129-463: Walthamstow ( / ˈ w ɔː l θ əm s t oʊ / or / ˈ w ɒ l θ əm s t oʊ / ) is a town within the London Borough of Waltham Forest in east London . The town borders Chingford to the north, Snaresbrook and South Woodford to the east, Leyton and Leytonstone to the south, and Tottenham to the west. At the 2011 census, Walthamstow had a population of approximately 109,424 and
258-461: A coffee house or tavern , only to discover that the person whom he was seeking was not there. These occasions were a constant source of frustration to Pepys. Pepys' diary provides a first-hand account of the Restoration , and includes detailed accounts of several major events of the 1660s, along with the lesser known diary of John Evelyn . In particular, it is an invaluable source for the study of
387-419: A celebration on every anniversary of the operation, which he did for several years. However, there were long-term effects from the operation. The incision on his bladder broke open again late in his life. The procedure may have left him sterile, though there is no direct evidence for this, as he was childless before the operation. In mid-1658 Pepys moved to Axe Yard, near the modern Downing Street . He worked as
516-413: A descendant of French Huguenot immigrants, first in a religious ceremony on 10 October 1655 and later in a civil ceremony on 1 December 1655 at St Margaret's, Westminster . From a young age, Pepys suffered from bladder stones in his urinary tract — a condition from which his mother and brother John also later suffered. He was almost never without pain, as well as other symptoms, including "blood in
645-514: A fire in 2019 and fully restored) both of which have large multi-storey car parks. The historic central library on the High Street was one of many built with money donated by the Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie , whose portrait bust can be seen on the exterior of the building. The library was damaged by a fire in 1982 but modernised and expanded in 2006–07. At
774-685: A holiday to France and the Low Countries in June–October 1669; on their return, Elisabeth fell ill and died on 10 November 1669. Pepys erected a monument to her in the church of St Olave's, Hart Street, London. Pepys never remarried, but he did have a long-term housekeeper named Mary Skinner who was assumed by many of his contemporaries to be his mistress and sometimes referred to as Mrs. Pepys. In his will, he left her an annuity of £200 and many of his possessions. In 1672, he became an Elder Brother of Trinity House and served in this capacity until 1689; he
903-646: A key role in the history of rave music culture, whether it be clubs, artists, and DJs. Widely regarded as one of the seminal tracks of jungle music , the creator of " We Are I.E. " Lennie de Ice grew up and lived in Walthamstow. Walthamstow was also home to DJ Rap and MC Navigator. The venue Dungeons was located on the Lea Bridge Road in Leyton , and a number of pirate radio stations including Friends FM, Dance FM, and Eruption FM broadcast from tower blocks such as
1032-461: A licence, and was awarded the title of best college in London for sport in 2013. Others include Waltham Forest College and Sir George Monoux College . Waltham Forest has a sixth form college reorganised system which it adopted in 1985. Neighbouring authorities are Epping Forest ( Essex ) in the north, Redbridge in the east, with Newham and Hackney to the south. Haringey and Enfield lie to
1161-632: A manor owned by the Anglo-Saxon nobleman Earl Waltheof of Huntingdon and Northumbria before the Norman conquest of 1066. After the execution of Earl Waltheof, the property of the land passed to his wife, Countess Judith, also known as Judith of Lens , a niece of William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book records 36 villeins , 25 bordars and 4 slaves living in the manor in 1086. Alice, daughter of Earl Waltheof and Countess Judith, inherited Walthamstow. She married
1290-496: A number of V-1 'flying bombs' and V-2 long-range ballistic missiles hit the area, including a V-1 which landed on central Walthamstow killing 22 and a V-2 which landed on Chingford Road, Walthamstow killing 8. The London Borough of Waltham Forest was created in 1965 under the London Government Act 1963 , covering the combined area of the former municipal boroughs of Chingford , Leyton and Walthamstow . The area
1419-615: A prince" and cultivated a vineyard . The Vestry House, now the Vestry House Museum , was used as the first town hall . The influential textile designer and craftsman William Morris was born in Walthamstow in 1834. The Georgian mansion where he lived as a teenager houses the William Morris Gallery . By 1870 Walthamstow had grown to the size of a small suburb and a new town hall was built in Orford Road from which affairs of
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#17328453018421548-456: A private tutor and used models of ships to make up for his lack of first-hand nautical experience, and ultimately came to play a significant role in the board's activities. In September 1660, he was made a Justice of the Peace ; on 15 February 1662, Pepys was admitted as a Younger Brother of Trinity House ; and on 30 April, he received the freedom of Portsmouth . Through Sandwich, he was involved in
1677-631: A route roughly following the Gospel Oak to Barking railway line, dropping incendiary and high-explosive bombs. The first bomb, an incendiary, fell on Hoe St, Walthamstow, at the junction of Orford and Queens Road; the last was dropped in Aldersbrook area. Ten people were killed in Leyton and another 48 injured across the wider area. On 23/24 September 1916 the German Navy airship L 31 dropped around ten bombs along
1806-562: A solemn oath about abstaining from plays and wine…" The following months reveal his lapses to the reader; by 17 February, it is recorded, "Here I drank wine upon necessity, being ill for the want of it." Pepys was one of the most important civil servants of his age, and was also a widely cultivated man, taking an interest in books, music, the theatre, and science. Aside from English, he was fluent in French and read many texts in Latin . His favourite author
1935-784: A strong supporter of Cromwell, but he converted to the Royalist cause upon the Protector's death. He was on the ship that returned Charles II to England to take up his throne and gave first-hand accounts of other significant events from the early years of the Restoration , such as the coronation of Charles II, the Great Plague , the Great Fire of London , and the Anglo–Dutch Wars . Pepys did not plan on his contemporaries ever seeing his diary, which
2064-489: A studio. Waltham Forest was the first ever London Borough of Culture in 2019. Waltham Forest is home to a number of musicians that have found success in the UK, including East 17 , Blazin' Squad , and Indie band Hefner , who formed in Walthamstow. The borough is also a centre of the grime musical genre; grime acts hailing from the borough include More Fire Crew , Lethal Bizzle , and Jammer amongst others. The borough had
2193-504: A teller in the Exchequer under George Downing . On 1 January 1660 ("1 January 1659/1660" in contemporary terms ), Pepys began to keep a diary . He recorded his daily life for almost 10 years. This record of a decade of Pepys' life is more than a million words long and is often regarded as Britain's most celebrated diary. Pepys has been called the greatest diarist of all time due to his frankness in writing concerning his own weaknesses and
