MRP: 20th March 1662/63, Letter from Tobell Aylmer to Sir GO, Old Corner, nr. Ludgate

Letter from Tobell Aylmer to Sir George Oxenden, Old Corner, nr. Ludgate, 20th March 1662/63

[CSG, 22/05/09 – TRANSCRIPTION REQUIRES EDITING]

[f. 30]

Noble S:r

If the great distance of Miles could Alianate Affections I might cast my Eye upon my Selfe & See y:e unworthiness of y:e Object I should be hopeless & heartless, butt calling to minde y:t w:ch cannot

[f. 31]

Forgotten, yo:r greate = & many ffav:es I am encouradged not onely to present my Service to you, but to Implore y:e Almighty for a blessing upon yow, & all y:t you take in hand, or belong unto you, Assuring you y:t what Service in any kind I cann possibly here doe shall w:th all Cheerefullness be pformed by y:e word of an honest man & yo:r Serv:t you all too Narrow to express what I wold or should doo; Concerning yo:r many & great buisness here I am Silent leaving all to y:e Penn of y:e Lady Dallyson, onely say they take up her whole time, y:t I feare I shall lose my Acquaintance w:th her at home Soe unplacably Troublesome are yo:r , her , & my Adversaries useing all possible, By, Darke, Dishonest, Dusty, Nay Divelish wayes you cannot possibly Imagine, yett are found out in all, & w:th shame I hope, howsoever w;th comfort I say y:e Lady Dallyson Gaines Ground upon them w:ch they begin to be very Sensible of ffor y:e great Beare Brittain is brought to Cry, & Snob like a Child Saying to M:rs Dallison you like my Ruine & y:e Exterpation of me & my whole ffamily Soo I doubt bot but in y:e end of y:e worke wilbe Crowned with Victory

My Sister Perin, my Sonn & Daughter Sone [possibly Lone], & yo:r Serv:t Mary Grigg Desire w:th me to give theire hearty prayers (& Service) to God for yo:r Prosperitie w:th [or w:ch?]

S:r
Yo:r most humble Serv:t
Tobell Aylmer

Ffrom y:e Old Corner neere
Ludgate London March y:e 20:th
1662

[As postscript]

This day M:r Rich:d Masters M:r Rich:d Oxinden & my Selfe are gooing to y:e Shipp to Drinck to & Rememb:r o:r Indian Freinds in pticuler yo:r owne w:th a or Gunn of Ale

Commentary

There was a “Ship and Turtle” tavern of considerable age in Leadenhall Street, but it seems unlikely that that is the correct
- “Far more ancient than the Cock is that other Leadenhall Street tavern, the Ship and
Turtle, which is still represented in the thoroughfare. The claim is made for this house that it dates back to 1377, and for many generations, down, indeed, to 1835, it had a succession of widows as hostesses. The modern representative of this ancient house prides itself upon the quality of its turtle soup and upon the fact that it is the meeting-place of numerous masonic lodges, besides being in high favour for corporation and companies' livery dinners.”

The Latham & Mathews Pepys appendix lists four Ship taverns:
(1) “Behind the Exchange” (old and large tavern on north side of Threadneedle Street, just west of Bartholomew Lane – its site is now part of the Bank of England)
(2) Fenchurch Street
(3) Nr. Vere Street (there was a tavern called the ship in Ship Yard, outside Temple-bar, 1660-72, at the end of Fleet Street, quite close to Ludgate Hill (which is just to west of St Paul’s)
4) “Nr. Whitehall”)

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