Biography of Tom Pepys "The Turner"

Paternal Family Tree: Pepys

Tom Pepys "The Turner" was born to Thomas Pepys.

Pepy's Diary. 07 Feb 1660. Tuesday. In the morning I went early to give Mr. Hawly notice of my being forced to go into London, but he having also business we left our office business to Mr. Spicer and he and I walked as far as the Temple [Map], where I halted a little and then went to Paul's School, but it being too soon, went and drank my morning draft with my cozen Tom Pepys the turner, and saw his house and shop, thence to school, where he that made the speech for the seventh form in praise of the founder, did show a book which Mr. Crumlum (age 42) had lately got, which is believed to be of the Founder's own writing. After all the speeches, in which my brother John (age 19) came off as well as any of the rest, I went straight home and dined, then to the Hall, where in the Palace I saw Monk's (age 51) soldiers abuse Billing (age 37) and all the Quakers, that were at a meeting-place there, and indeed the soldiers did use them very roughly and were to blame.1.

Note 1. "Fox (age 35), or some other 'weighty' friend, on hearing of this, complained to Monk, who issued the following order, dated March 9th: 'I do require all officers and soldiers to forbear to disturb peaceable meetings of the Quakers, they doing nothing prejudicial to the Parliament or the Commonwealth of England. George Monk.' This order, we are told, had an excellent effect on the soldiers".-A. C. Bickley's 'George Fox and the Early Quakers, London, 1884, p. 179. The Quakers were at this time just coming into notice. The first preaching of George Fox, the founder, was in 1648, and in 1655 the preachers of the sect numbered seventy-three. Fox computed that there were seldom less than a thousand quakers in prison. The statute 13 and 14 Car. II cap. i. (1662) was "An act for preventing the mischiefs and dangers that may arise by certain persons called quakers and others, refusing to take lawful oaths". Billing is mentioned again on July 22nd, 1667, when he addressed Pepys in Westminster Hall.

Pepy's Diary. 04 Oct 1660. This morning I was busy looking over papers at the office all alone, and being visited by Lieut. Lambert (age 41) of the Charles (to whom I was formerly much beholden), I took him along with me to a little alehouse hard by our office, whither my cozen Thomas Pepys the turner had sent for me to show me two gentlemen that had a great desire to be known to me, one his name is Pepys, of our family, but one that I never heard of before, and the other a younger son of Sir Tho. Bendishes, and so we all called cozens. After sitting awhile and drinking, my two new cozens, myself, and Lieut. Lambert went by water to Whitehall, and from thence I and Lieut. Lambert to Westminster Abbey, where we saw Dr. Frewen (age 72) translated to the Archbishoprick of York. Here I saw the Bishops of Winchester (age 71), Bangor (age 75), Rochester (age 79), Bath and Wells (age 80), and Salisbury (age 68), all in their habits, in King Henry Seventh's chappell [Map]. But, Lord! at their going out, how people did most of them look upon them as strange creatures, and few with any kind of love or respect.

Pepy's Diary. 21 Nov 1660. Lay long in bed. This morning my cozen Thomas Pepys, the turner, sent me a cupp of lignum vitae1 for a token. This morning my wife and I went to Paternoster Row [Map], and there we bought some green watered moyre for a morning wastecoate. And after that we went to Mr. Cade's' to choose some pictures for our house. After that my wife went home, and I to Pope's Head, and bought me an aggate hafted knife, which cost me 5s. So home to dinner, and so to the office all the afternoon, and at night to my viallin (the first time that I have played on it since I came to this house) in my dining room, and afterwards to my lute there, and I took much pleasure to have the neighbours come forth into the yard to hear me. So down to supper, and sent for the barber, who staid so long with me that he was locked into the house, and we were fain to call up Griffith, to let him out. So up to bed, leaving my wife to wash herself, and to do other things against to-morrow to go to court.

Note 1. A hard, compact, black-green wood, obtained from 'Guaiacum offcinale', from which pestles, ship-blocks, rollers, castors, &c., are turned.

Pepy's Diary. 19 Jan 1661. From thence by link, and bought two mouse traps of Thomas Pepys, the Turner, and so went and drank a cup of ale with him, and so home and wrote by post to Portsmouth, Hampshire [Map] to my Lord and so to bed.

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 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. 08 Jan 1667. Up, and to the office, where we sat all the morning. At noon home to dinner, where my uncle [his father] Thomas with me to receive his quarterage. He tells me his son Thomas is set up in Smithfield [Map], where he hath a shop-I suppose, a booth.

Pepy's Diary. 26 May 1667. By and by to supper, all our discourse about Brampton [Map], and my intentions to build there if I could be free of my engagement to my [his father] Uncle Thomas and his son, that they may not have what I have built, against my will, to them whether I will or no, in case of me and my brothers being without heirs male; which is the true reason why I am against laying out money upon that place, together with my fear of some inconvenience by being so near Hinchingbroke [Map]; being obliged to be a servant to that family, and subject to what expence they shall cost me; and to have all that I shall buy, or do, esteemed as got by the death of my uncle, when indeed what I have from him is not worth naming. After supper to read and then to bed.

Ancestors of Tom Pepys "The Turner"

Great x 3 Grandfather: William Pepys of Cottenham

Great x 2 Grandfather: William Pepys of Cottenham

Great x 1 Grandfather: John Pepys of Impington

GrandFather: Thomas "The Black" Pepys

Father: Thomas Pepys

GrandMother: Mary Day

Tom Pepys "The Turner"