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.
Versailles, 4 Mar 1700 – Fontainebleau, 1755
10 facts2 sources
4 Mar 1700
Born in Versailles
1755
Dies in Fontainebleau
He lived through 6 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Versailles.
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
Regulated river transport fares
For river travel, fares were strictly regulated and often posted on metal plates attached to the masts of the boats to prevent overcharging.
At the table
Famine food made of fern
During the 1709 famine, bread became so expensive that people made desperate loaves out of fern, which turned their skin yellow and left them too weak to stand.
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.
What people wore
Aprons as Occupational Markers
On working days, both men and women typically wore aprons, which often became stained by their specific occupations, such as printing or butchery.
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.