nell gwynn descendants

Her noble descendant Beauclerk pieces together circumstantial evidence to favour an Oxford birth. James II, following his brother's deathbed wish, "Let not poor Nelly starve," paid most of her debts and gave her a pension. Various anonymous verses are the only other sources describing her childhood occupations: bawdyhouse servant, street hawker of herring, oysters, or turnips, and cinder-girl have all been put forth. [4], Nell Gwyn is reported in a manuscript of 1688 to have been a daughter of "Thos [Thomas] Guine a Capt [captain] of ane antient fammilie in Wales", although the reliability of the statement is doubtful as its author does not seem to have hesitated to create or alter details where the facts were unknown or perhaps unremarkable. Gwyn returned to the stage again in late 1670, something Beauclerk calls an "extraordinary thing to do" for a mistress with a royal child. All Census Lookups are Crown Copyright, National Archives for academic and non-commercial research purposes only. Gwyn and her mother spent some of this time in Oxford, following the King and his court. Gwyn was attending a performance of George Etherege's She Wou'd if She Cou'd at the theatre in Lincoln's Inn Fields. Several months later, Louise de Krouaille came to England from France, ostensibly to serve as a maid of honour to Queen Catherine, but also to become another mistress to King Charles, probably by design on both the French and English sides. The Prime Minister's official spokesman, however, had the last word: "It sounds to me like the desperate act of the spent forces of conservatism. She continued to act at the King's House, her new notoriety drawing larger crowds and encouraging the playwrights to craft more roles specifically for her. Can you tell us more about this person? Her return was in Dryden's The Conquest of Granada, a two-part epic produced in December 1670 and January 1671. Gwyn had two sons by King Charles: Charles Beauclerk (16701726) and James Beauclerk (16711680). Perhaps she just served the drinks and dreamed of treading the boards French fashions were hugely popular, so it's not surprising that London was keen to follow in the Parisian's footsteps. Donations welcome June 1668 found her in Dryden's An Evening's Love, or The Mock Astrologer, and in July she played in Lacy's The Old Troop, a farce about a company of Cavalier soldiers during the English Civil War, based on Lacy's own experiences. WebBorn Eleanor Gwynn on February 2, 1650, in England (authorities are unsure whether in London, Oxford, or Hereford); died on November 14, 1687; daughter of Helena and Thomas or James Gwynn (a common soldier); children: (with Charles II) Charles Beauclerk (16701726, later duke of St. Albans); James Beau-clerk, earl of Plymouth (d. 1680). Just after the death of Henry Jermyn, 1st Earl of St Albans on 5 January 1684, King Charles granted his son Charles the title of Duke of St Albans, gave him an allowance of 1,000 a year, and also granted him the offices of Chief Ranger of Enfield Chase and Master of the Hawks in reversion; i.e., after the death of the current incumbents.[54]. Nell Gwyn had left the stage by this point.[50]. Nell answered then, "I was but one man's whore, though I was brought up in a bawdy-house to fill strong waters to the guests; and you are a whore to three or four, though a Presbyter's praying daughter!"[12]. The circumstances of the child's life in Paris and the cause of his death are both unknown, one of the few clues being that he died "of a sore leg", which Beauclerk speculates could mean anything from an accident to poison. In one instance, recorded in a letter from George Legge to Lord Preston, Gwyn characteristically jabbed at the Duchess's "great lineage," dressing in black at Court, the same mourning attire as Louise when a prince of France died. The favourite mistress of King Charles II, Gwynn started out as a prostitute, giving that up to flog oranges in theatres, which got her a break on the stage at a time when female actresses were a completely novel idea. We use cookies to ensure you have the best browsing experience and to help us improve our website. When Charles Beauclerk (pictured above right and left) was six years old, on the arrival of the King, Nell said, "Come here, you little bastard, and say hello to your father." Putting her head out of the coach window, "Good people", she said, smiling, "you are mistaken; I am the Protestant whore."