Plaque: Pepys - Stew Lane
Samuel Pepys
The interest of this Kingdom to have a peace with Spaine, and a war with France and Holland. Where Sir R. Fford {sic, we think this should read Ford} talked like a man of great reason and experience. And afterwards did send for a Cupp of Tee (a China drink) of which I had never drank before, and went away. then come, Mr Birch and Sir R. Browne, by a former appointment, and with them from Towre Wharf in the barge belonging to our office, we went to Deptford to pay off the Ship Successe. Which, Sir G. Carteret and Sir W. Penn afterwards coming to us, we did. Col. Rich {sic, should read Birch} being a mighty busy man, and one that is the most indefatigable and forward to make himself work, if any man that ever I knew in my life. At the Globe we had a very good dinner; and after that with pay again, which being finished, we returned by water again. And I, from our office with Col. Slingsby by coach to Westminster; I setting him down at his lodgings by the way.
The Diary 25th September 1660, as transcribed by Joseph Smith in 1819 - 22.
This page of Pepys' Diary is given at The Diary of Samuel Pepys with lots of explanatory links.
Site: Pepys - Stew Lane (1 memorial)
EC4, Stew Lane
Why is this plaque in this location? We can't find any specific connection between this location and this particular quote from Pepys's diary. The only link we could find for Pepys and this spot is in a rather good article about Pepys in the Telegraph: "... Pepys probably - very probably - made good use of Stew Lane. The river stairs at the end were the place boatmen picked up customers for the brothels, or "stews", on Bankside. And he certainly knew the area around it...". A review of the pub in June 2011 reports that the warehouse building was recently renovated so perhaps that finished with the unveiling of a plaque on 25 September 2000, and a quote exactly 340 years old was chosen. OK, we're guessing.
