Samuel Pepys

Samuel Pepys (1633-1703) was an English writer and politician. His fame rests on a private diary that covers roughly ten years of his life. He also served as an official of the Navy Board and as a Member of Parliament.

Magdalene College

Pepys went up to Magdalene College in 1650 as a sizar. He took his degree in 1654. The college counts him as its most famous alumnus, and a portrait of the diarist by Peter Lely hangs in the Hall.

The Pepys Library

Pepys left his collection of books to the college. At his death it held more than 3,000 volumes, among them the diary, and in 1723 his nephew's death brought the whole collection to Magdalene. The Pepys Library is on the first floor of the Pepys Building in Second Court, and the arch in front of the building carries the inscription Bibliotheca Pepysiana 1724. Robert Hooke took part in designing the building in 1677. Its most important items are the six bound manuscript volumes of the diary, and the shelves also hold his own copy of Newton's Principia. The terms of the bequest forbid selling any book or adding new ones.

Petty Cury

The diary mentions how the name of Petty Cury came about. The name most likely combines the French for little with a word for cooks' row, and the street first appears in documents around 1330.

Visiting

Check the Pepys Library page for current visiting arrangements before planning a visit.