Samuel Pepys and the World He Lived In — Reading Companion

A Companion, Not a Life

Wheatley explicitly disclaims a complete analysis of Pepys's life or diary. Instead, he offers a 'complete analysis of the entire work or of the incidents of Pepys's life' only in the sense of grouping related diary entries. The preface notes that 'several of the circumstances of Pepys's life are here brought prominently forward for the first time,' suggesting original research. The book's structure reflects this: chapters cover topics like the Navy Office, Pepys's colleagues, and the manners of the age, with extensive footnotes citing manuscripts such as Harleian MS. 249 and State Papers.

Naval Administration as a Central Thread

Wheatley devotes substantial space to the workings of the Restoration navy. He includes detailed lists of officers and salaries, compiled by Colonel Pasley, and reproduces regulations from the 'Œconomy of His Majesty's Navy Office.' The excerpts show Pepys's own role as Clerk of the Acts, with entries like 'July 7, 1660' and 'Nov. 9, 1663' cited. Wheatley also discusses the Duke of York's 'Reflections' on the Navy Board's duties, drawing on Harleian MS. 6003. This focus aligns with the catalog subject 'Cabinet officers' but goes beyond biography into institutional history.

The Diary as a Source of Character

Wheatley uses the diary to expose the failings of Pepys's contemporaries. He quotes a satirical verse about Lord Brouncker and his wife, and notes that 'it would have been well for the fame of most of them if Pepys had never put pen to paper.' The book also includes anecdotes about naval pay and morale, such as English sailors on Dutch ships saying 'We did heretofore fight for tickets; now we fight for dollars!' (June 14, 1667). These details illustrate the catalog subject 'Great Britain -- Social life and customs -- 17th century' through concrete, often unflattering, examples.

Readers should approach this book as a scholarly companion to the diary itself. Wheatley assumes familiarity with Pepys's text and focuses on contextualizing its references. The extensive footnotes and appendices, including lists of naval officers, reward careful study. Those seeking a straightforward narrative of Pepys's life may find the thematic organization challenging, but for understanding the administrative and social world behind the diary, Wheatley's work remains a valuable resource.

There’s something touching about Wheatley sifting through Pepys’s words by lamplight, trying to piece together a life from scraps of naval business and private worry. It reminds me of another kind of patient reconstruction, the slow gathering of a man’s story from contested ground, much like the one found in An Old New Zealander; or, Te Rauparaha, the Napoleon of the South. — Edition Insights. Histories are just that—long, quiet looking back.