Talbot Pepys 1583-1666

In 1583 Talbot Pepys was born to John Pepys of Impington.

In 1589 [his father] John Pepys of Impington died.

On 3rd May 1617 [his son] Roger Pepys was born to Talbot Pepys [aged 34].

On 5th June 1621 [his son] Thomas Pepys was born to Talbot Pepys [aged 38] at Norwich, Norfolk [Map]. On 15th June 1621 Thomas Pepys was christended at Church of St Stephen, Norwich [Map].

In 1625 Talbot Pepys [aged 42] was elected MP Cambridge.

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 15th July 1661. Then with Dr. Fairbrother (whom I met there) to the Rose tavern [Map], and called for some wine, and there met fortunately with Mr. Turner of our office, and sent for his wife, and were very merry (they being come to settle their son here), and sent also for Mr. Sanchy, of Magdalen, with whom and other gentlemen, friends of his, we were very merry, and I treated them as well as I could, and so at noon took horse again, having taken leave of my cozen Angier, and rode to Impington, where I found my old uncle [aged 78]¹ sitting all alone, like a man out of the world: he can hardly see; but all things else he do pretty livelyly.

Note 1. Talbot Pepys, sixth son of [his father] John Pepys of Impington, was born 1583, and therefore at this time he was seventy-eight years of age. He was educated at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, and called to the bar at the Middle Temple in 1605. He was M.P. for Cambridge in 1625, and Recorder of Cambridge from 1624 to 1660, in which year he was succeeded by his son Roger [aged 44]. He died of the plague, March, 1666, aged eighty-three.

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 4th August 1661. To church, and had a good plain sermon, and my uncle Talbot [aged 78] went with us and at our coming in the country-people all rose with so much reverence; and when the parson begins, he begins "Right worshipfull and dearly beloved" to us.

Before 19th January 1665 [his son] Thomas Pepys [aged 43] died at Impington. His will was probated on 4th February 1665.

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 12th March 1666. This day I hear my Uncle Talbot Pepys [deceased] died the last week, and was buried. All the news now is, that Sir Jeremy Smith is at Cales [Cadiz] with his fleete, and Mings in the Elve. [Elbe] the King [aged 35] is come this noon to towne from Audly End [Map], with the Duke of Yorke [aged 32] and a fine train of gentlemen.

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 27th February 1667. This day just before dinner comes Captain Story, of Cambridge, to me to the office, about a bill for prest money¹, for men sent out of the country and the countries about him to the fleete the last year; but, Lord! to see the natures of men; how this man, hearing of my name, did ask me of my country, and told me of my cozen [his son] Roger [aged 49], that he was not so wise a man as his father; for that he do not agree in Parliament with his fellow burgesses and knights of the shire, whereas I know very well the reason; for he is not so high a flyer as Mr. Chichley [aged 52] and others, but loves the King [aged 36] better than any of them, and to better purpose. But yet, he says that he is a very honest gentleman, and thence runs into a hundred stories of his own services to the King, and how he at this day brings in the taxes before anybody here thinks they are collected: discourse very absurd to entertain a stranger with. He being gone, and I glad of it, I home then to dinner.

Note 1. Money paid to men who enlist into the public service; press money. So called because those who receive it are to be prest or ready when called on ("Encyclopaedic Dictionary ").