Exotic pets were a status symbol in Samuel Pepys’ day and in 1674 he was presented with a tame lion by Samuel Martin, the English consul in Algiers, who was married to one of Pepys’ former mistresses, Betty Lane. Pepys wrote to Martin to tell him that the lion was “as tame as you sent him, and as good company”. [1]
Samuel Pepys was born on 23 February 1633, in London, England. He was the fifth of eleven children born to John Pepys, a tailor, and his wife Margaret, the daughter of a butcher. Child mortality was high, and it wasn’t long before he was the oldest survivor. The family was solidly middle class, and while they were not wealthy, they were comfortable.
As a child, Samuel attended St Paul’s School in London, known for its rigorous academic program. In 1650 he entered Trinity College, Cambridge, but shortly transferred to Magdalene College, Cambridge, graduating B.A. in 1653. He was an excellent student and showed an aptitude for languages, becoming fluent in Latin, Greek, and French.
Despite his academic abilities, Samuel’s father wanted him to follow in his footsteps and become a tailor. Rebelling against this idea in 1654, Samuel became secretary to Sir Edward Montagu, a distant relative. Montagu (who was later created the 1st Earl of Sandwich) recognized his intelligence and became a mentor to him. Through Montagu, Pepys secured a position as a clerk in the Navy Office.
Pepys’ early years were marked by a strong work ethic, a thirst for knowledge, and a drive to succeed. These qualities would help him achieve great success in his career and in his personal life. When he was 22 in 1655, Pepys married 14-year-old Elisabeth de St Michel, a descendant of French Huguenot immigrants.
On 1 January 1660, at the age of 27, Pepys began his diary, recording his daily life for almost 10 years. It is more than a million words long and is often regarded as Britain’s most celebrated diary.
Pepys has been called the greatest diarist of all time due to his frankness in writing concerning his own weaknesses and the accuracy with which he records events of daily British life and major events in the 17th century.