2322-523: A very little time it got as far as the Steeleyard, while I was there. Everybody endeavouring to remove their goods, and flinging into the river or bringing them into lighters that layoff; poor people staying in their houses as long as till the very fire touched them, and then running into boats, or clambering from one pair of stairs by the water-side to another. And among other things, the poor pigeons, I perceive, were loth to leave their houses, but hovered about
2451-400: Is a Sunday farmers' market . The street is lined with shops: a selection of high street chains, but also many independent small shops specialising in food, fabrics, and household goods, as well as cafés. There are two patches of more recent development: Sainsbury's supermarket and the covered shopping centre 17&Central (originally Selborne Walk, then The Mall Walthamstow, badly damaged by
2580-435: Is a quiet thoroughfare by the standards of London. The village has a small selection of specialist shops, pubs and restaurants, and house prices tend to be higher in the streets of this neighbourhood. It was voted best urban village in London by Time Out magazine in 2004. Upper Walthamstow is to the east of Walthamstow Village . The area's main thoroughfare is Wood Street, which has several shops and local businesses, and
2709-477: Is a remainder of the former Waltham Forest and forms the eastern and northern fringe of the borough. The River Lea lies to the west where its associated marshes and parkland form a green corridor which, along the reservoir-lined reaches , separates north and east London , and is the historic border between Middlesex and Essex. Waltham Forest was one of the host boroughs of the London Olympics in 2012 , with
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#17328453018422838-449: Is around 7.5 miles (12 km) north-east of Central London . Occupying most of the town's east-to-west High Street, Walthamstow Market is the longest outdoor market in Europe. East of the town centre is Walthamstow Village , the oldest part of Walthamstow, and the location of St Mary's Church , the town's parish church. To the north of the town is the former Walthamstow Stadium , which
2967-802: Is bordered to the north by Chingford and to the south by Leyton and Leytonstone . Woodford lies to the east with a boundary running through Epping Forest , Hackney lies to the south-west beyond the Walthamstow Marshes and the Lea, while Tottenham is situated westward on the far side of the River Lea and the Lee Valley Reservoir Chain . The A112 (Leyton High Road, Hoe Street, Chingford Road, Chingford Mount Rd) passes south–north through Walthamstow and its neighbouring towns forming part of an ancient route from London to Waltham Abbey . Walthamstow
3096-567: Is covered by the Metropolitan Police . There is one police station which is based in Chingford and a number of additional patrol centres throughout the borough. Waltham Forest comes under the Met's North-East Basic Command Unit (BCU) following a merger of Waltham Forest's and Newham's policing in 2018 Waltham Forest is the birthplace of William Morris , best known as one of the principal founders of
3225-611: Is current refurbishment of the town square and new homes adjacent to the 17&Central shopping centre which is being extended. The Walthamstow Beer Mile , also known as the Blackhorse Beer Mile , is an attraction consisting of a growing number of micro-breweries, and their associated tap-rooms, in and around Blackhorse Road and Blackhorse Lane. Walthamstow is served by trains on the London Underground , London Overground and National Rail networks. Walthamstow Central
3354-494: Is evident from the fact that he wrote in shorthand and sometimes in a "code" of various Spanish , French , and Italian words (especially when describing his illicit affairs). However, Pepys often juxtaposed profanities in his native English amidst his "code" of foreign words, a practice which would reveal the details to any casual reader. He did intend for future generations to see the diary, as evidenced by its inclusion in his library and its catalogue before his death along with
3483-535: Is from Walthamstow, and Grayson Perry , the 2003 Turner Prize -winning artist, has his studio in Walthamstow. X Factor finalist Fleur East is also from Walthamstow as well as British Taekwondo Athlete Lutalo Muhammad . The London Borough of Waltham Forest is twinned with Friendship links have also been established with 51°34′N 0°02′W / 51.567°N 0.033°W / 51.567; -0.033 Samuel Pepys Samuel Pepys FRS ( / p iː p s / ; 23 February 1633 – 26 May 1703)
3612-469: Is now the western end of Queens Road. Both open spaces were lost in the 19th century, when the land was sold to property developers. Lloyd Park has been open to the public since 1900 and is located on Forest Road behind the William Morris Gallery . It has a formal garden with a pond, and the adjacent Aveling Field has facilities for bowling, tennis, basketball, an outdoor gym, a skate park and a children's play area. Walthamstow roughly approximates to seven of
3741-633: Is on the London Overground between Gospel Oak and Barking . Blackhorse Road is located to the west of Walthamstow; it is also served by Victoria line trains and London Overground trains between Gospel Oak and Barking . Other stations include St James Street and Wood Street , on the London Overground between Liverpool Street and Chingford. Lea Bridge is also nearby, served by Greater Anglia trains between Stratford and Bishop's Stortford , via Tottenham Hale and Harlow , with onward connections to Stansted Airport . All railway stations in
3870-546: Is people, not literary effects, that matter." In early 1665, the start of the Second Anglo-Dutch War placed great pressure on Pepys. His colleagues were either engaged elsewhere or incompetent, and Pepys had to conduct a great deal of business himself. He excelled under the pressure, which was extreme due to the complexity and underfunding of the Royal Navy. At the outset, he proposed a centralised approach to supplying
3999-649: Is served by the London Overground at Wood Street station on the Liverpool Street to Chingford line. One of the Great Trees of London , the Wood Street Horse Chestnut , is located next to the former Jones's Butchers Shop, a grade II listed, late 18th century weatherboarded building. The tree is thought to be upwards of 175 years old. Wood Street is home to Wood Street Indoor Market. The market
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4128-649: Is situated on Markhouse Road, on the corner of Downsfield Road. There is a lantern at the top of the tower, which also contains a spiral staircase. The church was erected because of the generosity of Captain David King of the shipbuilding firm of Bullard King & Co which also ran the Natal Direct Shipping Line, which ran ships direct from London to Durban without stopping at the Cape . In 1885, John Kemp Starley , originally from Church Hill in Walthamstow, designed
