In the news1709–1710
The Great Winter of 1709
The Great Winter of 1709 brought extreme cold and severe famine to France, marking one of the century's worst economic crises.
9 Mar 1706 – Stockholm, 10 Apr 1772
6 facts2 sources
9 Mar 1706
Born
1734
A son is born
10 Apr 1772
Dies in Stockholm, aged 66
She lived through 8 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like.
General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.
In the news1709–1710
The Great Winter of 1709 brought extreme cold and severe famine to France, marking one of the century's worst economic crises.
Getting around
Common modes of personal travel
While the wealthy used carriages, ordinary people frequently traveled on foot or relied on pack animals like mules for longer journeys between towns.
At the table
Cost of living for laborers
In the early 18th century, a laborer earned about 112 livres per year and spent over half of his income, 53 percent, on grain and bread.
In Europe · 1700–1721The Great Northern War. Russia, Denmark and Saxony fought Sweden for the Baltic; Peter the Great won and built St Petersburg on the conquered coast.
What people wore
Origin of the term Grisette
The term grisette described poor working-class women, named after the simple gray woolen cloth used to make their dresses.
Music
Teaching Dance via Written Notation
Dance masters used specialized choreographic notation created by Raoul Auger Feuillet to distribute and teach new dance steps between Paris and the provinces. By 1721, collections contained dozens of dances composed by masters like Pécour and Balon for the French court.
Daily life
Limited and irregular primary education
Primary schooling was rare, especially for girls, and often conducted irregularly by the local priest or his vicar. Education was limited to the basics of reading, writing, and the catechism.