Wapping, Essex, Home Counties, England, British Isles

Henry Machyn's Diary. 31st July 1556. The xxxj day of July was raynyd at the Yeld-halle [Map] .... robars of the see a vj, and the morow after thay wher hangyd at Wapyng at the low-water marke.

Note. P. 111. Pirates hung at Wapping at the low-water mark. Other instances of this will be found at pp. 131, 231, 256, 281. Stowe mentions Wapping as "the usuall place of execution for hanging of pirats and sea-rovers, at the low-water marke, there to remaine till three tides had overflowed them:" adding, that in his time the gallows had been removed to a greater distance from the city, in consequence of the street which had grown up within the last fifty years, "almost to Radcliffe, a good mile from the Tower."

Henry Machyn's Diary. 6th April 1557. The vj day of Aprell was hangyd at the low-water marke at Wapyng be-yond santt Katheryns vij for robyng on the see.

Henry Machyn's Diary. 3rd October 1559. The iij day of October was sett up ij nuw payre of galows, one at sant Thomas of wattrynges [Map], and the thodur at the low-water marke at Wapyng.

Henry Machyn's Diary. 20th April 1561. The sam day wher ij hangyd at Wapyng, ij for robyng of the see.

Henry Machyn's Diary. 25th April 1562. The xxv day of Aprell where hangyd at Wapyng at the lowwater marke v for robere on the se, and ther was one that had hys alter abowt ys neke and yett a pardon cam be tyme.

John Evelyn's Diary. 1st June 1645. The next morning, Captain Powell, in whose ship I was to embark toward Turkey, invited me on board, lying about ten miles from Venice, where we had a dinner of English powdered beef and other good meat, with store of wine and great guns, as the manner is. After dinner, the Captain presented me with a stone he had lately brought from Grand Cairo, which he took from the mummy-pits, full of hieroglyphics; I drew it on paper with the true dimensions, and sent it in a letter to Mr. Henshaw to communicate to Father Kircher, who was then setting forth his great work "Obeliscus Pamphilius", where it is described, but without mentioning my name. The stone was afterward brought for me into England, and landed at Wapping, Essex, where, before I could hear of it, it was broken into several fragments, and utterly defaced, to my no small disappointment.

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 13th April 1661. That done to my Lord's and dined there, and so by water with parson Turner towards London, and upon my telling of him of Mr. Moore to be a fit man to do his business with Bishop Wren (age 75), about which he was going, he went back out of my boat into another to Whitehall, and so I forwards home and there by and by took coach with Sir W. Pen (age 39) and Captain Terne and went to the buriall of Captain Robert Blake, at Wapping, Essex, and there had each of us a ring, but it being dirty, we would not go to church with them, but with our coach we returned home, and there staid a little, and then he and I alone to the Dolphin (Sir W. Batten (age 60) being this day gone with his wife to Walthamstow, Essex [Map] to keep Easter), and there had a supper by ourselves, we both being very hungry, and staying there late drinking I became very sleepy, and so we went home and I to bed.

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 16th July 1663. By and by down by water on several Deall ships, and stood upon a stage in one place seeing calkers sheathing of a ship. Then at Wapping, Essex to my carver's about my Viall head.

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 29th July 1663. So I to my office, and having given some order to Tom Hater, to whom I gave leave for his recreation to go down to Portsmouth, Hampshire [Map] this Pay, I went down to Wapping, Essex to Sir W. Warren, and there staid an hour or two discoursing of some of his goods and then things in general relating to this office, &c., and so home, and there going to Sir William Batten (age 62) (having no stomach to dine at home, it being yet hardly clean of last night's [mess])and there I dined with my Lady and her daughter and son Castle, and mighty kind she is and I kind to her, but, Lord! how freely and plainly she rails against Commissioner Pett (age 52), calling him rogue, and wondering that the King (age 33) keeps such a fellow in the Navy.

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 8th August 1663. It was late before we could get from Greenwich, Kent [Map] to London by water, the tide being against us and almost past, so that to save time and to be clear of anchors I landed at Wapping, Essex, and so walked home weary enough, walking over the stones.

