from the roof was regarded as a great asset and walkways covered with lead were made around the edge, easy access to which was arranged by means of internal stairways. To prevent accidents, parapets were set up and the good folk of the 18th century -- and even earlier -- used to spend a good deal of their leisure on these "leads" as they called them. Readers of Pepys Diary will find references to evenings spent upon the leads engaged in singing and talking."
User avatar
Tizer
Global Moderator
Global Moderator
Posts: 18812
Joined: 23 Jan 2012, 19:46
Location: Somerset, UK

Re: Samuel Pepys Diary

Post by Tizer »

Sue, if you're enjoying reading about London in the 1660s you might find Susanna Gregory's novels about her character Thomas Chaloner interesting to read. They are woven around a lot of true events and people and they convey much of the feeling for life in those difficult times. The are listed in chronological order here: The Thomas Chaloner novels
Nullius in verba: On the word of no one (Motto of the Royal Society)
User avatar
Stanley
Global Moderator
Global Moderator
Posts: 89876
Joined: 23 Jan 2012, 12:01
Location: Barnoldswick. Nearer to Heaven than Gloria.

Re: Samuel Pepys Diary

Post by Stanley »

Sue, Wendy is right, it's the roof. Common for gutters to be lined with lead and sometimes whole roofs covered with it. The lead corroded so slowly that it lasted many years. Tiz is quite right about Susan Gregory. Worth looking at Claire Tomalin as well, she did a very good book on Pepys.
Stanley Challenger Graham
Stanley's View
scg1936 at talktalk.net

"Beware of certitude" (Jimmy Reid)
The floggings will continue until morale improves!
User avatar
Sue
VIP Member
Posts: 7305
Joined: 23 Jan 2012, 17:04
Location: Somewhere up norf!

Re: Samuel Pepys Diary

Post by Sue »

Thank you all and for the hints on good reads. My sort of book I think. I thought it was the roof until the last reference which threw me.
If you keep searching you will find it
User avatar
Sue
VIP Member
Posts: 7305
Joined: 23 Jan 2012, 17:04
Location: Somewhere up norf!

Re: Samuel Pepys Diary

Post by Sue »

He is still drinking by the way :laugh5:
If you keep searching you will find it
User avatar
Stanley
Global Moderator
Global Moderator
Posts: 89876
Joined: 23 Jan 2012, 12:01
Location: Barnoldswick. Nearer to Heaven than Gloria.

Re: Samuel Pepys Diary

Post by Stanley »

He never stopped!
Stanley Challenger Graham
Stanley's View
scg1936 at talktalk.net

"Beware of certitude" (Jimmy Reid)
The floggings will continue until morale improves!
User avatar
Sue
VIP Member
Posts: 7305
Joined: 23 Jan 2012, 17:04
Location: Somewhere up norf!

Re: Samuel Pepys Diary

Post by Sue »

I gather. His days are filled with wine, food, and going to the theatre. Occasionally he seemed to do some work. He was also money obsessed .
If you keep searching you will find it
User avatar
Stanley
Global Moderator
Global Moderator
Posts: 89876
Joined: 23 Jan 2012, 12:01
Location: Barnoldswick. Nearer to Heaven than Gloria.

Re: Samuel Pepys Diary

Post by Stanley »

Nevertheless Sue, in terms of the efficiency of the Navy he was a far more influential figure than many suspect. They were different times and they operated in different ways.
Once you have digested Pepys, have a look at Aubrey's Brief Lives..... There is a good audio version done by Roy Dotrice, a very good listen! Have a look at THIS.
Stanley Challenger Graham
Stanley's View
scg1936 at talktalk.net

"Beware of certitude" (Jimmy Reid)
The floggings will continue until morale improves!
Post Reply

Return to “Miscellaneous History Topics”