Thursday, May 24, 2012
An incident on the web
Early this morning, I had occasion to ask Mr. Google where the King's Head was, this being the name of a public house in Epsom and I wanted to be sure I had got the right place, there being various public houses in Epsom the names of which involve some combination of monarch and head. I fairly quickly find that the proper name is 'Ye Olde Kings Head'. Mr. Google not very strong on apostrophes but one site was, to wit http://www.pepysdiary.com/, which tells me that Pepys visited the place at some point.
I did not care to comply with the pack drill associated with this site - could one be sure that they were not worms or worse? - so I visited my own copy of the diary to find that the public house, complete with apostrophe, figured in the index and that the man himself visited the public house itself on Sunday, July 14th 1667. We learn all about the experiences which followed upon his drinking four pints of water from the well. There were also some experiences involving sheep up on the Downs.
Ten out of ten for whoever produced the index to the diary, which given that my copy is dated 1974, was presumably compiled before computers lightened the labours involved. Presumably hundreds of slips of paper containing candidate index entries instead.
I also notice that the average Pepys entry is rather longer than my average blog entry. Must have been an energetic chap.
PS some days later: it now turns out that I was far too quick off the blocks on this one. BH explains that the King's Head in question is now under the Ashley Centre. Reread the diary entry and find that she is probably right. Ask Mr. Google the right question and http://www.epsomandewellhistoryexplorer.org.uk/ looks to confirm: 'Epsom's first major building, the King's Head dominated the High Street until it was pulled down for shopping in 1957'. The accompanying picture suggests that it was far more suitable for a gent. of the standing of Pepys than the present house of similar name.
I did not care to comply with the pack drill associated with this site - could one be sure that they were not worms or worse? - so I visited my own copy of the diary to find that the public house, complete with apostrophe, figured in the index and that the man himself visited the public house itself on Sunday, July 14th 1667. We learn all about the experiences which followed upon his drinking four pints of water from the well. There were also some experiences involving sheep up on the Downs.
Ten out of ten for whoever produced the index to the diary, which given that my copy is dated 1974, was presumably compiled before computers lightened the labours involved. Presumably hundreds of slips of paper containing candidate index entries instead.
I also notice that the average Pepys entry is rather longer than my average blog entry. Must have been an energetic chap.
PS some days later: it now turns out that I was far too quick off the blocks on this one. BH explains that the King's Head in question is now under the Ashley Centre. Reread the diary entry and find that she is probably right. Ask Mr. Google the right question and http://www.epsomandewellhistoryexplorer.org.uk/ looks to confirm: 'Epsom's first major building, the King's Head dominated the High Street until it was pulled down for shopping in 1957'. The accompanying picture suggests that it was far more suitable for a gent. of the standing of Pepys than the present house of similar name.
# posted by Jim @ 10:52 PM 