4257-480: Is situated south of the North Circular Road . Walthamstow Central is the main transport hub. Walthamstow Village conservation area is a district to the east of what has become the commercial centre of Walthamstow. The area is roughly defined as being south of Church Hill, west of Shernhall Street, north of Grove Road, and east of Hoe Street. Orford Road is the main route through the district, though even this
4386-529: Is the area's busiest interchange. It is the northern terminus of the London Underground Victoria line , which provides the area with a direct connection to Tottenham , the West End and Brixton . The station is also served by London Overground services between London Liverpool Street and Chingford , via Hackney Downs . There is an out-of-station interchange with Walthamstow Queen's Road , which
4515-421: The 2012 Summer Olympics , the town has become increasingly popular mostly as a result of gentrification . Local property prices increased at a high rate of 22.3% from 2013 to 2014, compared to London's average of 17.8%. It has turned Walthamstow into a 'trendy' town similar to Shoreditch . The leafy Walthamstow Village in particular has become sought-after by buyers. On 29 May 2015, a regular local unicyclist
4644-508: The 491 Gallery in Leytonstone, and a number of independent artists, also mainly in the Leytonstone area. The biennial E17 Art Trail, which includes open studios, exhibitions and events, is the biggest art event in the borough, and there is now a similar event in Leytonstone. Eamon Everall , founder member of the Stuckism art movement is a long-time resident in the borough where he also maintains
4773-666: The Becontree Hundred of Essex. As part of the suburban growth of London, the town expanded rapidly in the 19th century, becoming part of the urban area of the city. It has formed part of the Metropolitan Police District since 1840, and the London postal district since its inception in 1856. The parish became a local board district in 1873, an urban district in 1894 and a municipal borough in 1929. Following reform of local government in London in 1965 , it merged with
4902-756: The Cathall Estate in Leytonstone . The only theatre in the borough, The Waltham Forest Theatre, was situated in Lloyd Park. Though a local campaign was launched to save it in 2008 the theatre was demolished in 2011. Leyton Orient F.C. is the local professional football team, based at Brisbane Road, Leyton. In the 1962–63 season the club played in the top tier of English football, the Football League First Division , but currently are in League One ,
5031-468: The Domesday survey these also became parishes , with Higham becoming part of the parish of Walthamstow. These parishes had largely stable borders from which those of the later Municipal Boroughs were derived, and these are the basis of our understanding of the extent of these local areas today. The southern part of Epping Forest still extends into the north of the borough, 90% of it having been preserved by
5160-598: The Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre and part of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park providing an ongoing legacy in the UK and London. The borough took its name from the former Waltham Forest , an institution that managed deer in an area of south-west Essex that stretched eastwards from the River Lea and included large areas of agricultural land as well as the wooded areas subsequently known as Epping Forest and Hainault Forest . The name Waltham Forest
5289-531: The Municipal Borough of Leyton to form the London Borough of Waltham Forest in Greater London . Other places in east London formerly of the county of Essex, such as Ilford and Romford were placed into London Boroughs along with Walthamstow. None of the postal district names or codes was changed at this time (e.g. Ilford remained Ilford, Essex IG1-IG6 and Walthamstow remained London E17 ). Since
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5418-744: The Second Anglo-Dutch War of 1665–7, the Great Plague of 1665, and the Great Fire of London in 1666. In relation to the Plague and Fire, C. S. Knighton has written: "From its reporting of these two disasters to the metropolis in which he thrived, Pepys's diary has become a national monument." Robert Latham , editor of the definitive edition of the diary, remarks concerning the Plague and Fire: "His descriptions of both—agonisingly vivid—achieve their effect by being something more than superlative reporting; they are written with compassion. As always with Pepys it
5547-600: The Second Dutch War , and the Great Fire of London . Pepys was born in Salisbury Court, Fleet Street , London , on 23 February 1633, the son of John Pepys (1601–1680), a tailor, and Margaret Pepys ( née Kite; died 1667), daughter of a Whitechapel butcher. His great uncle Talbot Pepys was Recorder and briefly Member of Parliament (MP) for Cambridge in 1625. His father's first cousin Sir Richard Pepys
5676-542: The Second World War and urban redevelopment projects in the 1960s and 1970s have left areas with more modern housing, mostly in the shape of low-rise concrete blocks. The northern continuation of Markhouse Road is St James's Street to which Blackhorse Road follows, served by underground and railway stations, which in turn becomes Blackhorse Lane. This is bound on its western side by industrial units and warehouses. The London Borough of Waltham Forest has proposed developing
5805-460: The electoral wards within the London Borough of Waltham Forest: Chapel End (northeastern part), Higham Hill (northwestern part), High Street (western), Hoe Street (inner-eastern and Walthamstow Village ), Markhouse (southwestern), William Morris (northern), and Wood Street (eastern and Upper Walthamstow ). The 2011 census counted a total population of 109,424 of all these wards combined. As of
5934-468: The thermal efficiency was 9.30 per cent. It was subsequently demolished. From 1894 the Municipal Borough of Walthamstow was an urban district and from 1929 a municipal borough in Essex . In 1931 the population of the borough, covering an area of 4,342 acres (1,757 hectares), peaked at 132,972. In 1965 the borough was abolished and its former area merged with that of the Municipal Borough of Chingford and
6063-566: The 'Change. Jealous of every door that one sees shut up, lest it should be the plague; and about us two shops in three, if not more, generally shut up. He also chewed tobacco as a protection against infection, and worried that wig-makers might be using hair from the corpses as a raw material. Furthermore, it was Pepys who suggested that the Navy Office should evacuate to Greenwich , although he did offer to remain in town himself. He later took great pride in his stoicism. Meanwhile, Elisabeth Pepys
6192-445: The 17th century. The descriptions of the lives of his servants like Jane Birch provide a valuable detailed insight into their lives. Aside from day-to-day activities, Pepys also commented on the significant and turbulent events of his nation. England was in disarray when he began writing his diary. Oliver Cromwell had died just a few years before, creating a period of civil unrest and a large power vacuum to be filled. Pepys had been
6321-720: The 2011 census, White British is the largest ethnicity in all wards. Other White is the second largest in all wards except Markhouse. The other double-digit ethnicities are Pakistani and Black African. The minority ethnic proportion ranges from 48.5% in Chapel End to 58.2% in Markhouse. The male life expectancy ranged from 77.2 years in Hoe Street to 82.1 years in Chapel End; the female life expectancy ranged from 82.1 years in both Higham Hill and Hoe Street to 84.8 years in High Street. This data covers 2009–2013. The median house price as of 2014
