Knowra Samuel Pepys Samuel Pepys Samuel Pepys (1633–1703) was an English naval administrator and Member of Parliament whose diary records London life, politics, and the Great Fire of 1666.
Great Fire of London : A fire that destroyed much of central London in September 1666. Pepys recorded the fire’s spread, his flight from it, and its immediate aftermath.
Pepys's Diary : The personal diary Samuel Pepys kept from 1660 to 1669, recording daily events in London and beyond. It is the principal source for Pepys’s private observations and much of his lasting reputation.
Charles II of England : King of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1660 until his death in 1685. Pepys served in the royal administration during Charles II’s reign and recorded court life.
Navy Board : The English government body responsible for managing naval dockyards, supplies, ships, and personnel. As a senior official, Pepys helped oversee the institution’s day-to-day administration.
Decipherment of Pepys's Diary : The process by which Pepys’s shorthand diary was transcribed and made accessible to later readers. The diary’s survival as a historical source depended on deciphering its private writing system.
Great Plague of London : An epidemic of bubonic plague that killed tens of thousands in London in 1665–1666. His diary chronicles plague precautions and the disruptions they brought to city life.
Stenography : A system of rapid writing that uses abbreviations or symbols to record speech or notes. Pepys used shorthand to write his diary quickly and keep it less readily readable.
James II of England : King of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1685 to 1688, and previously Lord High Admiral. Pepys worked closely with James in naval administration before James became king.
Admiralty : The government authority responsible for a country’s naval affairs and maritime defense. Pepys’s Navy Board work formed part of the larger English naval administration.
John Smith (editor) : The nineteenth-century scholar who transcribed and published the first extensive edition of Pepys’s diary. Smith’s work brought the diary into print and established its public readership.
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