[58]. WebThat a Winn/Wynne family of Va. descends from Sir John Wynn of Gwydir. The National Portrait Gallery will NOT use your information to contact you or store for any other purpose than to investigate or display your contribution. Beauclerk died at Bath two days after his 56th birthday and is buried in Westminster Abbey. She persuaded the king to create her son Charles Beauclerk, 1st Baron Heddington and Earl of Burford and, subsequently, Duke of St. Albans. Do you have specialist knowledge or a particular interest about any aspect of the portrait or sitter or artist that you can share with us? Raised in South Africa with her equally eligible brother Viscount Althorp and the glamorous society twins Amelia and Eliza, recently the covers of Tatler s March issue, theyre the children of Earl Spencer and his first wife, waifish ex-model (shot vampishly for the cover by David Bailey in 1990) Victoria Lockwood. Three cities make the claim to be Gwyn's birthplace: Hereford, London (specifically Covent Garden) and Oxford. Please ensure your comments are relevant and appropriate. Ranging from from dukes to dustmen, they include Samantha He also had a wife, Portuguese Queen consort Catherine of Braganza, whose pregnancies all ended in miscarriages, and she had little or no say over Charles's choice to have mistresses. In the cast list of Aphra Behn's The Rover, produced at Dorset Garden in March 1677, the part of Angelica Bianca, "a famous Curtezan" is played by a Mrs. Gwin. They certainly enjoyed secret nights playing cards together away from prying eyes. In 1664, through the influence of her older sister, Rose, Nell became an orange-girl at the Drury Lane Theatre. James II, obeying his brother's deathbed wish, "Let not poor Nelly starve," eventually paid most of Gwyn's debts and gave her an annual pension of 1,500. The details of Gwyn's background are somewhat obscure. Please login. Gwyn has appeared as the principal, or a leading character, in numerous stage works and novels, including: Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Her last stage appearance was with Hart in Drydens Conquest of Granada by the Spaniards (January 1670), the production of which had been postponed several months for her return to the stage after the birth of her first son by the king in 1670. Gwyn gave birth to her first son, Charles, on 8 May 1670. Please could you let us know your source of information. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. The playwright Dryden supplied her with a series of saucy, bustling parts, ideally suited to her talents. Sir John Wynn (d.1626, aet 73) is famous as the author of 'The History of the Gwydir Family' and one of the most prominent Welshmen of his day. "[42], Having previously been the mistress of Charles Hart and Charles Sackville, Gwyn jokingly called the King "her Charles the Third". brated actress and favourite of Charles II. Yeah, we are all equal, but those with links to the peerage can find out more about their ancestors . Here Mrs. Pierce tells me [] that Nelly and Beck Marshall, falling out the other day, the latter called the other my Lord Buckhurst's whore. A letter from Wigmore to Etherege, the day after Gwyn's burial, reports that Gwyn left 'about 1,000,000 l. stirling, a great many say more, few less'. The author of her 1752 biography relates a conversation (more than likely fabricated) between Gwyn and Charles II in which he, feeling at a loss, said, "O, Nell! Charles II then built 'Burford House,' for her, a mansion on the edge of Windsor Home Park, 250 yards from Windsor Castle. Her mother Ellen was in her thirties at the time, a born and bred Londoner. Nells father is harder to pin down hes often described as a Welsh soldier named Thomas Gwyn (or Gywnne, or Guinne) who fought for the Royalists and died in a debtors prison in Oxford in 1661, but thats pieced together from fragments here and there. [3] Nell's mother is said to have drowned when she fell into the water at her house near Chelsea. The Catholic whore was still the Frenchwoman Louise de Krouaille, who had been created Duchess of Portsmouth in 1673. Complete opposites, Louise was very proud woman of her noble Breton birth, Nell a true child of the London streets, scathingly nicknamed her "Squintabella" and the "Weeping Willow" for her tendencies to weep. [37] Pepys reports that by 22 August 1667, Gwyn had returned to the King's Playhouse in The Indian Emperour. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Nell played some fantastic roles which were written for her by Dryden and his contemporaries. Dryden later wrote plays specifically to exploit her talents as a comic actress. 