6450-523: The Admiralty were important in the early professionalisation of the Royal Navy. The detailed private diary that Pepys kept from 1660 until 1669 was first published in the 19th century and is one of the most important primary sources for the English Restoration period. It provides a combination of personal revelation and eyewitness accounts of great events, such as the Great Plague of London ,
6579-669: The Borough. The power station in Exeter Street had three brick chimneys and an array of wooden cooling towers. In 1923 the revenue to the Borough from sales of electricity was £109,909. Upon nationalisation of the electricity industry in 1948 ownership of the station passed to the British Electricity Authority and later to the Central Electricity Generating Board . The CEGB closed the station in 1967 when
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#17328453018426708-616: The British Arts and Crafts Movement. Morris was a designer of wallpaper and patterned fabrics, a writer of poetry and fiction, and a pioneer of the socialist movement in Britain. Other notable people, such as footballer and former England Captain David Beckham , rapper, songwriter and actor Redzz , I, Claudius star Derek Jacobi , former Essex and England cricket Captain Graham Gooch , and
6837-793: The Commissioners of Accounts at that period. He also kept a diary for a few months in 1683 when he was sent to Tangier as the most senior civil servant in the Navy, during the English evacuation . The diary mostly covers work-related matters. On the Navy Board, Pepys proved to be a more able and efficient worker than colleagues in higher positions. This often annoyed Pepys and provoked much harsh criticism in his diary. Among his colleagues were Admiral Sir William Penn , Sir George Carteret , Sir John Mennes , and Sir William Batten . Pepys learned arithmetic from
6966-504: The Epping Forest Act of 1878. This not only assisted in preserving the forest, the attraction value also helped stimulate urbanisation of nearby areas. Until the late Victorian era, the area that became the modern borough was rural in nature with a small dispersed population and a primarily agricultural landscape. Leyton, in particular, grew quite rapidly between 1870 and 1910. In 1892, a private citizen named Frederick Bremer built
7095-432: The Exchequer) and a grant from the Mercers' Company . In October, he was admitted as a sizar to Magdalene College ; he moved there in March 1651 and took his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1654. Later in 1654 or early in 1655, he entered the household of one of his father's cousins, Sir Edward Montagu , who was later created the 1st Earl of Sandwich . When he was 22, Pepys married 14-year-old Elisabeth de St Michel ,
7224-455: The Navy's treasury in London. Pepys made a long speech at the bar of the Commons on 5 March 1668 defending this practice. It was, in the words of C. S. Knighton, a "virtuoso performance". The commission was followed by an investigation led by a more powerful authority, the commissioners of accounts. They met at Brooke House, Holborn and spent two years scrutinising how the war had been financed. In 1669, Pepys had to prepare detailed answers to
7353-476: The Norman nobleman Ralph de Tosny or Toeni (also known as Raoul IV de Conches) in 1103. When her husband died, c. 1126 , Alice gave the church of Walthamstow to the Priors of the Holy Trinity based in Aldgate, London. King John stayed in Walthamstow for two nights in February 1208. In the 1660s Sir William Batten , Surveyor of the Navy, and his wife Elizabeth Woodcocke had a house in Wood Street where, according to Samuel Pepys , Batten lived "like
7482-459: The Paralympic Games, Eton Manor hosted the Wheelchair Tennis events, with temporary seating for 10,500 spectators. In April 2012, the Ministry of Defence identified the roof of Fred Wigg Tower as a potential location for surface-to-air missile defences during the Games. Waltham Forest has a number of institutes, including 3 colleges of further education. Leyton Sixth Form College was the second sixth form college in Southern England to get
7611-490: The UK National Air Quality Objective, with one diffusion tube on Selborne Road recording an annual average NO 2 concentration of 61.0μg/m3. London Borough of Waltham Forest The London Borough of Waltham Forest ( / ˈ w ɔː l θ ə m / ) is an outer London borough formed in 1965 from the merger of the municipal boroughs of Leyton , Walthamstow and Chingford . The borough's administrative headquarters are at Waltham Forest Town Hall , which before
7740-443: The accuracy with which he records events of daily British life and major events in the 17th century. Pepys wrote about the contemporary court and theatre (including his amorous affairs with the actresses), his household, and major political and social occurrences. Historians have used his diary to gain greater insight and understanding of life in London in the 17th century. Pepys wrote consistently on subjects such as personal finances,
7869-562: The administration of the short-lived English colony at Tangier . He joined the Tangier committee in August 1662 when the colony was first founded and became its treasurer in 1665. In 1663, he independently negotiated a £3,000 contract for Norwegian masts, demonstrating the freedom of action that his superior abilities allowed. He was appointed to a commission of the royal fishery on 8 April 1664. Pepys' job required him to meet many people to dispense money and make contracts. He often laments how he "lost his labour" having gone to some appointment at
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#17328453018427998-464: The area are in London fare zone 3 , except for Wood Street which is in zone 4 . London Buses routes 20 , 34 , 55 , 58 , 69 , 97 , 123 , 158 , 212 , 215 , 230 , 257 , 275 , 357 , 675 , SL1 , SL2 , W11 , W12 , W15 , W16 , W19 and night routes N26 , N38 and N73 serve the area. Walthamstow bus station is next to Walthamstow Central station, along Selborne Road. Several arterial routes pass through Walthamstow which link
8127-406: The area around Blackhorse Road railway station to become a gateway to the town. Although bounded by the marshes to the west and parts of Epping Forest to the east, there is little open space in the actual town. There used to be two commons in the town, Church Common, adjacent to St. Mary's Church in Walthamstow Village and Markhouse Common, located off Markhouse Lane (now Markhouse Road) and what
8256-409: The board, Pepys was entitled to a £350 annual salary plus the various gratuities and benefits that came with the job—including bribes. He rejected an offer of £1,000 for the position from a rival and soon afterward moved to official accommodation in Seething Lane in the City of London . Pepys stopped writing his diary in 1669. His eyesight began to trouble him and he feared that writing in dim light
