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Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland

St Margaret's Church, Westminster, 27 Nov 1640 – Chiswick, 9 Oct 1709

9 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

  • Born27 Nov 1640, St Margaret's Church, Westminsternot verified1 source
  • TitleLady of the Bedchambernot verified1 source
  • Died9 Oct 1709, Chiswicknot verified1 source
  • FatherWilliam Villiers, 2nd Viscount Grandisonnot verified1 source
  • MotherMary Bayningnot verified1 source

A life in time

  1. 27 Nov 1640

    Born in St Margaret's Church, Westminster

  2. 1661–1672

    7 children are born

  3. 9 Oct 1709

    Dies in Chiswick, aged 68

Family

See the tree

Parents

Children · 7

During her lifetime

She lived through 7 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around St Margaret's Church, Westminster.

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

The 1640s · Barbara is born in St Margaret's Church, Westminster

In the news1642

English Civil Wars begin

Beginning in 1642, the English Civil Wars caused approximately 200,000 deaths and led to heavy weekly taxes to fund the fighting.

Getting around

Travel from London to Dover by wagon

In 1640, the journey from London to Dover by long wagon often took three or four days due to the slow pace of the vehicle.

In the news1649

Execution of King Charles I

King Charles I was publicly executed for treason, marking the first time a monarch was beheaded by his own people.

Daily life

Candles and open fires lit homes

Lighting and cooking relied heavily on fire: people used candles for light and open fires for cooking. Many houses were built close together and often of wood, increasing the risk of fire.

What people wore

Ordinary women's linen smocks

Ordinary women wore smocks as an undergarment, which were loose, all-enveloping linen dresses. These could be made of holland linen for best or coarser fabrics for daily work.

Music

Music and Dance at Festivals

Festivals and local celebrations frequently featured dancing and singing accompanied by instruments like pipes and fiddles.

At the table

Beer and ale safer than water

Most people avoided water because it was rarely clean and could spread disease, so they drank beer or ale made from malted barley and water. Beer was the cheapest drink because its higher alcohol helped it last; some beers were aged for up to two years.