My Somerset Life

Friday 16 September 1664 There is no way of summarizing today's diary entry which is long and varied.  A debtor Sir W Warren gives Pepys L100 (pounds) in a local tavern, the Sun, situated at the rear of the Royal...

Thursday 15 September 1664 ... and after dinner many people came in and kept me all the afternoon, among other the Master and Wardens of Chyrurgeon’s Hall, who staid arguing their cause with me; I did give them the...

Wednesday 14 September 1664 Up, and wanting some things that should be laid ready for my dressing myself I was angry, and one thing after another made my wife give Besse warning to be gone, which the jade, whether out...

Tuesday 13 September 1664 ...and after dinner to Fishmonger’s Hall, where we met the first time upon the Fishery Committee, and many good things discoursed of concerning making of farthings, which was proposed as a way...

Monday 12 September 1664 ...Thence by coach to St. James’s, and there did our business as usual with the Duke; and saw him with great pleasure play with his little girle, —[Afterwards Queen Mary II.]— like an ordinary...

Sunday 11 September 1664 (Lord’s day). Up and to church in the best manner I have gone a good while, that is to say, with my wife, and her woman, Mercer, along with us, and Tom, my boy, waiting on us. A dull...

Saturday 10 September 1664 ....Dined at home, and then my wife and I and Mercer to the Duke’s house, and there saw “The Rivalls,” which is no excellent play, but good acting in it; especially Gosnell comes and sings...

Friday 9 September 1664 After a difficult dinner party Pepys relaxes with his wife and family 'singing and fiddling' ..and so back again home, and there my wife and Mercer and Tom and I sat till eleven at night,...

See previous entries for today. So, on in the pouring rain with lovely blue sky beyond. We stopped at Batcombe, which comes from Saxon and means 'Bat's Valley'.  Nearby is an iron age fort which possibly dates back to...

You need to have read today's previous installment to understand the context. ...We obtained a leaflet inviting us to tour round some old churches - average 'age'- 600 years. What could be more boring than that. Little...

Thursday 8 September 1664  ...My wife this afternoon being very well dressed by her new woman, Mary Mercer, a decayed merchant’s daughter that our Will helps us to, did go to the christening of Mrs. Mills, the parson’s...

Wednesday 7 September 1664 ..Lay long to-day, pleasantly discoursing with my wife about the dinner we are to have for the Joyces, a day or two hence... An account of our recent guest experience follows but before that...