18283, dismisses reported appearances in the late 1670s and early 1680s as non-credible, noting "the publicity that would have attended such a comeback is absent". Nell Gwyn remains one of England's great folk-heroines. Charles II had been restored to the English throne in 1660 and quickly reinstated the theatre. Her father was of Welsh descent, a soldier ruined by the civil war, he is said to have died in a debtors prison in Oxford, Nell probably had no memory of him. His Whig sentiments prevented his advancement under Queen Anne, but he was restored to favour at the accession of King George I. [20] The use of 'Mrs' would imply that Gwyn was more likely born in 1642 than 1650 as it indicates an actress over the age of 21 (not her marital status) for which certain roles would be more suitable. She never forgot her old friends and, as far as is known, remained faithful to her royal lover from the beginning of their intimacy until his death and, after his death, to his memory. Their relationship lasted perhaps two years and was reported with obscenity-laced acidity in several later satires; "For either with expense of purse or p---k, / At length the weary fool grew Nelly-sick". Children of Eleanor Gwynne and Charles II Stuart, King of Great Britain, Charles Beauclerk, 1st Duke of St. Albans+ b. 'Tis our joint cause; I know you in your hearts If you have information to share please complete the form below. In May, a second stroke left her confined to the bed in her Pall Mall house; she made out her will on 9 July and a codicil on 18 October with her executors, Laurence Hyde (the Earl of Rochester), Thomas Earl of Pembroke, Sir Robert Sawyer the Attorney General, and Henry Sidney each receiving 100. He had oodles of them you could make up a whole page from his courtesans Eleanor "Nell" Gwyn (or Gwynn or Gwynne) (2 February 1650 14 November 1687) was a long-time mistress of King Charles II of England. Whether this activity rose to the level of pimping may be a matter of semantics.[17]. According to the London Encyclopedia (Macmillan, 1983) she "entertained Charles II here with little concerts and breakfasts". Charles Beauclerk, 1st Duke of St Albans, KG (8 May 1670 10 May 1726) was an illegitimate son of King Charles II of England by his mistress Nell Gwyn. ", Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. He asked in return that she and her son should convert to Catholicism but she refused to. Corrections? Omissions? Spotted an error, information that is missing (a sitters life dates, occupation or family relationships, or a date of portrait for example) or do you know anything that we don't know? MORE THAN 800 years of parliamentary tradition went out with a bang, not a simper, yesterday as the Earl of Burford staged a last-gasp protest against the abolition of hereditary peers' right to sit and vote in the House of Lords. Nell survived her royal lover by less than three years. They were opposites in personality and mannerism; Louise a proud woman of noble birth used to the sophistication of Versailles, Gwyn a spirited and pranking ex-orange-wench. When the King protested, she replied, "Your Majesty has given me no other name by which to call him." Sitter associated with 30 portraitsEleanor Gywn, or 'Pretty witty Nell', as Pepys called her, came to London as an orange-seller, and rose to become one of the leading comic actresses of the day, and mistress to the King, Charles II. It would be her main residence for the rest of her life. At the height of the Exclusion Crisis, when the religious feeling was at boiling point, Nell's coach was attacked by an angry mob who mistook her for the Catholic foreign mistress. : 1866 - 1939), http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article21250097, create private tags and comments, readable only by you, and. The plan failed; reportedly, Gwyn asked 500 a year to be kept and this was rejected as it was regarded as too expensive. 