# Samuel Pepys — The Diary character guide > Samuel Pepys in The Diary by Samuel Pepys. **Role:** major **Also known as:** Pepys, Mr. Pepys, Sam, Samuel **First appearance:** 0002-the-diary-of-samuel-pepys ## Snapshot A rising naval administrator who records everything — politics, plays, purchases, and his own appetites — with a candor that makes Restoration London feel immediate. ## Who they are Pepys moves between the Navy Office, Westminster, and the coffeehouses, a self-made man forever calculating his standing against patrons like Lord Sandwich and rivals like Batten. His diary exposes the friction between his ambition and his conscience: he frets over money, indulges in theatre and music, and confesses his guilt over women and drink with equal precision. What makes him matter is that his private reckoning with public life turns a distant century into something uncomfortably familiar. ## Relationships ### [Edward Montagu, Earl of Sandwich](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/characters/edward_montagu_earl_of_sandwich) _professional_ Lord Sandwich was Samuel Pepys's patron and employer, with Pepys serving as his secretary and protégé. ### [Elizabeth Pepys](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/characters/elizabeth_pepys) _family_ Elizabeth Pepys was Samuel Pepys's wife, their relationship marked by affection, jealousy, and domestic tensions. ### [Edward Montagu, Earl of Sandwich](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/characters/edward_montagu_earl_of_sandwich) _professional_ Lord Sandwich was Samuel Pepys's patron and employer, with Pepys serving as his secretary and protégé. ### [Edward Montagu, Earl of Sandwich](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/characters/edward_montagu_earl_of_sandwich) _professional_ Lord Sandwich was Samuel Pepys's patron and employer, with Pepys serving as his secretary and protégé. ### [Elizabeth Pepys](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/characters/elizabeth_pepys) _family_ Elizabeth Pepys was Samuel Pepys's wife, their relationship marked by affection, jealousy, and domestic tensions. ### [Elizabeth Pepys](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/characters/elizabeth_pepys) _family_ Elizabeth Pepys was Samuel Pepys's wife, their relationship marked by affection, jealousy, and domestic tensions. ## In the story ### [Particulars of the Life of Samuel Pepys](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/particulars-of-the-life-of-samuel-pepys) The diarist and subject of the biography; appointed Clerk of the Acts, worked diligently during the Dutch war and Plague, and saved the Navy Office during the Fire of London. ### [The Diary of Samuel Pepys](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/the-diary-of-samuel-pepys) The diarist and narrator, beginning his record of daily life and naval administration. ### [January 1659–60](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/january-1659-60) Narrator and protagonist; records his health, finances, and political observations. ### [February 1659–60](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/february-1659-60) Narrator and protagonist; manages money, observes political events, and socializes. ### [March 1659–60](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/march-1659-60) Records his daily activities, preparations for sea, and interactions with naval and political figures. ### [April 1660](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/april-1660) Busy preparing for voyage, dispatching letters, and troubled by his wife's absence. ### [May 1660](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/may-1660) Records the events of May 1660, including his personal health, his role in drafting votes and proclamations, and his interactions with Lord Sandwich and the King. ### [June 1660](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/june-1660) Records his share of the Duke of York's gift, his growing wealth (near £100), and his delight at the King's return. He also begins to settle into his new house and manage naval business. ### [July 1660](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/july-1660) Busy securing his patent, moving house, and managing Lord Sandwich's affairs. ### [August 1660](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/august-1660) Works at the Privy Seal Office, manages naval business, and records his wife's illness and his own financial gains. ### [September 1660](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/september-1660) Narrator and central figure; manages Lord Sandwich's affairs, settles accounts, and attends to office duties. ### [October 1660](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/october-1660) Busy with house furnishings, naval office work, and attending to Lord Sandwich's affairs. ### [November 1660](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/november-1660) Records his daily activities, including office work, social visits, and domestic disputes with his wife. ### [December 1660](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/december-1660) Records daily activities, including disciplining his maid, managing finances, and attending to naval business. ### [January 1660–61](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/january-1660-61) Narrator and protagonist; records his domestic, professional, and social activities. ### [February 1660–61](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/february-1660-61) Records daily activities, office business, and social life; begins wearing coat and sword as a gentleman. ### [March 1660–61](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/march-1660-61) Diary entries covering work, social life, and personal reflections. ### [April 1661](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/april-1661) Diary author; manages workmen, attends plays, observes the coronation procession, and prepares for a trip to Portsmouth. ### [May 1661](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/may-1661) Narrator and protagonist; travels to Portsmouth, manages naval sales, returns to London, attends christening, and observes political ceremonies. ### [June 1661](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/june-1661) Records his daily activities, including naval duties, social visits, and securing a cloth order for Lord Sandwich. ### [July 1661](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/july-1661) Narrator and protagonist; manages