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 15th December 1663. Home and to my office, and there very late with Sir W. Warren upon very serious discourse, telling him how matters passed to-day, and in the close he and I did fall to talk very openly of the business of this office, and (if I was not a little too open to tell him my interest, which is my fault) he did give me most admirable advice, and such as do speak him a most able and worthy man, and understanding seven times more than ever I thought to be in him. He did particularly run over every one of the officers and commanders, and shewed me how I had reason to mistrust every one of them, either for their falsenesse or their over-great power, being too high to fasten a real friendship in, and did give me a common but a most excellent saying to observe in all my life. He did give it in rhyme, but the sense was this, that a man should treat every friend in his discourse and opening his mind to him as of one that may hereafter be his foe. He did also advise me how I should take occasion to make known to the world my case, and the pains that I take in my business, and above all to be sure to get a thorough knowledge in my employment, and to that add all the interest at Court that I can, which I hope I shall do. He staid talking with me till almost 12 at night, and so good night, being sorry to part with him, and more sorry that he should have as far as Wapping, Essex to walk to-night.

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 29th January 1664. At noon, by appointment, comes Mr. Hartlibb and his wife, and a little before them Messrs. Langley and Bostocke (old acquaintances of mine at Westminster, clerks), and after shewing them my house and drinking they set out by water, my wife and I with them down to Wapping, Essex on board the "Crowne", a merchantman, Captain Floyd, a civil person. Here was Vice-Admiral Goodson, whom the more I know the more I value for a serious man and staunch. Here was Whistler the flagmaker, which vexed me, but it mattered not. Here was other sorry company and the discourse poor, so that we had no pleasure there at all, but only to see and bless God to find the difference that is now between our condition and that heretofore, when we were not only much below Hartlibb in all respects, but even these two fellows above named, of whom I am now quite ashamed that ever my education should lead me to such low company, but it is God's goodness only, for which let him be praised.

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 4th February 1664. So home to the office, and by and by comes my wife home from the burial of Captain Grove's wife at Wapping, Essex (she telling me a story how her mayd Jane going into the boat did fall down and show her arse in the boat), and alone comes my uncle Wight (age 62) and Mr. Maes with the state of their case, which he told me very discreetly, and I believe is a very hard one, and so after drinking a bottle of ale or two they gone, and I a little more to the office, and so home to prayers and to bed. This evening I made an end of my letter to Creed about his pieces of eight, and sent it away to him. I pray God give good end to it to bring me some money, and that duly as from him.

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 2nd April 1664. I went to the 'Change [Map], and there found most people gone, and so home to dinner, and thence to Sir W. Warren's, and with him past the whole afternoon, first looking over two ships' of Captain Taylor's and Phin. Pett's now in building, and am resolved to learn something of the art, for I find it is not hard and very usefull, and thence to Woolwich, Kent [Map], and after seeing Mr. Falconer, who is very ill, I to the yard, and there heard Mr. Pett (age 53) tell me several things of Sir W. Batten's (age 63) ill managements, and so with Sir W. Warren walked to Greenwich, Kent [Map], having good discourse, and thence by water, it being now moonshine and 9 or 10 o'clock at night, and landed at Wapping, Essex, and by him and his man safely brought to my door, and so he home, having spent the day with him very well.

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 4th August 1665. There I took boat alone, and, the tide being against me, landed at Blackwall, Essex [Map] and walked to Wapping, Essex, Captain Bowd whom I met with talking with me all the way, who is a sober man.

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 19th December 1666. But by and by Sir W. Batten (age 65) and Sir R. Ford (age 52) do tell me, that the seamen have been at some prisons, to release some seamen, and the Duke of Albemarle (age 58) is in armes, and all the Guards at the other end of the town; and the Duke of Albemarle is gone with some forces to Wapping, Essex, to quell the seamen; which is a thing of infinite disgrace to us.

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 14th June 1667. This man tells me that the ships burnt last night did lie above Upnor Castle, Kent [Map], over against the Docke; and the boats come from the ships of war and burnt them all which is very sad. And masters of ships, that we are now taking up, do keep from their ships all their stores, or as much as they can, so that we can despatch them, having not time to appraise them nor secure their payment; only some little money we have, which we are fain to pay the men we have with, every night, or they will not work. And indeed the hearts as well as affections of the seamen are turned away; and in the open streets in Wapping, Essex, and up and down, the wives have cried publickly, "This comes of your not paying our husbands; and now your work is undone, or done by hands that understand it not". And Sir W. Batten (age 66) told me that he was himself affronted with a woman, in language of this kind, on Tower Hill [Map] publickly yesterday; and we are fain to bear it, and to keep one at the office door to let no idle people in, for fear of firing of the office and doing us mischief.