Cambridge Study Reveals Samuel Pepys Censored Slavery Links in Official Correspondence

A groundbreaking study from the University of Cambridge has uncovered how the renowned 17th-century diarist and naval administrator Samuel Pepys deliberately curated his official correspondence to obscure his personal and professional ties to slavery. Led by historian Dr. Michael Edwards, a Fellow of Jesus College, Cambridge, the research published in The Historical Journal sheds new light on Pepys' role in Britain's early transatlantic slave trade networks.

Pepys, best known for his vivid diary chronicling daily life in Restoration England, served as Secretary to the Admiralty and a key figure on the Navy Board. His position gave him extensive connections to the Royal African Company (RAC) and the Company of Royal Adventurers trading to Africa (RA), entities central to England's burgeoning slave trade. The study reveals that while Pepys was candid about owning enslaved individuals in private letters, he and his clerks meticulously edited official records to protect his reputation amid political scrutiny.

Samuel Pepys: From Diarist to Naval Powerbroker

Born in 1633, Samuel Pepys rose from humble origins to become one of the most influential administrators in the Royal Navy during the late 17th century. His diary, spanning 1660 to 1669, offers unparalleled insights into the Great Fire of London, the plague, and court intrigues. Less celebrated are his administrative duties, where he managed naval contracts, ship loans, and supplies—activities intertwined with colonial trade, including slavery.

Pepys' social and professional networks placed him at the heart of England's African trade. He facilitated loans of naval vessels like HMS Phoenix to the RAC in 1674, which transported enslaved Africans to Barbados, resulting in at least 19 deaths documented in the ship's log. Such arrangements were commonplace, but Pepys' personal ownership of enslaved people—at least three documented cases—highlights the domestic permeation of slavery in elite London households.

Dr. Michael Edwards' Archival Detective Work

Dr. Edwards, from Cambridge's Faculty of History and a Bye-Fellow at Jesus College, pored over hundreds of manuscripts in the Pepys Library at Magdalene College, Cambridge; The National Archives; and the Bodleian Library, Oxford. His analysis focused on Pepys' letter books—bound volumes of copied correspondence compiled by Pepys and his chief clerk, William Hewer.

These volumes, such as MS 2851 and MS 2861, reveal deliberate curation: entries indexed to emphasize Pepys' integrity while omitting slavery references. 'Pepys had so many connections within England’s African trading companies as well as in the Navy. Combined, these connections put him in a privileged position to acquire enslaved people,' Edwards notes. 'This part of the story has gone mostly untold.'

The Pepys Library, housing over 3,000 volumes collected by Pepys himself, serves as a treasure trove for such research. As a UNESCO Memory of the World site, it underscores Cambridge's pivotal role in preserving and interrogating Britain's imperial past.

Case Studies: Censored Episodes of Enslavement

One striking example from 1675 involves Captain John Howe, seeking reinstatement after commanding the RAC-loaned Phoenix. Through intermediary Richard Rowe, Howe offered Pepys an enslaved boy as a 'small' and 'honourable present,' describing him as 'seasoned to endure the cold weather.' Pepys rejected it on 5 May 1675, decrying any 'expectation of reward.' Hewer indexed the exchange to showcase rejection but reframed the boy as an abstract 'gratuity,' erasing his humanity.

In late 1679, post-imprisonment in the Tower for alleged corruption and Catholic sympathies, Pepys instructed Captain John Wyborne to sell his 'black-boy' from Tangier aboard the Bristol, using proceeds for sherry and chocolate. Recorded privately but not officially, this reflects post-arrest prudence.

By 1688, Pepys advised Captain Edward Stanley to punish a 'mischievous' enslaved man with 'hard meat' until sold 'as a rogue' in a plantation—preserved in MS 2861 but stripped of identifying details.

Pepys' Navy Board and the Slave Trade Nexus

As Navy Board principal officer, Pepys oversaw operations intertwined with colonial commerce. Loans to African companies transported thousands enslaved, with naval logs documenting mortality like the Phoenix's 19 overboard deaths. Pepys received RAC gratuities, such as 50 guineas in 1684, blending official duty with personal gain.

This study illuminates how slavery permeated Britain's naval bureaucracy, challenging romanticized views of Pepys as mere administrator. For more on the paper, see the full open-access article here.

Archival Curation: Shaping History's Narrative

Pepys' 'compulsive archive-making' involved selective preservation. Clerks like Hewer organized letter books post-events, prioritizing anti-corruption proof amid parliamentary attacks (e.g., 1673 Shaftesbury accusations). Enslaved individuals appear as footnotes—erased to avoid reputational risk, not moral qualms. Edwards observes: 'Pepys wasn’t concerned about the morality of slavery... Powerful people have always thought about their image.'

This curation limited enslaved voices, echoing broader archival silences. Cambridge's ongoing 'Legacies of Enslavement' at Magdalene College contextualizes such findings.

Implications for UK Higher Education and Historical Reckoning

This research aligns with UK universities' efforts to confront slavery legacies. Cambridge's 2019 investigation linked the university to £4-9 million slave trade profits; Magdalene's project examines Pepys Library donors. Similar audits at Glasgow, Bristol, and UCL have prompted reparations discussions.

In higher education, Edwards' work exemplifies critical archival analysis, vital for decolonizing curricula. UK history departments increasingly integrate slavery's domestic impacts, fostering nuanced views of figures like Pepys. As Dr Edwards notes, it reveals 'a very 17th-century story' of reputation management, relevant to modern ethical historiography.

Read the Cambridge story for visuals: Pepys, slavery and censorship.

Broader Scholarly Impact and Future Directions

Edwards' study challenges Pepys biographies, emphasizing institutional slavery roles. It prompts re-examination of naval archives for erased enslaved narratives. Future research may explore RAC ledgers or comparative curation by contemporaries.

In UK academia, this bolsters interdisciplinary history, blending paleography, network analysis, and postcolonial theory. Cambridge's History Faculty, with strengths in early modern Atlantic world, leads such inquiries.

• Enhances understanding of slavery's metropolitan footprint.
• Highlights administrators' agency in archival bias.
• Informs equity in higher ed historical narratives.

Stakeholder Perspectives: Historians and Institutions

Dr Edwards stresses: 'Pepys is quite a kind of compulsive archive maker... he uses that language of reward and gratuity because those are kind of official words.' Magdalene College values the Pepys Library as a research hub, despite legacies.

UK vice-chancellors advocate transparent reckonings, as seen in recent reports. This study aids training future historians in source criticism.

Photo by Cheryl Ng on Unsplash

Conclusion: Lessons for Contemporary Academia

Dr Edwards' Cambridge-led research not only humanizes archival voids but urges UK universities to confront pasts embedded in collections. As higher education evolves, such studies ensure inclusive histories, vital for ethical scholarship. Explore history lecturer jobs at Lecturer Jobs or research opportunities via Research Jobs.