PEP Y S ’ DIARY

Samuel Pepys (1633-1703) was the naval administrator and first secretary of the British Admiralty. Here’s what he wrote on this day in 1668.

Up, and to the office, and before the office did speak with my Lord Brouncker, and there did get his ready assent to T. Hater’s having of Mr.Turner’s place, and so Sir J. Minnes’s also: but when we come to sit down at the Board, comes to us Mr.Wren this day to town, and tells me that James Southern do petition the Duke of York for the Storekeeper’s place of Deptford, which did trouble me much, and also the Board, though, upon discourse, after he was gone, we did resolve to move hard for our Clerks, and that places of preferment may go according to seniority and merit. So, the Board up, I home with my people to dinner, and so to the office again, and there, after doing some business, I with Mr.Turner to the Duke of Albemarle’s at night; and there did speak to him about his appearing to Mr.Wren a friend to Mr.Turner, which he did take kindly from me; and so away thence, well pleased with what we had now done, and so I with him home, stopping at my Lord Brouncker’s, and getting his hand to a letter I wrote to the Duke of York for T. Hater, and also at my Lord Middleton’s, to give him an account of what I had done this day.