He also gave her a house at 79, Pall Mall, where John Evelyn reported seeing her leaning over her garden wall chaffing her royal lover. In May, a second stroke rendered her bedridden in her house at Pall Mall. 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. We digitise over 8,000 portraits a year and we cannot guarantee being able to digitise images that are not already scheduled. King Charles died on 6 February 1685. Buckingham had an alternative plan, which was to set the King up with Moll Davis, an actress with the rival Duke's Company. WebNell gave birth to her first son, Charles Beauclerk, on 8 May 1670. From across the sea, an art revolution is coming. Shortly afterwards, the King granted Gwyn and their son a house, which was renamed Burford House, on the edge of the Home Park in Windsor. You can buy a print of most illustrated portraits. [25], There is some debate over the year The Mad Couple debuted, with earlier authorities believing it to be 1667. 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. Updates? He had 13 children in all by his mistresses. Whether this activity rose to the level of pimping may be a matter of semantics.[17]. Corrections? Inline images in messages are the copyright of the respective linked sites. There are occasions when we are unsure of the identity of a sitter or artist, their life dates, occupation or have not recorded their family relationships. A second son, James Beauclerk was born in 1671, but died at a boarding school in Paris in 1680, the How do you know this? 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]. She retained Charles' II affection as much by her wit as her looks and their relationship was to last for sixteen years. Page 879 - NELL GWYNN'S DESCENDANTS. James II, following his brother's deathbed wish, "Let not poor Nelly starve," paid most of her debts and gave her a pension. In March 1687, she suffered a stroke that left her paralysed on one side. 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! She lived there when the King was in residence at Windsor Castle. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nell-Gwyn-English-actress, BFI Screenonline - Biography of Nell Gwyn, Royal County of Berkshire History - Biography of Nell Gwynne, Nell Gwyn - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up), Charles Beauclerk, 1st duke of Saint Albans. In response, Charles created him Earl of Burford. Nell survived her royal lover by less than three years. ", Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. King) could be mustered to see Miss Marie, -Tempest and Miss Julia Neilson represent, ing their famous ancestress. Want to search our collection? 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'. Managed by: Private User Last Updated: May 23, 2018: View Complete Profile. This may have been her last play; 1671 was almost certainly her last season. Its always intrigued me too, how some descendants end up peers of the realm and others end up "dustbinmen". 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. She was probably his favourite mistress. Take a closer look with the unique Van de Velde drawings collection, What's out there in space lurking close to the Earth and is it going to hit us? "[57] Her will and codicil were proved on 7 December 1687. As she was working class, no-one recorded the specifics of her life, her date of birth, for example, until she became famous. 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'. [1] In 1718, George made him a Knight of the Garter. Madam Gwyn is sometimes said to have had the maiden surname Smith. Edward J. Davies, "Nell Gwyn and 'Dr Gwyn of Ch. Ch. Please could you let us know your source of information. A few months later, the Frenchwoman Louise de Krouaille came to England, ostensibly to serve as a maid of honour to Charles' wife, Catherine of Branganza, but in reality as Charles' mistress. Beauclerk, p. 307, gives a slightly different quote. Hate serious plays, as I do serious parts. Beauclerk died at Bath two days after his 56th birthday and is buried in Westminster Abbey. [11] She experimented with cross-dressing between 1663 and 1667 going under the name "William Nell" and adopting a false beard; her observations informed a most successful and hilarious character interpretation acting as a man on the stage in March 1667. [1] On the other hand, an account published in The New Monthly Magazine and Humorist in 1838 states that she was born about 1642. Nell Gwyn remains one of England's great folk-heroines. She was a well-known beauty, who became lady of the bedchamber to Caroline of Ansbach, Princess of Wales. Her second son, James, Lord Beauclerk (b. 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. She was small, slender, and shapely, with a heart-shaped face, hazel eyes, and chestnut-brown hair. Someone there asked, "What the deuce was the Cham of Tartary to you?" 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. Several of their children went on to become prominent members of society, such as Vere 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. If you require information from us, please use our Archive enquiry service. There is also the legend that Nell Gwynne chose red coats for the Chelsea Pensioners of the Royal Hospital Chelsea she allegedly influenced Charles II to found because she remembered the pensioners of Coningsby Hospital in Hereford wore coats of the same colour. 