"Item. I desire that my son John Pepys may have my gold seale-ring.

"Lastly. I desire that the remainder of what I shall leave be
equally distributed between my sons Samuel and John Pepys and my
daughter Paulina Jackson.

"All which I leave to the care of my eldest son Samuel Pepys, to see
performed, if he shall think fit.

"In witness hereunto I set my hand."

His wife Margaret, whose maiden name has not been discovered, died on the
25th March, 1667, also at Brampton. The family of these two consisted of
six sons and five daughters: John (born 1632, died 1640), Samuel (born
1633, died 1703), Thomas (born 1634, died 1664), Jacob (born 1637, died
young), Robert (born 1638, died young), and John (born 1641, died 1677);
Mary (born 1627), Paulina (born 1628), Esther (born 1630), Sarah (born
1635; these four girls all died young), and Paulina (born 1640, died
1680), who married John Jackson of Brampton, and had two sons, Samuel and
John. The latter was made his heir by Samuel Pepys.

Samuel Pepys was born on the 23rd February, 1632-3, but the place of birth
is not known with certainty. Samuel Knight, D.D., author of the "Life of
Colet," who was a connection of the family (having married Hannah Pepys,
daughter of Talbot Pepys of Impington), says positively that it was at
Brampton. His statement cannot be corroborated by the registers of
Brampton church, as these records do not commence until the year 1654.

Samuel's early youth appears to have been spent pretty equally between