8385-466: The bodies of girls and women. Kate Loveman of Cambridge University describes this belief: "[In his diary] Pepys's sexual language of being ‘kind’, ‘touching’, and ‘tumbling’ emphasized his indulgence and playfulness, while masking coercion and violence; meanwhile, [his victim] Lane's claims of assault he regarded as exemplifying a woman's ‘falseness’, not because he thought there had been no violence, but because she had no moral right to protest." The diary
8514-454: The borough forms part of the North East constituency. The main centres of population in the borough are Chingford in the north, Walthamstow in the centre (the administrative hub including the council offices) and Leyton and Leytonstone to the South. Waltham Forest has the fifth largest Muslim population in England and the third largest in London (coming after its neighbouring boroughs, Newham and Tower Hamlets ). Epping Forest and
8643-470: The borough is now managed by an arms-length management organisation , Waltham Forest Housing (formerly Ascham Homes). Waltham Forest was one of four host boroughs in east London for the 2012 Olympics . The northern part of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is located in Eton Manor . The borough hosted events in its three Olympic-size swimming pools, one synchronised swimming pool and one water polo pool. These pools were used for athlete training. During
8772-404: The borough, as well as six night bus routes . Services are operated by Arriva London and Stagecoach London . The pioneering Mini Holland programme has begun to provide protected cycle lanes across the southern half of the borough, increasing the ability to use bicycles as a transport option. In March 2011, the main forms of transport that residents used to travel to work were: Policing
8901-424: The city. In about 1644, Pepys attended Huntingdon Grammar School before being educated at St Paul's School , London, c. 1646 –1650. He attended the execution of Charles I in 1649. In 1650, he went to the University of Cambridge , having received two exhibitions from St Paul's School (perhaps owing to the influence of George Downing , who was chairman of the judges and for whom he later worked at
9030-470: The committee's eight "Observations" on the Navy Board's conduct. In 1670, he was forced to defend his own role. A seaman's ticket with Pepys' name on it was produced as incontrovertible evidence of his corrupt dealings but, thanks to the intervention of the king, Pepys emerged from the sustained investigation relatively unscathed. Outbreaks of plague were not unusual events in London; major epidemics had occurred in 1592, 1603, 1625 and 1636. Furthermore, Pepys
9159-452: The dancing master). Pepys was an investor in the Company of Royal Adventurers Trading to Africa , which held the Royal monopoly on trading along the west coast of Africa in gold , silver , ivory , and slaves . Propriety did not prevent him from engaging in a number of extramarital liaisons with various women that were chronicled in his diary, often in some detail when relating the intimate details. The most dramatic of these encounters
9288-698: The district to other areas in London and the East of England . To the north, the A406 (North Circular) runs east–west around Walthamstow. The road links the district to Ilford , the M11 (for Stansted Airport ) and London City Airport to the east. To the west, the North Circular passes through Edmonton , Finchley and Brent Cross en route to Chiswick . The route meets the M1 and M4 motorways (for Luton and Heathrow airports). To
9417-456: The film director and producer Alfred Hitchcock , were also born in the borough. The heavy metal band Iron Maiden was formed in Leyton, and Eastenders actress Rita Simons was born in Leytonstone. Notable Eastenders Actor Adam Woodyatt is from Walthamstow. The poet Pascale Petit , shortlisted three times for the TS Eliot poetry prize, lives in Walthamstow. Notable rap/grime artist Lethal Bizzle
9546-544: The fire overtakes us faster than we can do it." At noon, he returned home and "had an extraordinary good dinner, and as merry, as at this time we could be", before returning to watch the fire in the city once more. Later, he returned to Whitehall, then met his wife in St James's Park . In the evening, they watched the fire from the safety of Bankside . Pepys writes that "it made me weep to see it". Returning home, Pepys met his clerk Tom Hayter who had lost everything. Hearing news that
9675-469: The fire was advancing, he started to pack up his possessions by moonlight. A cart arrived at 4 a.m. on 3 September and Pepys spent much of the day arranging the removal of his possessions. Many of his valuables, including his diary, were sent to a friend from the Navy Office at Bethnal Green . At night, he "fed upon the remains of yesterday's dinner, having no fire nor dishes, nor any opportunity of dressing any thing." The next day, Pepys continued to arrange
9804-496: The first British motorcar in a workshop in his garden, at Connaught Road, Walthamstow. The vehicle is on display at the Vestry House Museum in Walthamstow. In 1909, the aviation pioneer A V Roe successfully tested the first all-British aeroplane, the Roe I Triplane , on land at Walthamstow Marshes . The area now known as Waltham Forest experienced at least two Zeppelin raids during World War I . On 17/18 August 1915, Airship L10 took
9933-551: The first few months were filled with news of General George Monck's march on London. In April and May of that year, he encountered problems with his wife, and he accompanied Montagu's fleet to the Netherlands to bring Charles II back from exile. Montagu was made Earl of Sandwich on 18 June, and Pepys secured the position of Clerk of the Acts to the Navy Board on 13 July. As secretary to
10062-429: The first modern bicycle, and in 1892, Frederick Bremer built the first British motorcar in a workshop in his garden, at Connaught Road. The vehicle is on display at the Vestry House Museum in Walthamstow. The LGOC X-type and B-type buses were built at Blackhorse Lane from October 1908 onwards. The B-type is considered one of the first mass-production buses. The manufacturing operation later became AEC , famous as
10191-659: The fleet in 1666. However, these demands were actually quite desirable for him, as tactical and strategic mistakes were not the responsibility of the Navy Board. The Board did face some allegations regarding the Medway raid, but they could exploit the criticism already attracted by Commissioner of Chatham Peter Pett to deflect criticism from themselves. The committee accepted this tactic when they reported in February 1668. The Board was, however, criticised for its use of tickets to pay seamen. These tickets could only be exchanged for cash at
10320-570: The fleet. His idea was accepted, and he was made surveyor-general of victualling in October 1665. The position brought a further £300 a year. Pepys wrote about the Second Anglo-Dutch War: "In all things, in wisdom, courage, force and success, the Dutch have the best of us and do end the war with victory on their side". And King Charles II said: "Don't fight the Dutch, imitate them". In 1667, with
10449-608: The green corridor along the River Lea provide some of the borough's many open spaces, which include: Historically known as the seat of the Arts and Crafts Movement under the stewardship of William Morris , Waltham Forest has continued to succour many contemporary artists & art groups. These include the North East London Independent Artists (NELIA) group, based at the Changing Room Gallery in Lloyd Park,
