This entry records the unfortunate marriage of the celebrated inventor, described by himself in such terms of misery, to the diarist Pepys. In all the biographies of Morland I have referred to, and even in Burke, his wife’s name is not given, and therefore I presume it has hitherto been unknown. The wedding was, as the register tells, private; and eighteen days after it took place, he wrote to Pepys, that, “being in very great perplexities, and almost distracted for want of moneys,” a person whom he had befriended in time of need proposed to recommend him an heiress, “who had 500_l._ per ann. in land, and 4,000_l._ in ready money,” and property of other kinds. “Believing it,” he writes, “utterly impossible,” that one whom he had assisted, “should ever be guilty of so black a deed” as to betray him in his distress, “I was, about a fortnight since, led as a fool to the stocks, and married a coachman’s daughter, not worth a shilling,” and whose moral character proved to be none of the purest. He, procuring evidence (shortly after) of adultery, took the case into the Ecclesiastical Court, which granted a divorce on that ground on May 17. {78} It was the _fourth_ time Sir Samuel tied the matrimonial knot, and the _last_. 1687, May 3. Sir William Moet, and Antonetta Willobe. 1687, Sept. 1. John Atley and Mary Crumwell. 1689, Jan. 7. Richard Bailey and Eliz. Shakespeare. 1690, July 20. Sir Thomas Fautherly and Mrs. Frances Brown. 1690, July 31. John Lenthall and Eliz. Wildman. 1693, Jan. 8. Thomas Cromwel and Ann Smith. 1694, Aug. 12. Edward Shaxspear and Eliz. Ward. 1695, May 26. Tristram Huddleston, Gentleman of St. James’, Wmr., and Mrs. Mary Darker of the same. 1695, Nov. 16. John Baptist Renoult, Minister of the parish of St. Ann’s, Westminster, and Amery Henri, Widd. 1696, July 23. John Line of St. Martin’s Neat Houses, and Dorothy ffall, spinster of St. Margaret’s, Westminster. 1697, Jan. 30. Jasper Arnold, Gent., of St. James, Westminster, and Antonett Culmer of Kensington, spinster. The Arnolds were a numerous and opulent family long resident in Westminster. Families of the same name, and probably connected, also resided in Knightsbridge and Kensington for above a century. One of the Westminster Arnolds was a brewer, and a juryman on the trial of the Seven Bishops. (See “Macaulay’s History.”) 1698, August 21. George Cumming, Taylor, at ye Woolstaple, near great Tom, St. Margaret’s, Westminster, and Mary Watson of the same place. 1698, Dec. 18. William ffinton, Life Guardsman in college-street, near ye Black dog: Catherine Llewyllen in Dean’s Yard, Westmr. (Black Dog Alley still exists in College Street.) 1699, Jan. 1. Thomas Lewsie, peruke maker in ye pel-mel at ye sign of ye two pidgeons, in St. James’ Westmr, and Mary pigot, of St. Paul’s, Covent Garden, in maiden lane.