uncle's death and estate, attends opera and theatre, returns to office duties. ### [August 1661](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/august-1661) Narrator and protagonist; travels to Cambridge, attends the Assizes, discusses his uncle's will, returns to London, works at the Navy Office, visits the theatre, and deals with family and financial matters. ### [September 1661](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/september-1661) Narrator and central figure; manages household, social engagements, and naval concerns. ### [October 1661](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/october-1661) Records his daily activities, including music lessons, office work, borrowing money, attending plays, and family business. ### [November 1661](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/november-1661) Narrator and central figure; attends plays, manages office affairs, and reflects on his spending. ### [December 1661](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/december-1661) Narrator and protagonist; attends church, office, and social events; manages household and brother's marriage plans. ### [January 1661–62](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/january-1661-62) Records his daily activities, including a domestic accident, playgoing, office work, and family negotiations. ### [February 1661–62](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/february-1661-62) Records his daily activities, including office work, home improvements, and social engagements. ### [March 1661–62](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/march-1661-62) Narrator and central figure; busy with office work, social engagements, and personal business. ### [April 1662](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/april-1662) Narrator and central figure; manages naval pay, attends plays, and navigates office dynamics. ### [May 1662](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/may-1662) Returns from Portsmouth, manages accounts for Lord Sandwich, has his portrait painted, and deals with office and social engagements. ### [June 1662](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/june-1662) Pepys records his daily activities, including office disputes, financial dealings, and social visits. ### [July 1662](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/july-1662) Active in naval inspections, learning mathematics, managing household renovations, and recording court gossip. ### [August 1662](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/august-1662) Narrator and central figure; records his health, work, and social engagements. ### [September 1662](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/september-1662) Narrates his daily activities, including office work, moving goods, and social engagements. ### [October 1662](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/october-1662) Records his daily activities, including office work, overseeing house renovations, attending a play, and managing family business. ### [November 1662](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/november-1662) Narrator and protagonist; involved in treasure hunting, naval administration, and domestic life. ### [December 1662](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/december-1662) Narrator and protagonist; attends church, plays, and the Russian Ambassadors' audience; manages household and finances. ### [January 1662–63](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/january-1662-63) Narrator; enjoys court life, resolves to return to work, and manages household affairs. ### [February 1662–63](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/february-1662-63) Dismisses maid Jane with regret, discusses naval corruption with strangers, suffers from skin inflammation, and learns a secret from Lord Sandwich. ### [March 1662–63](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/march-1662-63) Records his daily activities, including naval inspections, social visits, and political observations. ### [April 1663](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/april-1663) Records his accounts, beats his boy, buys books on religious controversy, and manages Navy business. ### [May 1663](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/may-1663) Narrator and protagonist; manages family finances, attends plays, deals with clerk Hater's Anabaptist leanings, and observes court politics. ### [June 1663](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/june-1663) Narrator and protagonist; manages office business, domestic disputes, and social visits. ### [July 1663](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/july-1663) Narrates his daily activities, including church, office work, visits to Woolwich and Greenwich, and court observations. ### [August 1663](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/august-1663) Narrator; manages household conflicts, office duties, and financial dealings with Lord Sandwich. ### [September 1663](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/september-1663) Records his daily activities, including office work, reprimanding his brother, and dealing with personal guilt. ### [October 1663](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/october-1663) Narrator and central figure; deals with office disputes, health issues, and domestic affairs. ### [November 1663](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/november-1663) Records his daily activities, including church attendance, arithmetic lessons with his wife, and a quarrel with Elizabeth. ### [December 1663](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/december-1663) Narrator and central figure; attends trial, engages in arbitration, visits Mrs. Turner, and reflects on his year. ### [January 1663–64](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/january-1663-64) Pepys finalizes his will, settles accounts, and reflects on his financial and personal state. ### [February 1663–64](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/february-1663-64) Narrator and central figure; manages office business, social visits, and family concerns. ### [March 1663–64](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/march-1663-64) Narrator and protagonist; records daily events, office work, and personal conflicts. ### [April 1664](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/april-1664) The diarist and narrator, deeply involved in office politics, naval