Samuel Pepys: Who was he?
350 years ago, one of the UK’s most renowned diarists started writing a diary. Who was this man? And how did a clerk become so famous?
Samuel Pepys, born in 1633, studied at Cambridge University and afterwards, became a clerk at the Navy Office. For 9 years, his diary recorded the details of his daily life; his most famous passages being about the Great Fire in 1666. Through his documentation, he mixed details of important historical events with details of his (often humorous) domestic affairs. He offered his opinions on the King, of whom he criticised, his colleagues, and his wife.
His diaries have become an important 17th century private library, and offer valuable insight into important events such as the restoration of King Charles II, the Great Fire and the Great Plague.
Why is he so famous?
Quintin Colville, curator of naval history at the National Maritime Museum says, "He is a man of his time, but there are things about him that make us think he has a kinship with us." The parallels that can be drawn between his era and modern day through the little details he provides us with makes him relatable to the public. It is thought that, if Pepys had lived today, he could be a great blogger or terrific Twitter-er.
Pepys is buried with his wife in his parish church on St Olave Hart Street.
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