Samuel Pepys

The famous diarist Samuel Pepys felt responsible for the welfare of his three siblings, Tom, Pall, and John, an important aspect of his life that is often overlooked. In the case of feckless Tom, a tailor, Pepys sought to put his trade on an even keel and find him a wife. John, an idle student, had to be helped through university and into a career. In the case of Pall, plain and truculent, Pepys devoted huge time and effort to finding her security through marriage. His support and commitment is all the more striking given that he felt little affection for any of them, while they in turn resented his overbearing manner and demands for deference and obedience. Despite the rivalries, the family’s story underlines the strength of sibling ties, and the tensions within them, and shows the famous diarist in a new light.