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Prince Robert, Duke of Chartres

Paris, 9 Nov 1840 – Saint-Firmin, 5 Dec 1910

8 facts1 source

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 9 Nov 1840

    Born in Paris

  2. 1865–1874

    5 children are born

  3. 5 Dec 1910

    Dies in Saint-Firmin, aged 70

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partner

Children · 5

During his lifetime

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

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

The 1840s · Prince is born in Paris

In the news1848

Abolition of slavery in 1848

The 1848 decree abolishing slavery throughout French colonies fundamentally changed the lives of enslaved people.

Getting around

Rise of railway travel speed

In 1848, trains could cover 30 km per hour, twice the average speed of a stagecoach, which traveled about 15 km per hour. Early railway passengers often needed to bring portable candlesticks to read because lighting was deficient.

In Europe1845–1852

The Great Famine in Ireland

Potato blight ruined harvests: a million Irish people died and a million more emigrated, many to America.

Daily life

Schooling in domestic spaces

While a royal ordinance in 1816 mandated that every commune maintain a school with free education for the poor, implementation was difficult and many children received instruction in settings that doubled as the teacher's living quarters, kitchen, or even bedroom. Teachers often managed their domestic chores, such as cooking at the fireplace, simultaneously while trying to instruct pupils in the same room.

What people wore

Traditional rustic mastruca vests for men

Ordinary male peasants in Sardinia often wore the mastruca, a rustic vest made from four sheep or goat skins, a traditional garment that dates back to Roman times.

Music

Parisian singing societies and long gatherings

In Paris, goguettes—popular singing societies—were central to daily life, with approximately twenty songs typically sung during meetings that lasted four to five hours.

At the table

Bread was the daily staple food

Bread made up seven-eighths of the working-class diet in Paris, while families often added stewed pears, roasted apples, or small amounts of pork or bacon in winter.