10578-439: The happiest years of his life. He worked very hard that year, and the outcome was that he quadrupled his fortune. In his annual summary on 31 December, he wrote, "I have never lived so merrily (besides that I never got so much) as I have done this plague time". Nonetheless, Pepys was certainly concerned about the plague. On 16 August he wrote: But, Lord! how sad a sight it is to see the streets empty of people, and very few upon
10707-592: The house in which he had had his bladder stone removed. Despite all this destruction, Pepys' house, office, and diary were saved. The diary gives a detailed account of Pepys' personal life. He was fond of wine , plays, and the company of other people. He also spent time evaluating his fortune and his place in the world. He was always curious and often acted on that curiosity, as he acted upon almost all his impulses. Periodically, he would resolve to devote more time to hard work instead of leisure. For example, in his entry for New Year's Eve, 1661, he writes: "I have newly taken
10836-576: The kennels, and people working therewith from one end to the other; the fire coming on in that narrow streete, on both sides, with infinite fury. Sir W. Batten not knowing how to remove his wine, did dig a pit in the garden, and laid it in there; and I took the opportunity of laying all the papers of my office that I could not otherwise dispose of. And in the evening Sir W. Pen and I did dig another, and put our wine in it; and I my Parmazan cheese, as well as my wine and some other things. Pepys had taken to sleeping on his office floor; on Wednesday, 5 September, he
10965-508: The king that homes be pulled down in the path of the fire in order to stem its progress. Accepting this advice, the king told him to go to Lord Mayor Thomas Bloodworth and tell him to start pulling down houses. Pepys took a coach back as far as St Paul's Cathedral before setting off on foot through the burning city. He found the Lord Mayor, who said, "Lord! what can I do? I am spent: people will not obey me. I have been pulling down houses; but
11094-691: The last day of the year she hath them again. The condition of the State was thus. Viz. the Rump , after being disturbed by my Lord Lambert , was lately returned to sit again. The officers of the army all forced to yield. Lawson lie[s] still in the River and Monke is with his army in Scotland. Only my Lord Lambert is not yet come in to the Parliament; nor is it expected that he will, without being forced to it. The entries from
11223-684: The line of Lea Bridge Road, Leyton, killing eight there. On both occasions the Germans believed they were bombing the City , and it is thought they mistook the Lee Valley Reservoir Chain for the Thames . During the most intense period of the Blitz (October 1940 to June 1941), the area was hit by around 728 high explosive bombs, 17 parachute mines and an unknown, but much greater number of small incendiary bombs . Subsequent raids were lighter and less frequent, but 1944 saw
11352-464: The loose pages bound into six volumes, catalogued them in his library with all his other books, and is likely to have suspected that eventually someone would find them interesting. This tree summarizes, in a more compact form and with a few additional details, trees published elsewhere in a box-like form. It is meant to help the reader of the Diary and also integrates some biographical information found in
11481-489: The manufacturer of many of London's buses. On 13 June 1909, A. V. Roe's aircraft took to the air from Walthamstow Marshes. It was the first all-British aircraft and was given the ominous nickname of the "Yellow Terror" but officially carried the name Avro1. Roe later founded the Avro aircraft company, which later built the acclaimed Avro Lancaster . Walthamstow Borough Corporation had been authorised in 1904 to supply electricity to
11610-497: The merger of the boroughs, was called Walthamstow Town Hall. The population was 278,428 at the 2021 census. Waltham Forest borders five other London boroughs: Enfield to the north-west, Haringey to the west, Hackney to the south-west, Newham to the south-east and Redbridge to the east, as well as the non-metropolitan county of Essex to the north. The borough takes its name from the former Waltham Forest – an institution which managed deer in south-west Essex . Epping Forest
11739-597: The mistress of Pepys"—or at least "she granted him a share of her favours". Scholars disagree on the full extent of the Pepys/Knep relationship, but much of later generations' knowledge of Knep comes from the diary. Pepys first met Knep on 6 December 1665. He described her as "pretty enough, but the most excellent, mad-humoured thing, and sings the noblest that I ever heard in my life." He called her husband "an ill, melancholy, jealous-looking fellow" and suspected him of abusing his wife. Knep provided Pepys with backstage access and
11868-511: The municipal boroughs of Chingford and Leyton to form the new Waltham Forest local authority district, becoming part of Greater London . The borough council is based at Waltham Forest Town Hall on Forest Road. Walthamstow is recorded c. 1075 as Wilcumestowe ("the Place of Welcome") and in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Wilcumestou . The Domesday Book describes Wilcumestou as
11997-651: The north of Walthamstow, at the Crooked Billet Roundabout (North Circular), there is an automatic monitoring site which recorded an average NO 2 concentration of 61.1μg/m3 ( micrograms per cubic metre ) in 2017. This fails to meet the UK National Air Quality Objective set by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) at 40μg/m3. Alternative roadside monitoring sites along Hoe Street and Selborne Road also failed to meet
12126-490: The removal of his possessions. By then, he believed that Seething Lane was in grave danger, so he suggested calling men from Deptford to help pull down houses and defend the king's property. He described the chaos in the city and his curious attempt at saving his own goods: Sir W. Pen and I to Tower-streete, and there met the fire burning three or four doors beyond Mr. Howell's, whose goods, poor man, his trayes, and dishes, shovells, &c., were flung all along Tower-street in
12255-442: The same sources. Pepys' health suffered from the long hours that he worked throughout the period of the diary. Specifically, he believed that his eyesight had been affected by his work. He reluctantly concluded in his last entry, dated 31 May 1669, that he should completely stop writing for the sake of his eyes, and only dictate to his clerks from then on, which meant that he could no longer keep his diary. Pepys and his wife took
12384-540: The same time, a large plot at the corner of High Street and Hoe Street was set for substantial redevelopment as a retail space. This site was previously the location of the town's central post office and a shopping arcade built in the 1960s. Plans for the redevelopment of this site initially fell through in 2005, but work on a new cinema, flats and restaurants started in April 2013 and was completed in December 2014. As of 2024, there
