Preserve a Press

In 1666, Samuel Pepys recorded in his diary that he had lost the use of his books. With around 250 volumes stacked in his study, he grew increasingly frustrated by the difficulty of accessing them and the risk of damage. His solution? He enlisted ‘Simpson the Joiner’ from the Naval dockyards to help design a ‘cupboard for books’—what he called Presses.

The first Press

Press Number One holds some extraordinary volumes. While it was originally designed by Simpson the Joiner to house 250 books, Pepys arranged his collection by size, meaning each press contains a mix of small and large works.

Among the highlights are two Wycliffite Bibles—some of the earliest English translations of the New Testament—bound in exquisite covers. Another treasure is a fifteenth-century recipe book, handwritten on paper, a rare and costly material at a time when none was produced in Britain.

Press number two

In 1667, Pepys experienced a familiar frustration—his first bookcase quickly ran out of space. To solve the problem, he ordered another, almost identical to the first but with height-adjustable shelves.

Among the most studied works in this press are the six volumes of Ballads. The Pepys Library holds the world's most extensive collection of seventeenth-century broadside ballads, with around 1,800 examples. These were printed on large sheets of paper and passed from person to person, covering everything from public executions and royal weddings to battles and other significant events. Pepys later organised them into sections, including Love Requited and Love Unrequited.

Developing a collection

As Pepys built his collection, he became close friends with John Evelyn, who gifted him a translated copy of Instructions Concerning the Erecting of a Library, originally written by Gabriel Naudé, the French Royal Librarian. Evelyn inscribed it, “Be pleas’d to accept this trifle from your humble servant, E.”

The book offered guidance on curating and caring for a library, and Pepys followed much of its advice when organising his own collection. However, he ignored one key recommendation—Evelyn cautioned against arranging books by size, yet Pepys did exactly that, meticulously ordering his volumes from smallest to largest within each bookcase.

Preserving the Presses

The twelve Pepys Presses are just as historically significant as the remarkable collection of books, manuscripts, documents, and prints they have safeguarded for 300 years. As part of the Pepys Restoration Project, expert historic furniture conservators will carefully restore these unique bookcases to ensure they continue protecting the collection for centuries to come.

With your support, we can preserve this extraordinary library for future generations.

If you would like to contribute to the restoration of a Press or learn more about the books housed within them, please contact the Alumni and Development Office.

Support the Pepys Restoration Project

The College is committed to funding this major restoration from its reserves, but we are asking our Members and Friends to help raise half of the £6.3 million needed to restore this historic building and safeguard the Pepys Library for future generations.

Every contribution to the Pepys Restoration Project plays a vital role in preserving this remarkable heritage.

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