1671), died in 1680. Waving an order paper, the earl forced the Lords Deputy Speaker out of the way and delivered a short speech defending his pedigree chums: "This Bill drafted in Brussels is treason. [16] Orange Moll hired Nell and her elder sister Rose as scantily clad orange-girls, selling the small, sweet "china" oranges to the audience inside the theatre for a sixpence each. By mid-1668, Gwyn's affair with the King was well-known, though there was little reason to believe it would last for long. It's easy and takes two shakes of a lamb's tail! But we need to be super sure you aren't a robot. Another legend is that Beauclerk's mother held him out of a window (or above a river) and threatened to drop him unless he was given a peerage. During Gwyn's first years with Charles, there was little competition in the way of other mistresses: Barbara Palmer was on her way out, while others, such as Moll Davis, kept quietly away from the spotlight of public appearances or Whitehall. She broke up the fight, saying, "I am a whore. attributed to Simon Verelstoil on canvas, circa 1670NPG L248, Unknown woman, formerly known as Nell Gwyn, studio of Sir Peter Lelyoil on canvas, circa 1675NPG 3976, by Simon Verelstoil on canvas, feigned oval, circa 1680NPG 2496, by Gerard Valck, after Sir Peter Lelyline engravingNPG 3811, Nell Gwyn (Margaret Lemon with the head altered to Nell Gwyn), by Richard Gaywood, after Sir Anthony van Dyck, and head after Gerard Valck, after Sir Peter Lelyetching and line engraving, circa 1662; head late 17th centuryNPG D47402, after Sir Peter Lelymezzotint, (circa 1665-1680)NPG D18789, by Abraham de Blois, published by Nicolaes Visscher II, after Sir Peter Lelymezzotint, (1670s)NPG D2543, by Gerard Valck, after Sir Peter Lelyline engraving, circa 1673NPG D10959, by and published by Thomas van der Wiltmezzotint, 1687NPG D30626, James Beauclerk; Charles Beauclerk, 1st Duke of St Albans; Nell Gwyn, by Richard Tompson, after Sir Peter Lelymezzotint, before 1693NPG D35093, by Richard Tompson, after Sir Peter Lelymezzotint, before 1693NPG D35094, after Richard Tompson, and after Sir Peter Lelymezzotint, after 1693NPG D35095, by and sold by James Macardell, after Sir Peter Lelymezzotint, mid 18th centuryNPG D30623, by Peter van Bleeck, after Sir Peter Lelymezzotint, 1751NPG D30627, by Peter van Bleeck, after Sir Peter Lelymezzotint, 1751NPG D18788, by Valentine Green, published by Walter Shropshire, after Sir Peter Lelymezzotint, published 17 November 1777NPG D30625, by Valentine Green, published by Walter Shropshire, after Simon Verelstmezzotint, published 17 November 1777NPG D2515, by John Ogborne, published by Anthony Molteno, after Sir Peter Lelystipple engraving, published 2 January 1802NPG D30624, by Henry Richard Cook, published by Mathews & Leigh, after Sir Peter Lelystipple engraving, published 1 August 1807NPG D30621, by Schenecker, published by John White, published by John Scott, after Sir Peter Lelystipple engraving, published 1 July 1808NPG D30622. Its just as well that Nell Gwynn was a real person because shed be entirely unbelievable as an invented character. An excellent singer and dancer and much in demand as a speaker of impudent prologues and epilogues, pretty, witty Nell was ill-suited to serious parts, yet she was often cast for roles in romantic dramas. [25], The Great Plague of London shut down the Bridges Street theatre, along with most of the city, from mid-1665 until late 1666. Partner of Charles II of England She was a well-known beauty, who became lady of the bedchamber to Caroline of Ansbach, Princess of Wales. [citation needed] The work exposed her to multiple aspects of theatre life and to London's higher society: this was after all "the King's playhouse", and Charles frequently attended performances. Nell was was the daughter of Thomas and Ellen Gwynn, her place of birth is disputed, with some sources stating Pipe Well Lane in Hereford, which was renamed Gwynne Street in the nineteenth century, while others state she was born in London. How do you know this? If you wish to license an image, please use our Rights and Images service. Several anonymous satires from the time relate a tale of Gwyn, with the help of her friend Aphra Behn, slipping a powerful laxative into Davis's tea-time cakes before an evening when she was expected in the King's bed. Additionally, 'Nelle' was intended to play the small role of Paulina, a courtesan, in Killigrew's Thomaso, or The Wanderer in November 1664, but the play seems to have been cancelled. He also paid off the mortgage on Gwyn's Nottinghamshire lodge at Bestwood, which remained in the Beauclerk family until 1940. [3] The younger, James, born a year later died when he was nine. The notoriously temperamental Barbara Palmer (nee Villiers) Lady Castlemaine, had been Charles' mistress for many years, but their relationship was beginning to sour by the time he met Nell Gwynn. The information we have about Gwyn is collected from various sources, including the plays she starred in, satirical