"Samuel Pepys of Brampton in Huntingdonshire, Esq., Secretary of the
Admiralty to his Matr. King Charles the Second: Descended from ye
antient family of Pepys of Cottenham in Cambridgeshire."

Many members of the family have greatly distinguished themselves since the
Diarist's day, and of them Mr. Foss wrote ("Judges of England," vol. vi.,
p. 467):--

"In the family of Pepys is illustrated every gradation of legal rank
from Reader of an Inn of Court to Lord High Chancellor of England."

The William Pepys of Cottenham who commences the pedigree had three sons
and three daughters; from the eldest son (Thomas) descended the first
Norfolk branch, from the second son (John Pepys of Southcreeke) descended
the second Norfolk branch, and from the third son (William) descended the
Impington branch. The latter William had four sons and two daughters; two
of these sons were named Thomas, and as they were both living at the same
time one was distinguished as "the black" and the other as "the red."
Thomas the red had four sons and four daughters. John, born 1601, was the
third son, and he became the father of Samuel the Diarist. Little is known
of John Pepys, but we learn when the Diary opens that he was settled in
London as a tailor. He does not appear to have been a successful man, and
his son on August 26th, 1661, found that there was only L45 owing to him,
and that he owed about the same sum. He was a citizen of London in 1650,
when his son Samuel was admitted to Magdalene College, but at an earlier
period he appears to have had business relations with Holland.

In August, 1661, John Pepys retired to a small property at Brampton (worth
about L80 per annum), which had been left to him by his eldest brother,