Samuel Pepys: The Unequalled Self

by Claire Tomalin

  Robert Blackborne, powerful secretary to the Admiralty commissioners under the commonwealth, lost job at Restoration, introduced his nephew Will Hewer to SP. Later secretary to the East India Co., and stood bail for SP in 1690.

  Sir Francis Boteler, Hertfordshire landowner, of the Woodhall estate adjoining Hatfield House; with his second wife, Elizabeth, brought up her niece Mary Skinner.

  Robert Bowyer, Exchequer official. He and his wife Elizabeth were both kind and hospitable to the young SP and EP. Sometimes called ‘father Bowyer’ by SP.

  William Brouncker, second viscount, royalist mathematician and scientist with interest in music, first president of the Royal Society and SP’s admired senior colleague at the Navy Board; also his neighbour, with his mistress Abigail Williams, of whom SP disapproved.

  Sir William Buck, baronet, Lincolnshire landowner, husband of Frances Skinner, Mary’s sister.

  Buckingham, duke of, see George Villiers.

  Josiah Burchett, clerk to SP, sacked by him but later secretary to the Admiralty.

  Sir George Carteret, royalist, treasurer of the navy from 1660 and as such SP’s boss. Married his son Philip to Jemima Montagu.

  Castlemaine, countess of, see Barbara Villiers.

  Catherine of Braganza, Portuguese princess, Charles II’s queen.

  Charles II: SP took a detached and mostly unfavourable view of him while appreciating that his own career depended on pleasing him, and enjoying the effects of his patronage of theatre, music and painting.

  Dr Arthur Charlett, master of University College, Oxford, friend and correspondent of SP in later years.

  Clarendon, first earl of, see Edward Hyde.

  Clarendon, second earl of, see Henry Hyde.

  John Closterman, German portrait painter settled in England, painted SP in old age.

  Captain George Cocke, merchant, drinking companion of SP and his associate during episode of prize goods.

  Sir Robert Coke, son of Chief Justice Edward Coke who employed John Pepys of Ashtead; Sir Robert and his wife, Lady Theophila (née Berkeley), entertained SP as a child at their house in Surrey, Durdans.

  Anthony Ashley Cooper, later first earl of Shaftesbury, served Cromwell, made peace with Charles II and was given office and title by him. Known to SP through Montagu and the Tangier Committee. Sought to exclude duke of York from succession to throne, attacked SP as duke of York’s man and accused him of Catholicism, leading to SP’s imprisonment during Popish Plot.

  William Coventry, later Sir William, royalist, statesman, secretary to duke of York and admired friend to SP at Navy Board; left royal service disillusioned in 1667 but continued to serve in parliament.

  John Creed, puritan, contemporary and rival of SP, at first in service of Montagu; married Montagu’s niece Elizabeth Pickering.

  John Crew, father of Jemima and father-in-law of Edward Montagu, moderate parliamentarian, created Baron Crew 1661; friendly and hospitable to SP.

  Samuel Cromleholme, surmaster of St Paul’s School during SP’s schooldays, book collector, his library destroyed in the fire.

  Richard Cromwell, son of Oliver, succeeded him briefly as protector.

  Oliver Cromwell, general, statesman, lord protector; neighbour and friend of Edward Montagu.

  Richard Cumberland, like SP a Salisbury Court tailor’s son, went to St Paul’s and Magdalene; friend of SP, scholar, became bishop of Peterborough.

  Samuel Daniel, naval lieutenant whose wife solicited commission for him from SP.

  Dartmouth, first Baron, see George Legge.

  Sir William D’Avenant, dramatist and actor – manager, ran the Duke’s Company.

  Anthony Deane, later Sir Anthony, outstanding ship designer, son of Harwich mariner; close friend of SP, their careers rising and falling together.

  George Downing, later Sir George, SP’s first official employer, at the Exchequer; rose to high office under Cromwell, changed sides adroitly and rose again under Charles II. Downing Street is named for the house he built for himself on land given him by the king.

  John Dryden, poet and dramatist, known to SP from Cambridge; friendship revived in the 1690s.

  Tom Edwards, chorister at the Chapel Royal, joined Pepys household when his voice broke, making music, working in the house and at the Navy Office. Married Jane Birch, SP godfather to their son.

  John Evelyn, gentleman-scholar of many talents, gardener, writer, planner, health administrator, diarist, became SP’s greatly loved friend and correspondent in later life.

