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Catherine de Parthenay

Mouchamps, 1 Apr 1554 – Mouchamps, 26 Oct 1631

6 facts2 sources

Facts and their sources

  • Born1 Apr 1554, Mouchampsnot verified1 source
  • Died26 Oct 1631, Mouchampsnot verified1 source

A life in time

  1. 1 Apr 1554

    Born in Mouchamps

  2. 20 Jun 1578

    A daughter is born

  3. 26 Oct 1631

    Dies in Mouchamps, aged 77

Family

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Partner

Children · 1

During her lifetime

She lived through 9 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Mouchamps.

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

The 1550s · Catherine is born in Mouchamps

In the news1545–1552

Plague epidemics devastate the region

Between 1545 and 1552, plague outbreaks caused extreme hardship, leading to deserted towns and citizens walling up infected homes.

At the table

Bread and soup were dietary staples

Ordinary families based their daily diet on bread, often eaten as soup by soaking pieces in water or bouillon, alongside cereal porridges or cakes. This was frequently accompanied by a companage, which was a variety of accessible foods like vegetables, legumes, cheese, or eggs.

What people wore

Shepherdess attire in Anjou

A shepherdess from Anjou wore a cloth bonnet with a raised crown, a blouse with a fluted collar, a blue bodice, braces, and a woollen skirt.

Getting around

Royal travel took weeks to complete

A royal court journey from Paris to Chambord could take three weeks because the procession included thousands of people, animals, and entire households.

What it cost

Meat prices in 1550

In 1550, a pound of beef cost 8 deniers tournois, while a pound of pork cost 10 deniers tournois.

Music

Rise of amateur home music

While professional musicians were hired for major events, amateur music-making at home became popular among the nobility and bourgeoisie, supported by the growth of music publishing and the use of tablatures.

Daily life

Segregated elementary schooling

While private tutors served noble families, elementary schools for others were church-run and segregated by gender; a 1554 decree specifically prohibited boys and girls from studying together.