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James II of England

London, 24 Oct 1633 – Saint-Germain-en-Laye, 16 Sep 1701

19 facts3 sources

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Facts and their sources

  • Born24 Oct 1633, Londonnot verified1 source
  • MarriedMary of Modenanot verified1 source
  • MarriedAnne, Duchess of Yorknot verified1 source
  • TitleDuke of Normandyor Duke of York, 1633–1685 · Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, 1660–1673 · Lord High Admiral, 1660–1673 · Monarch of Scotland, 1685–1688 · Lord High Admiral, 1685–1688 · Monarch of England, 1685–1688 · King of Ireland, 1685–1688 · Jacobite pretender, 1688–1701not verified1 source
  • TitleDuke of York, 1633–1685or Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, 1660–1673 · Lord High Admiral, 1660–1673 · Monarch of Scotland, 1685–1688 · Lord High Admiral, 1685–1688 · Monarch of England, 1685–1688 · King of Ireland, 1685–1688 · Jacobite pretender, 1688–1701 · Duke of Normandynot verified1 source
  • TitleLord Warden of the Cinque Ports, 1660–1673or Duke of York, 1633–1685 · Lord High Admiral, 1660–1673 · Monarch of Scotland, 1685–1688 · Lord High Admiral, 1685–1688 · Monarch of England, 1685–1688 · King of Ireland, 1685–1688 · Jacobite pretender, 1688–1701 · Duke of Normandynot verified1 source
  • TitleLord High Admiral, 1660–1673or Duke of York, 1633–1685 · Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, 1660–1673 · Monarch of Scotland, 1685–1688 · Lord High Admiral, 1685–1688 · Monarch of England, 1685–1688 · King of Ireland, 1685–1688 · Jacobite pretender, 1688–1701 · Duke of Normandynot verified1 source
  • TitleMonarch of England, 1685–1688or Duke of York, 1633–1685 · Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, 1660–1673 · Lord High Admiral, 1660–1673 · Monarch of Scotland, 1685–1688 · Lord High Admiral, 1685–1688 · King of Ireland, 1685–1688 · Jacobite pretender, 1688–1701 · Duke of Normandynot verified1 source
  • TitleKing of Ireland, 1685–1688or Duke of York, 1633–1685 · Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, 1660–1673 · Lord High Admiral, 1660–1673 · Monarch of Scotland, 1685–1688 · Lord High Admiral, 1685–1688 · Monarch of England, 1685–1688 · Jacobite pretender, 1688–1701 · Duke of Normandynot verified1 source
  • TitleMonarch of Scotland, 1685–1688or Duke of York, 1633–1685 · Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, 1660–1673 · Lord High Admiral, 1660–1673 · Lord High Admiral, 1685–1688 · Monarch of England, 1685–1688 · King of Ireland, 1685–1688 · Jacobite pretender, 1688–1701 · Duke of Normandynot verified1 source
  • TitleLord High Admiral, 1685–1688or Duke of York, 1633–1685 · Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, 1660–1673 · Lord High Admiral, 1660–1673 · Monarch of Scotland, 1685–1688 · Monarch of England, 1685–1688 · King of Ireland, 1685–1688 · Jacobite pretender, 1688–1701 · Duke of Normandynot verified1 source
  • TitleJacobite pretender, 1688–1701or Duke of York, 1633–1685 · Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, 1660–1673 · Lord High Admiral, 1660–1673 · Monarch of Scotland, 1685–1688 · Lord High Admiral, 1685–1688 · Monarch of England, 1685–1688 · King of Ireland, 1685–1688 · Duke of Normandynot verified1 source
  • Died16 Sep 1701, Saint-Germain-en-Layenot verified1 source
  • MotherHenrietta Maria of Francenot verified1 source
  • FatherCharles I of Englandnot verified1 source

A life in time

  1. 1633–1685

    Duke of York

  2. 24 Oct 1633

    Born in London

  3. 1660–1692

    25 children are born

  4. 1660–1673

    Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports

  5. 1660–1673

    Lord High Admiral

  6. 1685–1688

    Monarch of England

  7. 1685–1688

    King of Ireland

  8. 1685–1688

    Monarch of Scotland

  9. 1685–1688

    Lord High Admiral

  10. 1688–1701

    Jacobite pretender

  11. 16 Sep 1701

    Dies in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, aged 67

Family

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Parents

Partners

Children · 27

During his lifetime

He lived through 8 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around London.

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

The 1630s · James II is born in London

In the news1626–1632

Great plague outbreak kills one million

Between 1626 and 1632, a devastating plague outbreak killed approximately one million people, causing many towns to lose one-third to one-quarter of their inhabitants.

Getting around

Carriages stuck in the mud

Carriages sometimes required a team of sturdy laborers on both sides to prop them up so they would not overturn in deep mud.

In the news1631

First French newspaper is founded

Théophraste Renaudot founded La Gazette in 1631, which became the first newspaper in France.

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

The Popularity of the Viol

The viola da gamba, a fretted instrument with six strings played with a bow, became very popular for domestic music-making because of its shimmering sound and relative ease of learning.

At the table

Ordinary diets centered on pottage

For poorer people, pottage (a thick vegetable stew) was a main food, alongside bread and vegetables. This diet left many lacking vitamins and iron, and hard times meant hunger when prices rose.