A Cambridgeshire school once attended by Samuel Pepys is now considering dropping his name from one of its houses after research exposed the famous diarist’s treatment of women.
Hinchingbrooke School in Huntingdon has launched a consultation on whether to rename Pepys House, one of five houses at the secondary school named after notable local figures, including Oliver Cromwell.
The school told parents that recent findings about the famous writer revealed “actions that were harmful, abusive and exploitative, especially in his relations with women.”
Mr Pepys attended the institution back in the 1640s when it was known as Huntingdon Grammar School.
He later became an MP and naval administrator, with his diaries documenting major events like the Great Fire of London and the Great Plague becoming invaluable historical records.
Associate principal Femi Solano explained that the behaviours documented in his own writings “do not align with the values we hold as a school – respect, equality, kindness and high standards.”
In an email to parents, she stressed: “This re-evaluation is not about erasing history. Instead, it is about ensuring that the figures we celebrate as role models reflect the values we want our students to live by.”
Principal Andy Hunter said the school remains proud of Mr Pepys’ achievements but acknowledged that “lots of the ways Pepys behaved, specifically towards women, would be not just unacceptable but criminal today.”
Hinchingbrooke School in Huntingdon has launched a consultation on whether to rename Pepys House, one of five houses at the secondary school
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He added: “We hope that this discussion will give our students the chance to talk about cancel culture, to weigh all the available evidence and consider how, and when, our understanding of the past should shape the decisions we make today.”
The proposal has sparked fury among some parents and former pupils, with critics accusing the school of trying to wipe away the past.
One parent described themselves as “incandescent about the wokery” upon receiving the email, urging teachers to “concentrate on giving my kid an education.”
“It’s another attempt to erase history that doesn’t suit modern times when really we should be learning about those times,” they added.
Samuel Pepys was responsible for an infamous diary that gave historians crucial details over events such as the Great Plague and the Great Fire of London
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Sir John Hayes, chairman of the Common Sense group of MPs, branded the potential name change “pathetic.”
He said: “Given Pepys is clearly their most famous son, it’s bizarre they should want to disown him. Pepys is arguably our greatest diarist.”
Former pupil and journalist Nigel Pauley wrote on X that Mr Pepys was being “cancelled,” noting his behaviours were “hardly a shock or recent discovery.”
The school’s re-evaluation was prompted by historian Guy de la Bedoyere’s examination of lesser-known sections of Mr Pepys’ diaries, which the diarist had concealed using a mixture of foreign languages and his own shorthand.
The research revealed that he wrote about attempting to touch at least one woman’s breasts daily, while other translations uncovered fantasies of rape and physical assaults on his wife and maidservants.
His wife, Elizabeth, reportedly called him “a dog and a rogue” after catching him groping their 16-year-old servant.
Mr Pepys also documented coercive encounters, including with Mrs Bagwell, the wife of a naval officer seeking promotion, writing that despite her protests, “in the end I had my will.”
Mr De la Bedoyere suggested his behaviour was “consistent with the neuropsychological disorder of addiction.”