Biography of Esther Watts -1687

Esther Watts was born to John Watts of Northamptonshire.

On 01 Dec 1655 Samuel Pepys (age 22) and [her future sister-in-law] Elizabeth de St Michel (age 15) were married at St Margaret's Church, Westminster [Map] by Richard Sherwyn, Esq, a Westminster Justice of the Peace, an arrangement for civil marriages put in place by Cromwell's government.

In Dec 1662 Balthazar "Balty" de St Michel (age 22) and Esther Watts were married. They had eight children.

Pepy's Diary. 03 Jul 1666. At noon dined at home, [her husband] Balty's (age 26) wife with us, and in very good humour I was and merry at dinner, and after dinner a song or two, and so I abroad to my Lord Treasurer's (age 59) (sending my sister home by the coach), while I staid there by appointment to have met my Lord Bellasses (age 52) and Commissioners of Excise, but they did not meet me, he being abroad. However Mr. Finch, one of the Commissioners, I met there, and he and I walked two houres together in the garden, talking of many things; sometimes of Mr. Povy (age 52), whose vanity, prodigality, neglect of his business, and committing it to unfit hands hath undone him and outed him of all his publique employments, and the thing set on foot by an accidental revivall of a business, wherein he had three or fours years ago, by surprize, got the Duke of Yorke (age 32) to sign to the having a sum of money paid out of the Excise, before some that was due to him, and now the money is fallen short, and the Duke never likely to be paid. This being revived hath undone Povy (age 52). Then we fell to discourse of the Parliament, and the great men there: and among others, Mr. Vaughan (age 62), whom he reports as a man of excellent judgement and learning, but most passionate and 'opiniastre'. He had done himself the most wrong (though he values it not), that is, the displeasure of the King (age 36) in his standing so long against the breaking of the Act for a trienniall parliament; but yet do believe him to be a most loyall gentleman. He told me Mr. Prin's (age 66) character; that he is a man of mighty labour and reading and memory, but the worst judge of matters, or layer together of what he hath read, in the world; which I do not, however, believe him in; that he believes him very true to the King (age 36) in his heart, but can never be reconciled to episcopacy; that the House do not lay much weight upon him, or any thing he says. He told me many fine things, and so we parted, and I home and hard to work a while at the office and then home and till midnight about settling my last month's accounts wherein I have been interrupted by public business, that I did not state them two or three days ago, but I do now to my great joy find myself worth above £5600, for which the Lord's name be praised!

Pepy's Diary. 19 Jul 1666. So to the office, where all the morning sitting. Full of wants of money, and much stores to buy, for to replenish the stores, and no money to do it with, nor anybody to trust us without it. So at noon home to dinner, [her husband] Balty (age 26) and his wife with us.

Pepy's Diary. 02 Aug 1666. [Up] and to the office, where we sat, and in discourse at the table with Sir W. Batten (age 65), I was obliged to tell him it was an untruth, which did displease him mightily, and parted at noon very angry with me. At home find Lovett, who brought me some papers varnished, and showed me my crucifix, which will be very fine when done. He dined with me and [her husband] Balty's (age 26) wife, who is in great pain for her husband (age 26), not hearing of him since the fight; but I understand he was not in it, going hence too late, and I am glad of it.

Pepy's Diary. 03 Aug 1666. At noon home to dinner, and then abroad to Sir Philip Warwicke's (age 56) at White Hall about Tangier one quarter tallys, and there had some serious discourse touching money, and the case of the Navy, wherein all I could get of him was that we had the full understanding of the treasure as much as my Lord Treasurer (age 59) himself, and knew what he can do, and that whatever our case is, more money cannot be got till the Parliament. So talked of getting an account ready as soon as we could to give the Parliament, and so very melancholy parted. So I back again, calling my [her sister-in-law] wife (age 25) at her sister's, from whose [her husband] husband (age 26) we do now hear that he was safe this week, and going in a ship to the fleete from the buoy of the Nore, where he has been all this while, the fleete being gone before he got down.

Pepy's Diary. 10 Aug 1666. Home to dinner, where sister [her husband] Balty (age 26) dined with us, and met a letter come to me from him. He is well at Harwich [Map], going to the fleete.

Pepy's Diary. 21 Aug 1666. Dined at home, and sister [her husband] Balty (age 26) with us. My wife snappish because I denied her money to lay out this afternoon; however, good friends again, and by coach set them down at the New Exchange, and I to the Exchequer, and there find my business of my tallys in good forwardness. I passed down into the Hall, and there hear that Mr. Bowles, the grocer, after 4 or 5 days' sickness, is dead, and this day buried. So away, and taking up my wife, went homewards. I 'light and with Harman to my mercer's in Lombard Street [Map], and there agreed for, our purple serge for my closett, and so I away home.