12513-440: The shorthand guide he used and the elaborate planning by which he ensured his library survived intact after his death. The women he pursued, his friends, and his dealings are all laid out. His diary reveals his jealousies, insecurities, trivial concerns, and his fractious relationship with his wife. It has been an important account of London in the 1660s. The juxtaposition of his commentary on politics and national events, alongside
12642-599: The southeast of nearby Leytonstone , the A12 ( Eastern Avenue ) carries traffic northeast towards the M25 , Romford , and destinations in Essex and Suffolk . Southwest, the A12 passes around Stratford and Hackney Wick before terminating in Poplar . Other routes include: The London Borough of Waltham Forest monitors kerbside and roadside Nitrogen Dioxide (NO 2 ) levels in Walthamstow. To
12771-741: The third tier of the English football league system . Waltham Forest was one of six local authorities to set up a Housing Action Trust under the Housing Act 1988. The Waltham Forest HAT covered various estates in need of regeneration : Cathall Road in Leytonstone , Oliver Close in Leyton , Boundary Road in Walthamstow and Chingford Hall in Chingford . The HAT transferred its redeveloped estates to Community-based Housing Association and shut down in April 2002. English Partnerships then demolished four empty tower blocks. The remaining Council housing in
12900-464: The time he got up in the morning, the weather, and what he ate. He wrote at length about his new watch which he was very proud of (and which had an alarm, a new accessory at the time), a country visitor who did not enjoy his time in London because he felt that it was too crowded, and his cat waking him up at one in the morning. Pepys' diary is one of a very few sources which provides such length in details of everyday life of an upper-middle-class man during
13029-493: The urine" ( haematuria ). By the time of his marriage, the condition was very severe. In 1657, Pepys decided to undergo surgery; not an easy option, as the operation was known to be especially painful and hazardous. Nevertheless, Pepys consulted surgeon Thomas Hollier and, on 26 March 1658, the operation took place in a bedroom in the house of Pepys' cousin Jane Turner. Pepys' stone was successfully removed and he resolved to hold
13158-528: The very personal, can be seen from the beginning. His opening paragraphs, written in January 1660, begin: Blessed be God, at the end of the last year I was in very good health, without any sense of my old pain but upon taking of cold. I lived in Axe yard, having my wife and servant Jane, and no more in family than us three. My wife, after the absence of her terms for seven weeks, gave me hopes of her being with child, but on
13287-430: The very stones of churches, and among other things the poor steeple by which pretty Mrs.———— lives, and whereof my old school-fellow Elborough is parson, taken fire in the very top, and there burned till it fell down... The wind was driving the fire westward, so he ordered the boat to go to Whitehall and became the first person to inform the king of the fire. According to his entry of 2 September 1666, Pepys recommended to
13416-492: The village were run. A new town hall designed by architect Philip Dalton Hepworth in the Nordic Classical style was built between 1938 and 1942. Until the late 19th century Walthamstow was largely rural, with a small village centre (now Walthamstow Village ) and a number of large estates. The main route through the district was Hoe Street. There were various smaller lanes crossing the town. The road now known as Forest Road
13545-547: The war lost, Pepys helped to discharge the navy. The Dutch had defeated England on open water and now began to threaten English soil itself. In June 1667, they conducted their Raid on the Medway , broke the defensive chain at Gillingham , and towed away the Royal Charles , one of the Royal Navy's most important ships. As he had done during the Fire and the Plague, Pepys again removed his wife and his gold from London. The Dutch raid
13674-509: The west. The area is served by the following London Underground lines: Both lines are both part of the Night Tube , which provides overnight tube services on Friday and Saturday nights. London Overground runs through the borough on the following lines: Greater Anglia serves the south-west of the borough with a station at Lea Bridge ; these services connect Stratford and Bishops Stortford . A number of London Buses routes serve
13803-536: The windows and balconys till they were, some of them burned, their wings, and fell down. Having staid, and in an hour's time seen the fire: rage every way, and nobody, to my sight, endeavouring to quench it, but to remove their goods, and leave all to the fire, and having seen it get as far as the Steele-yard, and the wind mighty high and driving it into the City; and every thing, after so long a drought, proving combustible, even
13932-610: Was Virgil . He was passionately interested in music; he composed, sang, and played for pleasure, and even arranged music lessons for his servants. He played the lute , viol , violin , flageolet , recorder , and spinet to varying degrees of proficiency. He was also a keen singer, performing at home, in coffee houses, and even in Westminster Abbey . He and his wife took flageolet lessons from master Thomas Greeting . He also taught his wife to sing and paid for dancing lessons for her (although these stopped when he became jealous of
14061-715: Was a conduit for theatrical and social gossip. When they wrote notes to each other, Pepys signed himself "Dapper Dickey", while Knep was " Barbry Allen " (a popular song that was an item in her musical repertory). Pepys' reference to purchasing the pornographic book L'Escole des Filles appears to be the first English reference to pornography. He writes in his diary that it was a "mighty lewd book," and burned it after reading it. Much of Pepys' behavior towards women, which he cataloged himself in his diary, would today be considered sexual harassment, sexual assault, and rape. Despite his kindness and emotional loyalty towards some women in his life, Pepys ultimately believed men were entitled to
14190-508: Was a major concern in itself, but Pepys was personally placed under a different kind of pressure: the Navy Board and his role as Clerk of the Acts came under scrutiny from the public and from Parliament. The war ended in August and, on 17 October, the House of Commons created a committee of "miscarriages". On 20 October, a list was demanded from Pepys of ships and commanders at the time of the division of
14319-563: Was a unit of local government. It subsequently became part of the Kingdom of the East Saxons a unit which is likely to have its roots in the territory of the Trinovantes. After the Kingdom of Essex lost its independence, it evolved into the county of Essex . The Domesday book of 1086 records four manors in the area, Chingford , Walthamstow , Higham and Leyton . At some point, before or after
14448-550: Was an English diarist and naval administrator . He served as administrator of the Royal Navy and Member of Parliament , but is most remembered today for the diary he kept for almost a decade. Though he had no maritime experience, Pepys rose to be the Chief Secretary to the Admiralty under both King Charles II and King James II through patronage , diligence, and his talent for administration. His influence and reforms at
