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Princess Mary of the United Kingdom

Buckingham Palace, 1776 – Gloucester House, 1857

10 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 1776

    Born in Buckingham Palace

  2. 1857

    Dies in Gloucester House

Family

See the tree

Parents

During her lifetime

She lived through 9 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 · Princess 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

Travel options depended on personal wealth

Wealthy travelers hired expensive postchaises for speed, while poorer people sometimes paid to sit on baggage in slow carts pulled by carriers.

At the table

Tea becomes a common drink

By the middle of the 18th century, drinking tea had become common even among ordinary people, despite its cost.

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

Music at a Black social club

At a 1773 dance in Southwark, a group of 59 Black servants entertained themselves with music played on violins and French horns. All the performers in this band were Black, and no White people were allowed to attend.

Daily life

Adjusting Rushlights Was a Child's Chore

Rushlights, made from dried reed pith dipped in fat, were a cheap source of light, though they could burn for as little as ten minutes. It was often the youngest family member's chore to manually adjust the reed in its clamp to keep the light burning.