  Captain Robert Ferrer, Montagu’s cornet, then his master of horse; dashing, drinker and gambler, friendly to SP, dangerous to EP.

  Dr Thomas Gale, cousin by marriage (see Cambridge Pepyses), valued friend and correspondent of SP in later life; scholar, high master of St Paul’s School, dean of York.

  Sir Denis Gauden, victualler to navy under the commonwealth and after the Restoration, working closely with SP. Owner of fine country house in Clapham acquired by Will Hewer when Gauden was bankrupted.

  Richard Gibson, chief clerk and friend to SP. Served in commonwealth navy from age of thirteen and had low opinion of ‘gentlemen’ officers of the Restoration. Advised SP and wrote many papers on naval questions.

  Nell Gwyn, actress who delighted SP; he did favours for her after the death of Charles II.

  James Harrington, met by SP at the Rota Club; author of Oceana, programme for republican reform of England; imprisoned 1660, never recovered.

  Samuel Hartlib, Prussian exile, friend of Milton and Petty, neighbour of SP in Axe Yard; his son Samuel, a government clerk, one of SP’s early circle.

  John Hayls, portrait painter patronized by SP.

  Thomas Hayter, navy clerk under the commonwealth, employed by SP in 1660; Nonconformist, defended by SP when attacked; succeeded SP as clerk of the acts in 1673.

  Arthur Herbert, later earl of Torrington, admiral detested by SP; went over to William of Orange in 1688 and in charge of the invasion fleet.

  William Hewer, puritan lad, son of a stationer and nephew of Robert Black-borne, became SP’s clerk in 1660 and developed into his closest associate and friend, becoming extremely rich.

  Dr George Hickes, Anglo-Saxon scholar and dean of Worcester, friend of SP; after 1688 a nonjuror (i.e., refused oath of allegiance to William III). Obliged to live in hiding; visited James II secretly in France; attended SP on his deathbed and conducted his funeral.

  Thomas Hill, musical friend of SP, son of commonwealth civil servant and brother of Abraham, founding member of the Royal Society, also known to SP. Employed by the Houblons as a merchant in Lisbon, where he found Cesare Morelli for SP.

  Richard and James Hoare, founders of the bank where SP had an account.

  Thomas Hollier, surgeon who operated on SP to remove the stone from his bladder.

  Robert Hooke, outstanding scientist, architect and secretary of the Royal Society; admired by SP. Kept diary. Possibly designed the building at Magdalene College, Cambridge, in which SP’s Diary is housed.

  Houblon family, French Protestant merchants who settled in London at end of the sixteenth century and became exceedingly rich. SP’s particular friends were James, knighted in 1691, and his wife, Sarah. He and two of his brothers were directors of the Bank of England; another was director of the East India Company.

  John and Elizabeth Hunt, neighbours in Axe Yard, he in the Excise Office, she connected to the Cromwells; friends during the Diary period.

  Anne Hyde, first wife of James, duke of York, and mother of the future queens Mary and Anne; daughter of Edward Hyde.

  Edward Hyde, first earl of Clarendon, chief adviser to Charles II before the Restoration and his chancellor afterwards; sacked and exiled by him after the Dutch attack on the Medway. Known to SP and liked by him.

  Henry Hyde, second earl of Clarendon, son of the above, close friend of SP in later life.

  John Jackson, SP’s younger nephew who became his protégé; sent to Cambridge and on Grand Tour. SP’s principal h
eir.

  Samuel Jackson, SP’s elder nephew.

  James, duke of York, later King James II, lord high admiral in 1660. He and SP had a common interest in the navy that led to a close relationship, strengthened by attacks made on both by political opponents. James did his best for SP, and SP maintained a stubborn loyalty to him.

  John James, butler to SP, dismissed by him; gave false evidence against him during Popish Plot, which he withdrew on his deathbed.

  Sir John Kempthorne, formidable Devon-born sea commander, fought Algerian pirates in the Mediterranean; became commissioner for Portsmouth and had many dealings with SP and with Will Hewer.

  Thomas Killigrew, dramatist, theatre manager, courtier; discussed theatre history with SP.

  Colonel Percy Kirke, commander-in-chief of Tangier garrison, disliked by SP, promoted by William III.

  Joshua Kirton, bookseller to SP, ruined in the fire.

  Sir Godfrey Kneller, court painter well known to SP, produced portraits of and for him.

  Elizabeth Knipp, actress, married to a horse dealer; admired by SP and intimate with him.

