Back to today’s briefing

Story perspectives

New Research Reveals Pepys’ Bribery Involving Enslaved Boy

3/26/2026

38 4 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Dr. Michael Edwards' new research shows Samuel Pepys, a 17th-century senior naval official, concealed an offer of an enslaved boy as a bribe.
Pepys rejected the bribe to protect his reputation because his clerk organized correspondence to erase the boy's story.
The study also highlights Pepys' connections to the Royal African Company and his involvement in the slave trade, illustrating the English state's entanglement with enslavement in that era.

1 of 1

Story summary

Dr. Michael Edwards' new research shows Samuel Pepys, a 17th-century senior naval official, concealed an offer of an enslaved boy as a bribe.
Pepys rejected the bribe to protect his reputation because his clerk organized correspondence to erase the boy's story.
The study also highlights Pepys' connections to the Royal African Company and his involvement in the slave trade, illustrating the English state's entanglement with enslavement in that era.