preparations, and personal financial worries. ### [May 1664](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/may-1664) Chronicles his health, finances, and naval duties; suffers a severe stone fit and later takes physic. ### [June 1664](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/june-1664) Records his fear of the stone returning, negotiates a ship charter for Tangier, and struggles with marital disputes. ### [July 1664](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/july-1664) Records his daily activities, including a tryst with a maid, negotiations over Tangier victualling, and a confrontation with Lord Chancellor Clarendon. ### [August 1664](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/august-1664) Narrator and protagonist; secures raise for Hater, attends plays, discusses war with Coventry, buys a microscope. ### [September 1664](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/september-1664) Troubled by office sluggishness, secures profit from Tangier contract, pursues Jane Welsh, attends plays and fair, deals with health and family debts. ### [October 1664](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/october-1664) Busy with naval preparations, family business at Brampton, and personal interactions. ### [November 1664](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/november-1664) Narrator and central figure; manages naval business, pursues personal ambitions, and records the onset of war. ### [December 1664](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/december-1664) Records his daily activities, financial dealings, and social interactions, including securing money from Tangier freight and attending committees. ### [January 1664–65](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/january-1664-65) Reviews his accounts, engages in personal and professional activities, deals with domestic issues, and attends meetings. ### [February 1664–65](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/february-1664-65) Records his financial gain from a stranger's death, visits Paul's Churchyard, attends church, inspects rope-making and Sir W. Petty's ship, is admitted to Gresham College, and has a domestic quarrel over accounts. ### [March 1664–65](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/march-1664-65) Appointed Treasurer for Tangier, receives Duke's approval, and manages various business and domestic affairs. ### [April 1665](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/april-1665) Busy with office accounts, Tangier business, and personal finances; attends plays and social events; vexed by colleagues' incompetence and his own lapses. ### [May 1665](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/may-1665) Central narrator; attends experiments, negotiates finances, and worries about office reputation. ### [June 1665](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/june-1665) Records daily life, business at the office, Tangier treasury worries, and personal pleasures; secures bail for Mr. Hater and plans to move his wife to Woolwich due to the plague. ### [July 1665](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/july-1665) Narrator; manages office business, visits Mary at the Harp and Ball, settles accounts, and travels to Woolwich to see his wife. ### [August 1665](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/august-1665) Records the plague's devastation, settles accounts, moves to Woolwich, and worries about the fleet and Lord Sandwich. ### [September 1665](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/september-1665) Records his daily activities, including visits, office work, and personal reflections on the plague and governance. ### [October 1665](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/october-1665) Narrator and protagonist; travels to the fleet, inspects dockyard, manages accounts, and seeks advancement. ### [November 1665](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/november-1665) Reflects on his rise by chance and diligence, manages victualling business, and navigates court factions. ### [December 1665](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/december-1665) Pepys records his financial triumphs, administrative duties, and social engagements, expressing joy over his growing wealth and Lord Sandwich's favor. ### [January 1665–66](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/january-1665-66) Works diligently on Pursers' business, enjoys socializing with Mrs. Knipp, and manages office politics and financial affairs. ### [February 1665–66](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/february-1665-66) Records his daily activities, financial settlements, and political maneuvering; attends church for the first time since the plague. ### [March 1665–66](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/march-1665-66) Records his daily activities, business dealings, and personal reflections; resolves to keep stricter vows for business discipline. ### [April 1666](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/april-1666) Engages in financial dealings, family negotiations, and naval duties; reflects on his growing wealth. ### [May 1666](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/may-1666) Records daily life, office work, domestic troubles, and social outings; struggles with desire and duty. ### [June 1666](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/june-1666) Pepys is at the center of the action, coordinating the dispatch of soldiers, receiving news from the fleet, and reporting to the King and Duke. ### [July 1666](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/july-1666) Busy with pressing men, office work, and social visits; reflects on the tyranny of the press and the management of the fleet. ### [August 1666](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/august-1666) Settles accounts, attends Duke of York, flirts with women, enjoys fireworks and dancing, deals with naval correspondence. ### [September 1666](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/september-1666) Pepys witnesses the Great Fire, reports to the King and Duke of York, and later deals with the aftermath, including concerns about his books and the fleet. ### [October 1666](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/october-1666) Busy with Navy lists for Parliament, hiring a new maid, and settling his accounts; anxious about the state of the Navy and the King's inaction. ### [November 