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Prince Octavius of Great Britain

Buckingham Palace, 23 Feb 1779 – Kew Palace, 3 May 1783

8 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 23 Feb 1779

    Born in Buckingham Palace

  2. 3 May 1783

    Dies in Kew Palace, aged 4

Family

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Parents

During his lifetime

He lived through 2 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Buckingham Palace.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1770s · Prince is born in Buckingham Palace

In the news1772

Slavery effectively outlawed in 1772

Lord Mansfield ruled in 1772 that slavery was not supported by the common law of England, effectively outlawing it.

Getting around

Slow coach travel speeds in mid-18th century

Coaching became more common after 1760, but travel remained slow; in 1755, average coach speeds to London were less than five miles per hour.

At the table

Sixpenny dinner for craftsmen

For an average London craftsman, a typical dinner consisted of bread, beer, and cheese or fatty bacon, often costing sixpence.

Watt’s steam engine. James Watt’s much more efficient steam engine, patented in 1769, powered the mills and mines of the Industrial Revolution.Around the world · 1769–1776

Watt’s steam engine. James Watt’s much more efficient steam engine, patented in 1769, powered the mills and mines of the Industrial Revolution.

Nicolás Pérez · CC BY-SA 3.0

What people wore

Dual-purpose Undergarments

Women often wore a shift (a basic undergarment) that served as both daytime underwear and sleepwear.

Music

Harp music for a late night dance

In 1770, party guests hired a professional harpist for an evening of dancing, paying him one shilling each for his services. The music from this single harp was sufficient for them to dance until 1 a.m.

Daily life

Piped Water Cost Three Shillings

In London, some houses had water piped to them three times a week for a cost of three shillings per quarter.