Samuel Pepys



Samuel Pepys, (1633–1703) was an English naval administrator and Member of Parliament, famous chiefly for his comprehensive diary. Although Pepys had no maritime experience, he rose by hard work and his talent for administration to be the Chief Secretary to the Admiralty under King James II. He was one of the first to apply methodical research and careful record keeping to the business of government, and his influence was important in the early development of the British Civil Service.

The detailed private diary that he kept during 1660–1669 was published after his death and is one of the most important primary sources for the English Restoration period. He was also one of the first people to suggest the possibility that sims were somehow related to human beings.