Pepys Commemoration Service
(Last Updated: 13-05-2011)
Wednesday 25 May 2011 at 12 noon
Since 1927 St Olave's has held an annual service to commemorate its most illustrious former parishioner, Samuel Pepys. The service is organised in association with The Samuel Pepys Club.
The service traditionally features an address on aspects of Pepys, his life and times and the church has been honoured to welcome a number of extremely fine speakers over the years.
This year we will be pleased to have with us Sir David Latham, who has had a most distinguished legal and judicial career and is currently Chairman of the Parole Board. In addition to this he is the son of the late Robert Latham, joint editor of the complete and definitive edition of The Diary of Samuel Pepys. As Sir David tells us, he grew up "surrounded by the shoe boxes containing his father's notes for the great edition and earned pocket money putting them into order".
He will be speaking on the subject of "The Convivial Pepys", so merriment is assured! We do hope you can join us.
In the meantime, here is an example of just how convivial Pepys could be:
“1663 April 4th
…which I having done, I returned home to dinner. Whither by and by come Roger Pepys, Mrs Turner, her daughter, Joyce Norton, and a young lady, a daughter of Collonell Cockes – my uncle Wight – his wife and Mrs Anne Wight – this being my feast, in lieu of what I should have had a few days ago, for my cutting of the Stone, for which the Lord make me truly thankful. Very merry before, at, and after dinner, and the more that my dinner was great, and most neatly dressed by our own only mayde. We had a Fricasse of rabbets and chicken – a leg of mutton boiled – three carps in a dish – a great dish of a side of lamb – a dish roasted pigeons – a dish of four lobsters – three tarts – a Lampry pie, a most rare pie – a dish of anchovies – good wine of several sorts; and all things mighty noble and to my great content.”
