Diary of Samuel Pepys, Preface and Life | Page 7

who commences the pedigree had
three sons and three daughters; from the eldest son (Thomas)
descended the first Norfolk branch, from the second son (John Pepys of
Southcreeke) descended the second Norfolk branch, and from the third
son (William) descended the Impington branch. The latter William had
four sons and two daughters; two of these sons were named Thomas,
and as they were both living at the same time one was distinguished as
"the black" and the other as "the red." Thomas the red had four sons
and four daughters. John, born 1601, was the third son, and he became
the father of Samuel the Diarist. Little is known of John Pepys, but we
learn when the Diary opens that he was settled in London as a tailor. He
does not appear to have been a successful man, and his son on August
26th, 1661, found that there was only L45 owing to him, and that he
owed about the same sum. He was a citizen of London in 1650, when
his son Samuel was admitted to Magdalene College, but at an earlier
period he appears to have had business relations with Holland.
In August, 1661, John Pepys retired to a small property at Brampton
(worth about L80 per annum), which had been left to him by his eldest
brother, Robert Pepys, where he died in 1680.
The following is a copy of John Pepys's will:
"MY FATHER'S WILL. [Indorsement by S. Pepys.]
"Memorandum. That I, John Pepys of Ellington, in the county of
Huntingdon, Gent.", doe declare my mind in the disposall of my
worldly goods as followeth:
"First, I desire that my lands and goods left mee by my brother, Robert
Pepys, deceased, bee delivered up to my eldest son, Samuell Pepys, of
London, Esqr., according as is expressed in the last Will of my brother
Robert aforesaid.
"Secondly, As for what goods I have brought from London, or procured
since, and what moneys I shall leave behind me or due to me, I desire
may be disposed of as followeth:

"Imprimis, I give to the stock of the poore of the parish of Brampton, in
which church I desire to be enterred, five pounds.
"Item. I give to the Poore of Ellington forty shillings.
"Item. I desire that my two grandsons, Samuell and John Jackson, have
ten pounds a piece.
"Item. I desire that my daughter, Paulina Jackson, may have my largest
silver tankerd.
"Item. I desire that my son John Pepys may have my gold seale-ring.
"Lastly. I desire that the remainder of what I shall leave be equally
distributed between my sons Samuel and John Pepys and my daughter
Paulina Jackson.
"All which I leave to the care of my eldest son Samuel Pepys, to see
performed, if he shall think fit.
"In witness hereunto I set my hand."
His wife Margaret, whose maiden name has not been discovered, died
on the 25th March, 1667, also at Brampton. The family of these two
consisted of six sons and five daughters: John (born 1632, died 1640),
Samuel (born 1633, died 1703), Thomas (born 1634, died 1664), Jacob
(born 1637, died young), Robert (born 1638, died young), and John
(born 1641, died 1677); Mary (born 1627), Paulina (born 1628), Esther
(born 1630), Sarah (born 1635; these four girls all died young), and
Paulina (born 1640, died 1680), who married John Jackson of
Brampton, and had two sons, Samuel and John. The latter was made his
heir by Samuel Pepys.
Samuel Pepys was born on the 23rd February, 1632-3, but the place of
birth is not known with certainty. Samuel Knight, D.D., author of the
"Life of Colet," who was a connection of the family (having married
Hannah Pepys, daughter of Talbot Pepys of Impington), says positively
that it was at Brampton. His statement cannot be corroborated by the
registers of Brampton church, as these records do not commence until
the year 1654.
Samuel's early youth appears to have been spent pretty equally between
town and country. When he and his brother Tom were children they
lived with a nurse (Goody Lawrence) at Kingsland, and in after life
Samuel refers to his habit of shooting with bow and arrow in the fields
around that place. He then went to school at Huntingdon, from which
he was transferred to St. Paul's School in London. He remained at the

latter place until 1650, early in which year his name was entered as a
sizar on the boards of Trinity Hall, Cambridge. He was admitted on the
21st June, but subsequently he transferred his allegiance to Magdalene
College, where he was admitted a sizar on the 1st October of this same
year. He did not enter into residence until March 5th, 1650-51, but in
the following month he was elected to one of