Deb Willet

Deborah "Deb" Willet (1651–1678) was a young maid employed by Samuel Pepys (1633–1703), an English naval administrator and Member of Parliament. She and Pepys, about 20 years her senior, engaged in extramarital liaisons that were chronicled in his famous diary. When Pepys's diary first was published in the late nineteenth century, the more-explicit parts describing the author's affair with Deb Willet were not printed. They only appeared in the most-recent version of the diary.^[1]

Willet was described by Pepys as being a native of Somersetshire.^[2] In late September Pepys was introduced to Willet,^[3] and she was employed as a companion for Pepys's wife, Elisabeth, from 1 October 1667^[4] with whom she attended the theatre. In late October 1668 Willet began an intimate relationship with Samuel Pepys. Elisabeth Pepys soon discovered her husband with Willet, and after a few weeks the maid was dismissed. Pepys later gave Willet money, sought her out at her new home, and kissed her. His wife threatened to attack the "girle" on learning this, and Pepys was forced to renounce Willet in writing.

Deb Willet was not the only personal servant with whom Pepys was intimate, but she appears to have been the one with whom he was most smitten. In the next-to-last sentence of Pepys's 10-year diary one reads, "my amours to Deb are past."^[5]

In 2006, Kate Loveman reported that Deb Willet remained in London after leaving the Pepys household, marrying a theology graduate named Jeremiah Wells in 1670.^[6] Pepys later helped Wells obtain a position as a ship's chaplain.

Willet died in 1678 and her husband followed a year and a half later.

References

1. ^ See a discussion in Tomalin, Claire (2002). Samuel Pepys, The Unequalled Self. Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 0375411437. 
2. ^ See diary entry note for 13 June 1668.
3. ^ See diary entry for 27 September 1667
4. ^ See diary entry for 1 October 1667
5. ^ See diary entry for 31 May 1669.
6. ^ Loveman, Kate (2006). "Samuel Pepys and Deb Willet after the Diary". The History Journal 49: 893–901. doi:10.1017/S0018246X06005565. http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=468773. 

Further reading

• Malvern, Jack (2006-10-14). "How Pepys's lost lover popped back for more". London: Times Online. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article600412.ece. Retrieved 2009-06-30.  Link broken as of December 2010.

• "Mystery of Pepys' affair solved". BBC News. 2006-10-14. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/leicestershire/6051128.stm. Retrieved 2009-06-30. 

External links

• "What happened to Deb Willet?". http://www.pepys.info/deb.html. Retrieved 2009-06-30. 

Persondata
Name	Willet, Deb
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1651
Place of birth
Date of death	1678
Place of death