Samuel Pepys in 50 Places and Objects

Phil Gyford — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 13:43:22 +0000

Samuel Pepys in 50 Places and Objects is the latest in a series of “50 Places and Objects” written by Paul Kendall for Amberley Publishing. Previous titles include Thomas Hardy and Jane Austen. The author is a writer of historical non-fiction who also specialises in books about the first World War.

The fifty places and objects are well illustrated and arranged in chronological order, spanning not just the Diary years but Pepys’ whole life. So, we begin with the site of Salisbury Court off Fleet St in London where Pepys was born, then the Navy Office in Seething Lane where he wrote most of the Diary, 14 Buckingham Street where he lived in later life, and finally his monument in St Olave’s church on Seething Lane. Plenty of other notable Pepys places are featured along the way. Objects include a statue of Charles II, the model of Old London Bridge at St Magnus church, and the first page of the Diary. The text is clear, factual and easy to read; the illustrations are plentiful.

Much of Pepys’ London was swept away in the fire of 1666, some lost to the Luftwaffe and more to the passage of time. Nevertheless, the author has managed to find some intriguing survivors such as the Elizabethan Staple Inn at Holborn, the Banqueting House from where Charles I was led out to his execution, (which Pepys of course witnessed), and Prince Henry’s Room on Fleet Street. Westminster Hall and Westminster Abbey are also included.

Several church buildings familiar to Pepys still survive, altered but still on the same site: St Bride’s where he was baptised, and where several of his siblings are buried, St Margaret’s in Westminster where Sam and Elizabeth were married, St Paul’s in Covent Garden where he once watched a Punch and Judy show, All Hallows from where he first observed the Great Fire, and St Olave’s church on Seething Lane where Sam and Elizabeth are buried. St Olave’s is very aware of its precious Pepys association and regularly runs Pepys-related events: https://saintolave.com

Following recent discussions on the Diary website about Pepys’ attitudes to women (see my review of Guy de la Bédoyère’s The Confessions of Samuel Pepys, I was interested to read that Paul Kendall too, found some of Pepys’ behaviour unacceptable (p6):

There was also a darker side to Pepys’ character… a lot of his wealth was acquired through corruption …
He also was involved with the pressing of men into the Royal Navy …
Pepys revealed himself in the diary to be… a serial sex offender, a predator …

The author feels that, “Such admissions today would result in criminal proceedings and a prison sentence.” Sadly, I am not so sure; wealth and privilege seem to carry immunity from the law even now.

Diary readers may not be aware that Pepys was imprisoned several times in later life, not because he was a sex pest but due to his long association with the Catholic James II. Arrested on trumped-up charges, he was sent to the Tower of London and though released on bail he was later rearrested and sent to the Gatehouse Prison in Westminster on two separate occasions: a nasty cat-and-mouse game. The Gatehouse’s stone door frame survives and is illustrated in this book. The whole affair was researched in depth by James and Ben Long for their excellent book, The Plot Against Pepys, published by Faber and Faber in 2007.

Sadly, the 50 places and objects do not include Magdalene College Cambridge where Pepys was a student, thereby missing the opportunity to show the Pepys Library, gloriously housed in its own beautiful 17th century building at the college. The library is currently being refurbished and is closed to visitors but contains not only Pepys’ huge collection of books (including the Diary), but also the original bookcases and desk from his own library in Buckingham St (see illustration p.86). It is due to reopen next year.

While the author has clearly done his research, the picture of the Navy Office on page 21 is not, as captioned, the building where Pepys lived and worked, but a new iteration designed by Christopher Wren after the original burned down on January 29th 1673. Lord Brounker’s mistress was blamed, as the fire had started in their apartments before engulfing the whole building. The Navy Office moved temporarily to premises in nearby Mark Lane while the site was cleared and a new building, the one in the illustration, was constructed with its main entrance on Crutched Friars rather than Seething Lane. It opened in 1683 by which time Pepys had been promoted to Secretary of the Admiralty and was on his way to Tangier.