Pepy's Diary. 12 Sep 1666. Thence to Martin, and there did 'tout ce que je voudrais avec' [Note. All that I wanted with] her, and drank, and away by water home and to dinner, [her husband] Balty (age 26) and his wife there.

Pepy's Diary. 14 Sep 1666. So to bed as last night, only my wife and I upon a bedstead with curtains in that which was Mercer's chamber, and [her husband] Balty (age 26) and his wife (who are here and do us good service), where we lay last night. This day, poor Tom Pepys, the turner, was with me, and Kate, Joyce, to bespeake places; one for himself, the other for her husband. She tells me he hath lost £140 per annum, but have seven houses left.

Pepy's Diary. 17 Sep 1666. Thence home a little to look after my people at work and back to Sir G. Carteret's (age 56) to dinner; and thence, after some discourse; with him upon our publique accounts, I back home, and all the day with Harman (age 29) and his people finishing the hangings and beds in my house, and the hangings will be as good as ever, and particularly in my new closet. They gone and I weary, my wife and I, and [her husband] Balty (age 26) and his wife, who come hither to-day to helpe us, to a barrel of oysters I sent from the river today, and so to bed.

Pepy's Diary. 20 Sep 1666. We parted, and I home to dinner, and after dinner to the setting things in order, and all my people busy about the same work. In the afternoon, out by coach, my wife with me, which we have not done several weeks now, through all the ruines, to shew her them, which frets her much, and is a sad sight indeed. Set her down at her brother's, and thence I to Westminster Hall [Map], and there staid a little while, and called her home. She did give me an account of great differences between her mother and [her husband] Balty's (age 26) wife. The old woman charges her with going abroad and staying out late, and painting in the absence of her husband, and I know not what; and they grow proud, both he and she, and do not help their father and mother out of what I help them to, which I do not like, nor my wife.

Pepy's Diary. 24 Oct 1666. After dinner to little business, and then abroad with my wife, she to see her [her husband] brother (age 26), who is sick, and she believes is from some discontent his wife hath given him by her loose carriage, which he is told, and he hath found has been very suspicious in his absence, which I am sorry for.

Pepy's Diary. 26 Feb 1667. Up, and to the office, where all the morning. And here did receive another reference from Sir W. Coventry (age 39) about the business of some of the Muster-Masters, concerning whom I had returned their small performances, which do give me a little more trouble for fear Sir W. Coventry (age 39) should think I had a design to favour my brother [her husband] Balty (age 27), and to that end to disparage all the rest. But I shall clear all very well, only it do exercise my thoughts more than I am at leisure for. At home find Balty (age 27) and his wife very fine, which I did not like, for fear he do spend too much of his money that way, and lay [not] up anything.

Pepy's Diary. 27 Mar 1667. Our business with the Duke being done, Sir W. Pen (age 45) and I towards the Exchequer, and in our way met Sir G. Downing (age 42) going to chapel, but we stopped, and he would go with us back to the Exchequer and showed us in his office his chests full and ground and shelves full of money, and says that there is £50,000 at this day in his office of people's money, who may demand it this day, and might have had it away several weeks ago upon the late Act, but do rather choose to have it continue there than to put it into the Banker's hands, and I must confess it is more than I should have believed had I not seen it, and more than ever I could have expected would have arisen for this new Act in so short a time, and if it do so now already what would it do if the money was collected upon the Act and returned into the Exchequer so timely as it ought to be. But it comes into my mind here to observe what I have heard from Sir John Bankes (age 40), though I cannot fully conceive the reason of it, that it will be impossible to make the Exchequer ever a true bank to all intents, unless the Exchequer stood nearer the Exchange [Map], where merchants might with ease, while they are going about their business, at all hours, and without trouble or loss of time, have their satisfaction, which they cannot have now without much trouble, and loss of half a day, and no certainty of having the offices open. By this he means a bank for common practise and use of merchants, and therein I do agree with him. Being parted from Sir W. Pen (age 45) and Sir G. Downing (age 42), I to Westminster Hall [Map] and there met [her husband] Balty (age 27), whom I had sent for, and there did break the business of my getting him the place of going again as Muster-Master with Harman (age 42) this voyage to the West Indys, which indeed I do owe to Sir W. Pen (age 45). He is mighty glad of it, and earnest to fit himself for it, but I do find, poor man, that he is troubled how to dispose of his wife, and apparently it is out of fear of her, and his honour, and I believe he hath received some cause of this his jealousy and care, and I do pity him in it, and will endeavour to find out some way to do, it for him.

