11 Oct Samuel Pepys

Samuel Pepys kept his celebrated Diary from 1660 to 1669, although it was not published until 200 years later. The Diary’s significance stems from the happy coincidence that it covers a very important period in English history, including London’s Great Plague of 1665 and Great Fire of 1666. The Diary is also famous for its observations of the daily lives of ordinary people and of Pepys’ own personal and social activities, always fascinating and often off-color.

Pepys was born in London in 1633. He was a naval administrator, rising to Chief Secretary of the Admiralty, and a Member of Parliament. He died in 1703 aged 70 and is buried in St Olave’s Church, Hart Street in east London. In nearby Seething Lane, close to the corner with Pepys Street, there’s a bust and memorial garden. However, the greatest memorial to Pepys is the impressive Pepys Library at Magdalene College, Cambridge. This houses the original diaries and Pepys’ personal collection of over 3,000 books.