1666](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/november-1666) Pepys records his daily activities, including receiving a cake, visiting Betty Michell, engaging with Mrs. Bagwell, discussing naval affairs with Sir W. Coventry, inspecting the Ruby, buying apples and pork, reading plays, acquiring a varnished print and new vest, and drafting a letter on the Navy's state. ### [December 1666](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/december-1666) Records daily activities, attends christening as godfather, burns old letters, scolds wife, and manages office and Tangier accounts. ### [January 1666–67](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/january-1666-67) Records his daily activities, hosting a dinner, attending plays, and dealing with naval business. ### [February 1666–67](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/february-1666-67) Turns 34, reflects on his health and estate; engages in office politics and personal affairs. ### [March 1666–67](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/march-1666-67) Records his daily activities, including office business, domestic life, and social engagements. ### [April 1667](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/april-1667) Records his daily activities, including office work, social visits, and domestic life. ### [May 1667](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/may-1667) Narrator and protagonist; engaged in naval administration, social visits, and political discussions. ### [June 1667](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/june-1667) Narrator and Clerk of the Acts; deeply anxious about the Dutch invasion and the safety of his office and savings. ### [July 1667](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/july-1667) Records his daily activities, office struggles, and personal conflicts with his wife. ### [August 1667](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/august-1667) Records his daily activities, including office work, playgoing, and domestic disputes with his wife. ### [September 1667](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/september-1667) Records political changes, attends the Duke of York, and deals with domestic matters. ### [October 1667](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/october-1667) Busy with office work, Tangier accounts, and Parliamentary inquiries; enjoys domestic life with his wife and new maid. ### [November 1667](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/november-1667) Narrator and central figure; manages office duties, receives payment from Warren, attends play, and experiences a fright over a noise in the house. ### [December 1667](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/december-1667) Pepys attends church, manages accounts, and entertains guests with music; he is anxious about political instability and his wife's health. ### [January 1667–68](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/january-1667-68) Narrator and central figure; manages accounts, attends plays, intervenes in Joyce's suicide case. ### [February 1667–68](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/february-1667-68) Busy with office work, Tangier accounts, and personal affairs; attends the play 'She Would if She Could' and deals with the Commissioners of Accounts. ### [March 1667–68](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/march-1667-68) Works on defense for Parliament, meets with Sir W. Coventry, visits Mrs. Martin, and attends Council meeting. ### [April 1668](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/april-1668) Records the kingdom's financial distress, attends plays, and subscribes to the Royal Society. ### [May 1668](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/may-1668) Narrator and central figure; attends office, plays, and social engagements. ### [June 1668](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/june-1668) Records his daily activities, including naval business, social visits, and personal indiscretions. ### [July 1668](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/july-1668) Narrator and central figure; attends Council, commissions wife's portrait, and manages office business. ### [August 1668](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/august-1668) The diarist, busy with naval reform, Tangier reports, and social life. ### [September 1668](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/september-1668) Narrator and protagonist; attends to Navy business, visits the Duke of Richmond, and enjoys entertainments. ### [October 1668](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/october-1668) Narrator and protagonist; busy with office business, domestic purchases, and social engagements. ### [November 1668](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/november-1668) Pepys records his daily activities, political anxieties, and domestic struggles, including his vow to avoid looking at other women and his relief at Deb's return. ### [December 1668](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/december-1668) Pepys records his daily activities, including riding in his own coach for the first time, attending plays, and managing Office business. ### [January 1668–69](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/january-1668-69) Narrator and central figure; attends plays, manages office business, and interacts with court figures. ### [February 1668–69](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/february-1668-69) Narrator and central figure; engaged in naval business, social visits, and domestic disputes. ### [March 1668–69](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/march-1668-69) Hosts guests, hears of Coventry's imprisonment, receives captain's commission, researches naval records. ### [April 1669](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/april-1669) Narrator and central figure; attends court-martial, presents Navy history to Duke of York, acquires vizard for eyesight. ### [May 1669](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/may-1669) Pepys is the narrator, struggling with his eyesight and preparing to give up his diary. ### [Endnotes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/endnotes) Mentioned as the eldest son and executor of his father John Pepys's will, and as the author of the diary. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/characters/samuel_pepys - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/characters