  Betty Lane, later Martin, Nottingham girl who kept a linen stall in Westminster Hall and maintained a casual affair with SP. Her sister Doll provided back-up services.

  John Langley, high master of St Paul’s School during SP’s years there: strongly puritan and parliamentarian.

  George Legge, first Baron Dartmouth, led expedition to Tangier in which SP took part; as commander-in-chief of the navy failed to prevent the landing of William of Orange in 1688.

  Sir Peter Lely, Dutch painter in England from 1641, painted Cromwell, became favourite court painter of Charles II. Visited and admired by SP.

  Paul Lonain, French Protestant clerk to SP, worked on cataloguing library; ordained and became chaplain at Newgate Prison.

  Peter Luellin, early ‘clubbing’ friend of SP, died of plague.

  John Matthews, Huntingdon schoolmaster and distant cousin of SP, cared for and educated his sister’s sons, Sam and John Jackson.

  Sir John Mennes, old fighting royalist and poet, comptroller of navy from 1661 until his death ten years later. SP despaired of his incompetence but enjoyed his wit.

  Mary Mercer, companion to ΕΡ for two years, much liked by SP, remained family friend.

  Betty Michell, daughter of Westminster Hall stallholders, wife of spirit-seller; hotly pursued by SP.

  Daniel Mills, rector of St Olave’s, Hart Street, where SP and other members of the Navy Office worshipped; not much liked by SP but attended EP on her deathbed and provided certificate of regular attendance for SP when he was accused of Catholicism.

  John Milton, poet; like SP, St Paul’s and Cambridge educated; commonwealth official and apologist for the execution of Charles I; Ufe spared in 1660 but regarded as a ‘diabolical rebel’ thereafter. Mary Skinner’s brother Daniel worked as his amanuensis.

  George Monck, duke of Albemarle, having served Charles I and then Cromwell, became chiefly responsible for the Restoration. SP disliked him, and he was critical of the Navy Office.

  Edward Montagu, later earl of Sandwich; son of Sir Sidney Montagu and his wife Paulina, née Pepys, sister to Talbot Pepys and great-aunt to SP; the crucial figure in SP’s life, his benefactor and patron. Montagu broke with his royalist father to support Cromwell, whom he served as colonel, general-at-sea and holder of many offices of state and a peerage. Disillusioned by the anarchy following the death of Cromwell, he helped to bring about the Restoration and was created first earl of Sandwich by Charles II.

  Montagu’s wife Jemima was born into the parliamentary and puritan family of the Crews; she was always ‘My Lady’ to SP, who loved and respected her. Their ten children, all known to SP, were Jemima (Jem), Edward (Ned), Paulina, Sidney, Anne, the twins Oliver and John, Charles, Catherine and James – the names of the last five neatly illustrate Montagu’s changing politics.

  Lady Mordaunt (Betty), young and pretty rich and good-natured’, family connection, close to SP during the 1670s; also her sister Mrs Steward.

  Cesare Morelli, musician and linguist, Italian Catholic employed by SP as his household musician.

  Samuel Morland, later Sir Samuel, SP’s tutor at Cambridge, envoy and intelligence expert during the commonwealth, went over to Charles before the Restoration. Mathematician and inventor of water engines and pumps; remained poor and SP had a low opinion of him.

  Sir Christopher Myngs, naval commander of modest background, hostile to Sandwich, killed in action, his funeral attended by SP.

  Isaac Newton, later Sir Isaac, the great scientist in many fields including optics and gravitation, author of Principia Mathematica published by the Royal Society when SP was president. SP consulted him about the appointment of a mathematics master at Christ’s Hospital.

  Samuel Newton, mathematics master at Christ’s Hospital recommended by Isaac Newton (no relation); complained to SP of the system of sending boys to sea too young.

  Titus Oates, squalid but effective villain responsible for the Popish Plot; used by Shaftesbury for his own political ends.

  James Pearse, naval surgeon whose career started under Montagu during the commonwealth. After 1660 employed at court and SP’s chief source of gossip. He and wife Elizabeth were close friends of SP.

  Sir William Penn, SP’s bête noire, another West Country sea captain trained by Sir William Batten, served in Cromwell’s Dutch war, but made peace with Charles II and was appointed to the Navy Board in 1660. Father of William Penn the younger, a Quaker and the founder of Pennsylvania: he became SP’s friend under James II, who took up Penn for his own political purposes.

