Person    | Male  Born 23/2/1633  Died 26/5/1703

Samuel Pepys

Diarist and Secretary of the Admiralty. Born Salisbury Court, where his father ran a tailoring business. The house backed onto St Brides church. Highly regarded administrator of the navy. Served Cromwell, King Charles II, King James II, but resigned rather than serve King William III. Pepys was on the ship commanded by Montagu that brought Charles II back from exile at the Restoration. On the governing board of Christ's Hospital with a special interest in the Royal Mathematical School

In 1659, through his patron, Montagu, he got his first job in the Navy Board and he moved into the house that came with the job, in Seething Lane (plaque) where he stayed until c.1672. He was very house-proud and enjoyed improving it. The book cases he had built there are the first-known purpose-built bookcases in England. Having survived the Great Fire of London Seething Lane was burnt down in January 1673 and Pepys lived in lodgings just around the corner in Mark Lane. In January the following year he moved to rooms above the Admiralty quarters in Derby House in Cannon Row (just north of Westminster tube station).

In 1679, on release from a brief spell in the Tower, Pepys went to stay with his trusted assistant and friend William Hewer in York Buildings, Buckingham Street (plaque) where he had his own set of rooms. In 1685 Pepys was joined there by his mistress of 14 years, Mary Skinner, who was now often given the respect normally reserved for a wife. Hewer moved out and Pepys had the Admiralty Office moved from Derby House to Buckingham Street. The houses involved were no 12 and no 14.  In 1680, rather than serve King William he resigned from the Admiralty and refused to move out of his home so the Admiralty Office was moved out instead.

Died Clapham in Will Hewer's house where Pepys had moved in 1701, together with his library. This house, demolished c. 1760, is thought to have been on the north side of the common, near what is now Victoria Road. Buried at St Olave's.

1655 married the 14-year old Elizabeth, who died in 1669.

Pepys invested in the slave trading Royal Africa Company and was a slave trade enabler through his job at the Naval Office.

We highly recommend 'Samuel Pepys: the Unequalled Self' by Claire Tomalin.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Samuel Pepys

Commemorated ati

Kipling House

The wording on the plaque could have been clearer. The first half is giving t...

Read More

Mile End mural

Murals are often rather fun puzzles so do have a go identifying what you can ...

Read More

Old Cock Tavern - Fleet Street - lost plaque

The quotation compares The Cock with Vauxhall Gardens.

Read More

Pepys and Navy Office

Site of the Navy Office in which Samuel Pepys lived and worked. Destroyed by...

Read More

Show all 14

This section lists the memorials created by the subject on this page:
Samuel Pepys

Creations i

Pepys and Harrison

Londonist gives a deliciously grim description of the process of being hung, ...

Read More

Pepys - Stew Lane

This page of Pepys' Diary is given at The Diary of Samuel Pepys with lots of ...

Read More

Other Subjects

John Buchan

John Buchan

Author and Governor-General of Canada. Born at Perth, Scotland. He entered the diplomatic service, becoming private secretary to the High Commissioner for Southern Africa. Created Baron Tweedsmuir ...

Person, Literature, Politics & Administration, Canada, Scotland, South Africa

1 memorial
Joseph Ritson, FSA

Joseph Ritson, FSA

Literary antiquarian.  Born Co. Durham.  Trained as a lawyer and from 1780 had chambers in Gray's Inn where he specialised in conveyancing. Odd in a number of ways: aged 20 converted to vegetarian...

Person, History, Literature

1 memorial
Heinrich Heine

Heinrich Heine

German poet and essayist. Born Dusseldorf. Died Paris.

Person, Literature, Poetry, France, Germany

1 memorial
After the Battle Publications

After the Battle Publications

Publishers of books and magazines about military history.

Media, Literature

1 memorial

Previously viewed

Joseph James Redding

Joseph James Redding

Deputy Chairman of the Police Committee of the Corporation of London in 1926. Speel tells us that in St Botolph Aldgate there is a panel monument to "Joseph James Redding, d.1932". Seems likely to ...

Person, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
Fairbairn at IC

Fairbairn at IC

SW7, Prince Consort Road, Imperial College

This building, the Royal School of Mines, (1906, Aston Webb). has 34 memorials: a foundation stone, 2 busts and 30 scientists' surnames p...

1 subject commemorated
Ambika Paul

Ambika Paul

W1, Portland Place, 9, Pavement Features

Two rather sad tree boxes, one empty and the other containing a dead commemorative tree.

2 subjects commemorated
Thomas Carlyle statue

Thomas Carlyle statue

SW3, Chelsea Embankment

{Front of plinth:} Thomas Carlyle B Dec 4 1795 at Ecclefechan Dumfriesshire D Feb 5 1881 at Great Cheyne Row Chelsea {Right of plinth (...

1 subject commemorated, 2 creators
Diamond Jubilee QEII - Jefcoate tree

Diamond Jubilee QEII - Jefcoate tree

SW11, Battersea Park

This tree is in the borough of Wandsworth. There are 32 Greater London boroughs, and this is the first Jefcoate tree that we have come ac...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator