The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #157555 Message #3719706
Posted By: Will Fly
29-Jun-15 - 08:22 AM
Thread Name: Music as a trade (Pepys)
Subject: RE: Music as a trade (Pepys)
I work as a steward in a working post-mill ("Jill" on Clayton Down is Sussex). I also have the complete Pepys Diary in 11 volumes!
Pepys wasn't a country lad, but a fairly urbane man with country connections. He was related to and patronised by the Montagu family, was well educated in London, and went to Cambridge University.
As he became more secure in London, and wealthier, he was approached by poorer relations from time to time, including uncles and cousins (and by all sorts of other people) wanting some pecuniary or other favour. It's quite possible the uncle was trying it on.
As for wooden windmills, they were a good source of income but very prone to destruction - mainly by fire (flour dust is very combustible) or by being "tail-winded", i.e. being blown down by high winds if not facing into the wind. There was no insurance and no welfare state in those days so, if you had no savings and your sole means of getting money was destroyed - what could you do? Take up your fiddle - if you had one!
Perhaps the Whitsuntide dancing was an equivalent to our more modern carnival queen or May queen traditions - mainly involving country lasses.