'My wife' - Elizabeth Pepys (1640-69), wife of Samuel Pepys the diarist. Her portrait and life.

A short film about the beleaguered wife of the diarist who suffered his infidelities, meanness, physical violence, and restrictions imposed on her life prior to her premature death in 1669. Yet, she survives in the Diary as a vivid personality who fought her corner in the only ways she could.
You can read the diary online here: www.pepysdiary...

[@robnewman6101]

Wow. Interesting.

[@peterkarargiris4110]

Excellent video Guy. Elizabeth deserved better. Was the diary in some ways Pepys' confessional - declaring his sins to posterity? John Hayls (1600 - 1679) was, apart from being a popular portrait painter, a good copyist of the works of the great Sir Anthony van Dyck. By 1632 van Dyck was 'principalle Paynter in ordinary' to Charles I. We can see van Dyck's influence in Pepys' portrait, particularly in the fashionable pose, "...and do almost break my neck looking over my shoulder to make the posture..." (March 17th 1666) Many thanks Guy.

[@valeryburmistrov6900]

Quite touching, many thanks!

[@geoffreykeane4072]

He did love her. For all his sins, when he was in the wrong he knew it and committed the fact into the diary. It’s those petty family squabbles and emotional roller coaster things that we all have which to me makes the diary a treasure.

[@kellyandthehorses2877]

He gave her a black eye and cheated on her. That's love???

[@pulgasari]

Difficult for those of us who've lived under such regimes to find any of this excusable. That poor woman. I hope there's a heaven in which she's living lavishly and he's her servant.

[@EsmereldaWeatherwax-f1s]

Crumbs she was pretty feisty bless her

[@sarahkauthen]

Dear woman. You do her a service.

[@fenlandhobbit2307]

I think I must be weird, lol.
I listened to the full unabridged audio books of Samuel Pepys.
(They last days !)
When I got to the end of the final diary, I honestly felt a bit sad , it was a totally fascinating experience.
Yes, he was a bit of a character, but it was so interesting how his personality subtly changes as he becomes older.
It got to the point I was binging on the audio books.
Some of the things he got up to were very risky by modern standards, but that said it was the 1600s, and he never murdered or maimed anyone. He just looked at himself as a bit of a stud and ladies man .
I'd definitely recommend listening to them .

[@Mistydazzle]

Poor Elizabeth! What a wasted life.