Pepy's Diary. 28 Mar 1667. At noon dined well. [her husband] Balty (age 27), who is mighty thoughtful how to dispose of his wife, and would fain have me provide a place for her, which the thoughts of what I should do with her if he should miscarry at sea makes me avoid the offering him that she should be at my house. I find he is plainly jealous of her being in any place where she may have ill company, and I do pity him for it, and would be glad to help him, and will if I can.

Pepy's Diary. 29 Mar 1667. I home, and there find [her husband] Balty (age 27) and his wife got thither both by my wife for me to give them good advice, for her to be with his father and mother all this time of absence, for saving of money, and did plainly and like a friend tell them my mind of the necessity of saving money, and that if I did not find they did endeavour it, I should not think fit to trouble myself for them, but I see she is utterly against being with his father and mother, and he is fond of her, and I perceive the differences between the old people and them are too great to be presently forgot, and so he do propose that it will be cheaper for him to put her to board at a place he is offered at Lee, and I, seeing that I am not like to be troubled with the finding a place, and having given him so much good advice, do leave them to stand and fall as they please, having discharged myself as a friend, and not likely to be accountable for her nor be troubled with her, if he should miscarry I mean, as to her lodging, and so broke up.

Pepy's Diary. 17 Jul 1667. Thus we talked till night and then parted, and so I to my office and did business, and so home to supper, and there find my sister Michell1 come from Lee to see us; but do tattle so much of the late business of the Dutch coming thither that I was weary of it. Yet it is worth remembering what she says: that she hath heard both seamen and soldiers swear they would rather serve the Dutch than the King (age 37), for they should be better used2. She saw "The Royal Charles" brought into the river by them; and how they shot off their great guns for joy, when they got her out of Kent River. I would not forget that this very day when we had nothing to do almost but five merchantmen to man in the River, which have now been about it some weeks, I was asked at Westminster, what the matter was that there was such ado kept in pressing of men, as it seems there is thereabouts at this day. So after supper we all to bed, my foot very well again, I thank God.

Note 1. The wife of Balthazar St. Michel, Mrs. Pepys's brother. B. Leigh, opposite to Sheerness.-R.

Note 2. Reference has already been made to Andrew Marvell's "Instructions to a Painter", in which the unpaid English sailors are described as swimming to the Dutch ships, where they received the money which was withheld from them on their own ships.

Pepy's Diary. 02 Jan 1668. So home to dinner, where [her husband] Balty's (age 28) wife is come to town; she come last night and lay at my house, but being weary was gone to bed before I come home, and so I saw her not before.

Pepy's Diary. 22 Apr 1668. So to the fishmonger's, and bought a couple of lobsters, and over to the sparagus garden, thinking to have met Mr. Pierce, and his wife and Knepp; but met their servant coming to bring me to Chatelin's, the French house, in Covent Garden [Map], and there with musick and good company, Manuel and his wife, and one Swaddle, a clerk of Lord Arlington's (age 50), who dances, and speaks French well, but got drunk, and was then troublesome, and here mighty merry till ten at night, and then I away, and got a coach, and so home, where I find [her husband] Balty (age 28) and his wife come to town, and did sup with them, and so they to bed. This night the Duke of Monmouth (age 19) and a great many blades were at Chatelin's, and I left them there, with a Hackney-coach attending him.

Pepy's Diary. 25 Apr 1668. Thence homeward by the Coffee House in Covent Garden [Map], thinking to have met Harris (age 34) here but could not, and so home, and there, after my letters, I home to have my hair cut by my sister Michell and her [her husband] husband (age 28), and so to bed. This day I did first put off my waste-coate, the weather being very hot, but yet lay in it at night, and shall, for a little time.

Pepy's Diary. 04 May 1668. Thence away home and there did business, and so to dinner, my sister Michell and I, and thence to the Duke of York's (age 34) house, and there saw "The Impertinents" again, and with less pleasure than before, it being but a very contemptible play, though there are many little witty expressions in it; and the pit did generally say that of it.

Pepy's Diary. 26 May 1668. So home, where we find all well, and brother [her husband] Balty (age 28) and his wife looking to the house, she mighty fine, in a new gold-laced 'just a cour'. I shifted myself, and so to see Mrs. Turner (age 45), and Mercer appearing over the way, called her in, and sat and talked, and then home to my house by and by, and there supped and talked mighty merry, and then broke up and to bed, being a little vexed at what W. Hewer (age 26) tells me Sir John Shaw did this day in my absence say at the Board, complaining of my doing of him injury and the board permitting it, whereas they had more reason to except against his attributing that to me alone which I could not do but with their condent and direction, it being to very good service to the King (age 37), and which I shall be proud to have imputed to me alone. The King (age 37) I hear come to town last night.

On 10 Nov 1669 [her sister-in-law] Elizabeth de St Michel (age 29) died of typhoid.

On or before 12 Feb 1687 Esther Watts died. She was buried at St Paul's Church, Deptford.