poetry and pictures, diaries, and letters. She was said to have been remembered by Charles on his deathbed with the words WebShe had two sons by the King, and the elder, Charles Beauclerk, was created Duke of St Albans. WebFamous quotes containing the words nell gwyn, descendants of, child, descendants and/or england: Shall the dog lie where the deer once crouched? Eleanor Gwynne also went by the nick-name of Nell.1 She and Charles II Stuart, King of Great Britain were associated. On 21 December 1676, a warrant was passed for "a grant to Charles Beauclerc, the King's natural son, and to the heirs male of his body, of the dignities of Baron of Heddington, co. Oxford, and Earl of Burford in the same county, with remainder to his brother, James Beauclerc, and the heirs male of his body. Sent to school in Paris when he was six, he died there in 1681. Charles supposedly cried out "God save the Earl of Burford!" For example, The Bodleian Manuscript of The Siege of Urbin has the part of Pedro (Melina- a maid servant in breeches) played by a 'Mrs. WebFamous quotes containing the words nell gwyn, descendants of, child, descendants and/or england: Shall the dog lie where the deer once crouched? Her mother 'Madam Gwynn', was born within the parish of St Martin-in-the-Fields, London, and is thought to have lived most of her life in the city, she was by most accounts an alcoholic who ran a bawdy house or brothel, where the young Nell is said to have 'served strong waters to gentlemen.'. She is especially remembered for one particularly apt witticism, which was recounted in the memoirs of the Comte de Gramont, remembering the events of 1681: Nell Gwynn was one day passing through the streets of Oxford, in her coach, when the mob mistaking her for her rival, the Duchess of Portsmouth, commenced hooting and loading her with every opprobrious epithet. From 1666 to 1669 Nell was the leading comedienne of the Kings Company, playing continuously, save for a brief absence in 1667, while she was the mistress of Lord Buckhurst, afterward 6th Earl of Dorset. "[60], In 1937, a new ten-storey block of 437 flats in Sloane Avenue, Chelsea, was given the name Nell Gwynn House, and in a high alcove above the main entrance is a statue of Gwyn, with a Cavalier King Charles spaniel at her feet. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. She had none of the political aspirations of his other mistresses. Search here. Although she left considerable debts, always charitable in memory of her father, in her will she left a legacy to the Newgate prisoners in London. Eleanor Gwyn (2 February 1650 14 November 1687; also spelled Gwynn, Gwynne) was a celebrity figure of the Restoration period. Please, if you are going to represent her as a leading example of a courtesan, get the person who had her as a mistress right. Gwyn gave birth to her second child by the King, christened James, on 25 December 1671. !Lady Sybil Lascelles, daughter-in-law to, Besides, the following are descended from, 'Mr. Click on current line of text for options. In either case, the available evidence indicates that Nell was not a member of their family.[7]. The earl, who has made it his short life's work to prove that one of his ancestors, Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford, was the real author of Shakespeare's plays, declared: "If Blair gets his way in Britain, then, in the words of Shakespeare, our country 'will be a wilderness again,/Peopled with wolves'. The diarist, Samuel Pepys, reported himself delighted by the performance of "pretty, witty Nell", watching her as Florimel in Dryden's Secret Love, or the Maiden Queen he wrote- "so great a performance of a comical part was never, I believe, in the world before..so done by Nell her merry part as cannot be better done in nature". During Samuel Pepys's life women were first allowed to take to the stage as professional actresses. Evidence for any one of the three is scarce. [34], Beauclerk describes Buckhurst: "Cultured, witty, satirical, dissolute, and utterly charming". Please note that we cannot provide valuations. However, as they gained attention, skill and fame, they could make greater demands of writers, and parts began to get better. She was small, slender, and shapely, with a heart-shaped face, hazel eyes, and chestnut-brown hair. W. Nelthorp B'eauclerk, our minister, Beauclerk, of the North Staffordshire Regi. Nell Gwynn (c. 16501687) She was 37 years old (if she was born in 1650).

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