On 11th January 1660, Pepys says he “went towards London, and in my way went in to see Crowly, who was now grown a very great loon (lion) and very tame”. Crowly was kept in the menagerie at the Tower of London. I learned from Paul Kendall’s book that in 1674, Pepys was gifted a lion cub by Samuel Martin (husband of Betty Martin née Lane, Pepys’ mistress). Martin had basically exchanged his wife’s sexual favours for an enhanced career in the Navy, a win-win for the men though we don’t know how Betty felt about it. The lion cub was presumably acquired on one of his lengthy trips abroad. When the lion got too big for him, Pepys donated it to the Tower Zoo.

Overall, this is an interesting read with some fresh insights into Pepys’ life and times. It would make a good introduction for someone new to the subject or a companion for a self-led Pepys tour around London; postcodes and map references are included for all the sites mentioned.

[The publisher provided a copy of the book for review.]

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The Samuel Pepys Mysteries

Phil Gyford — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 13:57:53 +0000

It must be tricky to write successful historical fiction. One anachronism, one inaccuracy, and the reader’s trust may be lost. Background details and dialogue must sound right and be sketched in with a light touch; the reader isn’t interested in the hours of research you have put in. We want a good read, not a dissertation.

Thankfully, Ellis Blackwood seems to have nailed it. His ‘Samuel Pepys Mysteries’ capture the essence of seventeenth century life and the patterns of speech in Pepys’ time, without compromising the narrative drive. I really felt transported back to Restoration London, surrounded by all the sights, sounds and smells. I have read three of the series so far; they are all gripping adventures, with surprising plot twists and satisfying conclusions. A great balance of historical authenticity and an entertaining read.

The central characters are engaging and believable; Jacob Standish is a protégé of Pepys, well-educated and wealthy but young, shy and naïve. Abigail Harcourt is a maidservant from Pepys’ household. Wily and quick to spot a villain, she saves Jacob from himself on more than one occasion. Her quick wits and courage impress her employer who promotes her from simple maidservant to “inquisitor” alongside Jacob. (Given Pepys’ known attitudes to women in general and maids in particular, this is arguably an unconvincing device, but the male/ female partnership gives depth and humour to the narrative.) As the series progresses, Jacob becomes less self-conscious and naive, while Abby becomes less aware of her modest background and grows into her new role. Pepys himself makes cameo appearances which might be brief, but are always central to the plot.

In Book 1, The Brampton Witch Murders, Abby and Jacob must race against time to rescue Pepys’ sister Paulina from the clutches of Simon Hopkins, son of the Witchfinder General. Many of her neighbours in Brampton are convinced that she is a witch and must hang. The element of mass hysteria and claustrophobic social convention in a small, isolated rural community, is vividly portrayed.

Jacob and Abby are new to their role and at times flounder without the presence of their patron. Simon Hopkins is a powerful adversary and ultimately, they must fight their case in a riveting courtroom scene.

The Coffee House Murders (Book 3), are set in the murky world of wits and pamphleteers, Royalists and Republicans, who meet in the smoke-filled coffee houses of backstreet London. Blackwood conjures the vibrant world of coffee houses, and their role in the mysterious, sinister world of post-restoration politics. The plot and its unexpected solution are ingenious.

Book 5, The Frost Fair Murders, transports us to the frozen Thames and the sights and sounds of a “frost fair” that was set up on the ice, with its sideshows and shops, music and street food. Pepys himself is involved in what may or may not have been an accident, and he calls upon his loyal inquisitors to investigate. This book is full of colourful detail and historical authenticity. Surrounded by the beauty and strangeness of the frost fair, Abby and Jacob are exposed to unexpected threats and surprising revelations involving the monarchy itself.

In his ‘Samuel Pepys Mysteries’, Ellis Backwood has produced a series that will satisfy history nerds (like me), as well as lovers of a cosy murder mystery (also me). The characters are engaging and believable. The seventeenth century details are realistic, colourful, and immersive. But it is the gripping plots, with their unexpected twists and turn, that make these books so unputdownable.

The ninth and latest book in the series, Jacob’s Last Standish is due to be released on 30 April 2026. I recommend these stories to all Pepys readers; they are quite simply a delicious treat.

For more details see the website, ellisblackwood.com.

[The author provided copies of the books for review.]

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The Diary of Samuel Pepys - In-Depth Articles

Samuel Pepys in 50 Places and Objects

The Samuel Pepys Mysteries