  John Pepys, SP’s father. London tailor living and working in Salisbury Court off Fleet Street, married Margaret Kite; of their eleven children four survived into adult life, the eldest of whom was SP. The other three were Tom, unenthusiastic and unsuccessful tailor, John, who followed SP to St Paul’s and Cambridge, and Paulina – Pall – disliked by SP, who married John Jackson, a farmer, and had two sons who survived into adult life.

  John Pepys of Ashtead and Salisbury Court, third cousin once removed of SP’s father, made his fortune working for the great jurist Edward Coke; a friend to the boy SP. His daughter Jane also a good friend to SP, married lawyer John Turner and was the mother of ‘The’ (Theophila).

  Richard Pepys, first cousin of SP’s father, lord chief justice of Ireland under Cromwell and the father of ‘cousin Richard’ whom SP met in 1660 after a fourteen-year-absence in America.

  Robert Pepys, elder brother of SP’s father, bailiff on the Hinchingbrooke estate in Huntingdonshire and owner of a house still standing at Brampton.

  Four generations of Cambridge Pepyses: Talbot, lawyer and MP, great-uncle to SP; his son Roger, also lawyer and friend of SP; Roger’s daughter Barbara (‘Babs’) who married Dr Thomas Gale, scholar and high master of St Paul’s and close friend of SP in later life; among their sons, Roger and Samuel (SP’s godson) became antiquarians.

  Pett family, leading shipbuilders over several generations. SP knew best Peter Pett, who built ships for the commonwealth and Charles II, and was made the scapegoat when the Dutch launched their attack on the Medway. He retired to his Chatham villa that, said Evelyn, resembled ‘some villa about Rome’.

  Sir William Petty, physician, economist, statistician, social theorist, founding member of the Royal Society; a great man and greatly admired by SP.

  Sir Gilbert Pickering, Northamptonshire landowner, husband of Edward Montagu’s sister Elizabeth, chamberlain to Cromwell, pardoned at the Restoration through the intervention of Montagu; cousin of Dryden; daughter Elizabeth married John Creed.

  Thomas Povey, son of an Exchequer official, rich and hospitable, promoter of trading and colonial ventures under the commonwealth; at the Restoration treasurer to the duke of York’s household. Known to SP through the Tangier Committee.

  Dr John Radcliffe, physician to SP and Mary Skinner in later years.

  Prince Rupert, cousin o
f Charles II, brave and effective soldier and sea commander. Regarded with hostility by SP, especially when accused by Rupert and Albemarle of inefficiency in supplying the fleet during the Dutch war. Rupert opposed SP’s reform obliging naval lieutenants to sit an examination.

  Balthasar de St Michel, brother of Elizabeth, perpetually dependent on SP’s patronage and charity; twice married, his first wife, Esther, dying from the birth of their eighth child.

  Elizabeth de St Michel, daughter of a French father and an English mother; partly educated in Paris; married SP at fourteen.

  Sandwich, earl of, see Edward Montagu.

  John Scott, colonel, confidence man working schemes in America, England and on the Continent. Claimed to own a castle called Mornamont. Paid by Buckingham to trap SP with false accusations of treason.

  Sir Charles Sedley, poet and playwright whose wit SP admired and envied; reputedly the lover of Mrs Knipp.

  Thomas Shadwell, playwright, friend of SP, Sedley and Dryden. SP was godfather to his son John, who became a physician and attended SP in his last illness.

  Shaftesbury, earl of, see Anthony Ashley Cooper.

  Henry Sheeres, later Sir Henry, engineer who worked on the Tangier ‘mole’, and for whom EP had a soft spot; became lifelong friend of SP; a Jacobite.

  Richard Sherwyn, commonwealth official who signed SP’s civil marriage certificate. SP observed him reduced to clerking after the Restoration.

  Mary Skinner, daughter of City merchant but brought up by her aunt Dame Elizabeth Boteler in Hatfield; became SP’s mistress after the death of ΕΡ and remained with him until the end of his life, accepted by his friends and her family as his consort.

  Skinner family. Daniel Skinner, City merchant and his wife Frances (née Corbet) attended the same church as SP; among his children, Daniel, amanuensis to Milton, sought SP’s help in his career; other sons including Peter and Corbet did likewise; for daughter Mary, see above.

  Hans Sloane, later Sir Hans, physician who attended SP and performed the autopsy on him.

  Dr Thomas Smith, keeper of the Cotton Library, nonjuror, Jacobite sympathizer; friend and correspondent of SP in old age.