14577-424: Was awakened by his wife at 2 a.m. She told him that the fire had almost reached All Hallows-by-the-Tower and that it was at the foot of Seething Lane. He decided to send her and his gold — about £2,350 — to Woolwich. In the following days, Pepys witnessed looting, disorder, and disruption. On 7 September, he went to Paul's Wharf and saw the ruins of St Paul's Cathedral, of his old school, of his father's house, and of
14706-471: Was built in the early 20th century. From Coppermill Lane in the west (next to the marshes), to Wood Street in the east, there are thousands of terraced streets dating to the Edwardian era and the 1920s. The area along Markhouse Road and St James Street has many examples of Warner properties. These were developed as affordable housing for the working classes in the early part of the 20th century. Bombing raids in
14835-469: Was characteristically filled with remorse, but (equally characteristically) continued to pursue Willet after she had been dismissed from the Pepys household. Pepys also had a habit of fondling the breasts of his maid Mary Mercer while she dressed him in the morning. Pepys may also have dallied with a leading actress of the Restoration period, Mary Knep . "Mrs Knep was the wife of a Smithfield horsedealer, and
14964-510: Was considered an East End landmark. The William Morris Gallery in Forest Road, a museum that was once the family home of William Morris , is a Grade II* listed building. The town is served by five railway stations, including Walthamstow Central and Blackhorse Road —interchange stations on the Victoria line of the London Underground . Walthamstow was a civil parish , originally part of
15093-417: Was damaging his eyes. He did imply in his last entries that he might have others write his diary for him , but doing so would result in a loss of privacy and it seems that he never went through with those plans. In the end, Pepys lived another 34 years without going blind, but he never took to writing his diary again. However, Pepys dictated a journal for two months in 1669–70 as a record of his dealings with
15222-511: Was elected MP for Sudbury in 1640, appointed Baron of the Exchequer on 30 May 1654, and appointed Lord Chief Justice of Ireland on 25 September 1655. Pepys was the fifth of 11 children, but child mortality was high and he was soon the oldest survivor. He was baptised at St Bride's Church on 3 March 1633. Pepys did not spend all of his infancy in London; for a while, he was sent to live with nurse Goody Lawrence at Kingsland , just north of
15351-463: Was highest in Wood Street ward (£387,500) and lowest in Markhouse ward (£324,000). The High Street is dominated by Walthamstow Market , which began in 1885, and occupies all but the last 100 yards of the street. It is reputed to be a mile long, but in fact measures approximately ⅔ of a mile. It is the longest street market in Europe. The market is open five days a week (not Sunday or Monday), and there
15480-419: Was hit and dragged under by a double decker route 212 bus in Hoe Street. Locals numbering up to 100 people helped to pull the bus off the unicyclist. The MP for Walthamstow, Stella Creasy , later said she was "proud" of the community for saving the unicyclist's life. Walthamstow elects councillors to Waltham Forest London Borough Council . It is within the Walthamstow parliamentary constituency . Walthamstow
15609-448: Was not among the group of people who were most at risk. He did not live in cramped housing, he did not routinely mix with the poor, and he was not required to keep his family in London in the event of a crisis. It was not until June 1665 that the unusual seriousness of the plague became apparent, so Pepys' activities in the first five months of 1665 were not significantly affected by it. Claire Tomalin wrote that 1665 was, to Pepys, one of
15738-449: Was originally called Clay Street. Further south, the High Street was named Marsh Street, and led from the original settlement out to the marshes . Shernhall Street is an ancient route, as is Wood Street, to the east. With the advent of the railways and the ensuing suburbanisation in the late 19th century, Walthamstow experienced a large growth in population and speculative building. The Lighthouse Methodist Church which dates from 1893
15867-558: Was sent to Woolwich . She did not return to Seething Lane until January 1666 and was shocked by the sight of St Olave 's churchyard, where 300 people had been buried. In the early hours of 2 September 1666, Pepys was awakened by Jane the maid, his servant, who had spotted a fire in the Billingsgate area. He decided that the fire was not particularly serious and returned to bed. Shortly after waking, his servant returned and reported that 300 houses had been destroyed and that London Bridge
15996-540: Was the site of a cinema from 1912 to 1955, operated by the Penny Picture Theatre Co. It re-opened under new independent management in 1953 as the Rio Cinema, but this was short lived and it closed in 1955. Now the market is filled with quirky market traders, and was documented in a short documentary made by Mark Windows. Walthamstow has a wide variety of housing stock, but the vast majority of residential property
16125-519: Was threatened. Pepys went to the Tower of London to get a better view. Without returning home, he took a boat and observed the fire for over an hour. In his diary, Pepys recorded his observations as follows: I down to the water-side, and there got a boat and through bridge, and there saw a lamentable fire. Poor Michell's house, as far as the Old Swan, already burned that way, and the fire running further, that in
16254-469: Was transferred from Essex to Greater London to become one of the 32 London Boroughs. A petition opposed calling the new borough "Walthamstow", so perhaps for that reason the new borough took its name from the former Waltham Forest . The local authority is Waltham Forest Council, based at Waltham Forest Town Hall (formerly Walthamstow Town Hall). Since 2000, for elections to the London Assembly ,
16383-609: Was used in parallel with local woodland names, some of which have persisted. The first known use of the name Waltham Forest is 1205 (in Medieval Latin ) as foresta nostra prope Waltham , and the use of the name persisted, until the end of the seventeenth century. The area was in the territory of the Trinovantes tribe during the Iron Age and through the Roman period, when the tribal area
16512-429: Was with Deborah Willet , a young woman engaged as a companion for Elisabeth Pepys. On 25 October 1668, Pepys was surprised by his wife as he embraced Deb Willet; he writes that his wife "coming up suddenly, did find me imbracing the girl con [with] my hand sub [under] su [her] coats; and endeed I was with my main [hand] in her cunny. I was at a wonderful loss upon it and the girl also...." Following this event, he
16641-422: Was written in one of the many standard forms of shorthand used in Pepys' time, in this case called tachygraphy , and devised by Thomas Shelton . It is clear from its content that it was written as a purely personal record of his life and not for publication, yet there are indications that Pepys took steps to preserve the bound manuscripts of his diary. He wrote it out in fair copy from rough notes, and he also had
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