Diary of Samuel Pepys, Preface and Life | Page 6

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No. 5 is out of print.

PARTICULARS OF THE LIFE OF SAMUEL PEPYS.
The family of Pepys is one of considerable antiquity in the east of
England, and the Hon. Walter Courtenay Pepys
[Mr. W. C. Pepys has paid great attention to the history of his family,
and in 1887 he published an interesting work entitled "Genealogy of
the Pepys Family, 1273-1887," London, George Bell and Sons, which
contains the fullest pedigrees of the family yet issued.]
says that the first mention of the name that he has been able to find is in
the Hundred Rolls (Edw. I, 1273), where Richard Pepis and John Pepes
are registered as holding lands in the county of Cambridge. In the next
century the name of William Pepis is found in deeds relating to lands in
the parish of Cottenham, co. Cambridge, dated 1329 and 1340
respectively (Cole MSS., British Museum, vol. i., p. 56; vol. xlii., p.
44). According to the Court Roll of the manor of Pelhams, in the parish
of Cottenham, Thomas Pepys was "bayliffe of the Abbot of Crowland
in 1434," but in spite of these references, as well as others to persons of
the same name at Braintree, Essex, Depedale, Norfolk, &c., the first
ancestor of the existing branches of the family from whom Mr. Walter
Pepys is able to trace an undoubted descent, is "William Pepis the elder,
of Cottenham, co. Cambridge," whose will is dated 20th March, 1519.
In 1852 a curious manuscript volume, bound in vellum, and entitled
"Liber Talboti Pepys de instrumentis ad Feoda pertinentibus
exemplificatis," was discovered in an old chest in the parish church of
Bolney, Sussex, by the vicar, the Rev. John Dale, who delivered it to
Henry Pepys, Bishop of Worcester, and the book is still in the
possession of the family. This volume contains various genealogical
entries, and among them are references to the Thomas Pepys of 1434
mentioned above, and to the later William Pepys. The reference to the

latter runs thus:--
"A Noate written out of an ould Booke of my uncle William Pepys."
"William Pepys, who died at Cottenham, 10 H. 8, was brought up by
the Abbat of Crowland, in Huntingdonshire, and he was borne in
Dunbar, in Scotland, a gentleman, whom the said Abbat did make his
Bayliffe of all his lands in Cambridgeshire, and placed him in
Cottenham, which William aforesaid had three sonnes, Thomas, John,
and William, to whom Margaret was mother naturallie, all of whom left
issue."
In illustration of this entry we may refer to the Diary of June 12th, 1667,
where it is written that Roger Pepys told Samuel that "we did certainly
come out of Scotland with the Abbot of Crowland." The references to
various members of the family settled in Cottenham and elsewhere, at
an early date already alluded to, seem to show that there is little
foundation for this very positive statement.
With regard to the standing of the family, Mr. Walter Pepys writes:--
"The first of the name in 1273 were evidently but small copyholders.
Within 150 years (1420) three or four of the name had entered the
priesthood, and others had become connected with the monastery of
Croyland as bailiffs, &c. In 250 years (1520) there were certainly two
families: one at Cottenham, co. Cambridge, and another at Braintree, co.
Essex, in comfortable circumstances as yeomen farmers. Within fifty
years more (1563), one of the family, Thomas, of Southcreeke, co.
Norfolk, had entered the ranks of the gentry sufficiently to have his
coat-of-arms recognized by the Herald Cooke, who conducted the
Visitation of Norfolk in that year. From that date the majority of the
family have been in good circumstances, with perhaps more than the
average of its members taking up public positions."
There is a very general notion that Samuel Pepys was of plebeian birth
because his father followed the trade of a tailor, and his own remark,
"But I believe indeed our family were never considerable,"--[February
10th, 1661-62.] has been brought forward in corroboration of this view,
but nothing can possibly be more erroneous, and there can be no doubt
that the Diarist was really proud of his descent. This may be seen from
the inscription on one of his book-plates, where he is stated to be:--
"Samuel Pepys of Brampton in Huntingdonshire, Esq., Secretary of the
Admiralty to his Matr. King Charles the Second: Descended from ye

antient family of Pepys of Cottenham in Cambridgeshire."
Many members of the family have greatly distinguished themselves
since the Diarist's day, and of them Mr. Foss wrote ("Judges of
England," vol. vi., p. 467):--
"In the family of Pepys is illustrated every gradation of legal rank from
Reader of an Inn of Court to Lord High Chancellor of England."
The William Pepys of Cottenham