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.
Paris, 13 Aug 1717 – Paris, 2 Aug 1776
9 facts3 sources
13 Aug 1717
Born in Paris
1734–1772
4 children are born
1749–1776
Grand prior of France
2 Aug 1776
Dies in Paris, aged 58
He lived through 7 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.
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.
What people wore
Sunday Best for Working Women
Working-class women often kept a single outfit, similar to modern Sunday best, specifically for holidays and special public events.
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.
In Europe · 1701–1714War of the Spanish Succession. Europe’s powers fought for thirteen years over who would inherit the Spanish throne; a Bourbon kept it, and Britain gained Gibraltar.
In the news1716
John Law established the Banque Générale in 1716, which later issued paper bank notes guaranteed by the king to stimulate the economy.
Music
The Pocket-Sized Teacher's Violin
To make professional dance lessons convenient at home, masters used the pochette, a small, boat-shaped violin that could be easily carried in a pocket or sachet.
Daily life
Intense use of single-room dwellings
Ordinary homes often consisted of a single room used for all daily activities, including cooking, sleeping, and childcare, with furniture rearranged throughout the day. In rural areas, houses were typically made of wattle and daub with thatched roofs, often lacking glass windows and floorboards.