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. Nell was extremely pretty with long reddish-brown hair and a good figure, reckless but generous and unpretentious, she was known to be illiterate and could only sign her name with her awkwardly scrawled initials "E.G.". During the decade of protectorate rule by the Cromwells, pastimes regarded as frivolous, including theatre, had been banned. WebFamous quotes containing the words nell gwyn, descendants of, child, descendants and/or england: Shall the dog lie where the deer once crouched? Please, if you are going to Select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Buy a Print button. Home; Trees; Search; DNA; Explore; Help; Top record matches for Nell Gwyn. Hereinafter cited as Britain's Royal Family. WebNell Gwyn Arms of Charles Beauclerk, 1st Duke of St Albans: Royal arms of King Charles II debruised by a baton sinister gules charged with three roses argent Charles Beauclerk, 1st There, or in the bawdy house of one Madam Ross, Nell would spend at least some time. 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. Her funeral drew a large audience for the last time, the funeral sermon was preached by Thomas Tenison, afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury. 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". If you wish to license an image, please use our Rights and Images service. In May 1665, she appeared opposite Hart in James Howard's comedy All Mistaken, or the Mad Couple. Much like the dispute over her date of birth, it is unclear when Gwyn began to perform professionally on the Restoration stage. WebTheir descendants adopted the surname de Vere Beauclerk, which is still in use today. The first, and most popular, is that when Charles was six years old, on the arrival of the King, Gwyn said, "Come here, you little bastard, and say hello to your father." "Od's fish!" Since you've made it this far, we want to assume you're a real, live human. It is claimed that there are some two thousand living descendants of King Charles II and Nell Gwyn. [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. 'Tis our joint cause; I know you in your hearts 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 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. Charles is known to have denied paternity of her second son who was born in 1663, but Barbara, renowned for her furious temper, stamped her foot shouting "God damn me, but you shall own it!" JS: Yes. The specific details are hard to pin down. His Whig sentiments prevented his advancement under Queen Anne, but he was restored to favour at the accession of King George I. Of course they, all come from her eldest son, Charles Beau. It was the end of what I think of as 'the era of beige', the puritans and the civil war. Partner of Charles II of England Her mother was drowned in a pond at Chelsea, probably while drunk, in July 1679. "[36] Gwyn was acting once more in late August, and her brief affair with Buckhurst had ended. 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? He was succeeded by his eldest son. Charles invited Gwyn and her escort, Mr. Villiers, a cousin of Buckingham's, to supper along with his brother the Duke of York. "[31] Killigrew must have agreed with Pepys's opinion. This appears to be derived from a fragmentary pedigree by Anthony Wood that shows signs of confusion between different Gwyn families and it has not been firmly established. On 21 December 1676, Charles II granted to Charles Beauclerk, the titles of Baron of Heddington and Earl of Burford. 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? There are blue plaques at 79 Pall Mall, the house Charles II gave Nell to live in, and at the site of Bagnigge House, 61-63 Kings Cross Road. Read 39 reviews from the worlds largest community for readers. and subsequently created that peerage. Her balance at Child's Bank was reported to be well over four figures, and she possessed almost 15,000 ounces of plate. [34], Beauclerk describes Buckhurst: "Cultured, witty, satirical, dissolute, and utterly charming". In the 18th century, the house became a popular spa, before giving way to development. "[42], Having previously been the mistress of Charles Hart and Charles Sackville, Gwyn jokingly called the King "her Charles the Third". Mine didnt leave enough information about themselves for my liking! WebA trailer film promoting a stage production of 'NELL GWYNN' at the Courtyard Theatre, Hereford 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. 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. All Census Lookups are Crown Copyright, National Archives for academic and non-commercial research purposes only. The new theatres were the first in England to feature actresses; earlier, women's parts had been played by boys or men. It is claimed that there are some two thousand living descendants of King Charles II and Nell Gwyn. Ranging from from dukes to dustmen, they include Samantha Cameron (wife of David Cameron) ! Has anyone traced their family back to Charlie and Nell? Dukes or dustmen can reply. A satire of the time describes this and also Hart's position now, in the face of competition from the upper echelons of society: Yet Hart more manners had, then not to tender '", Quoted in Beauclerk, p. 78 from the epilogue to Robert Howard's, According to Dryden's preface to the first printed edition, 1668. Sent to school in Paris when he was six, he died there in 1681. 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). What shall I do to please the People of England? [S11] Alison Weir, Britain's Royal Family: A Complete Genealogy (London, U.K.: The Bodley Head, 1999), page 257. Louise and Nell would prove rivals for many years. She persuaded the king to create her son Charles Beauclerk, 1st Baron Heddington and Earl of Burford and, subsequently, Duke of St. Albans. The King was seated in the next box and by all accounts was more interested in watching Nell rather than Etherege's play. In February 1671, Gwyn moved into a brick townhouse at 79 Pall Mall. She had a magnificent silver bed in the house, adorned with the king's head and figures of cupids and slaves, as well as crowns and an eagle. Her childhood occupations have been variously described as bawdyhouse servant, a street hawker of herring, oysters, or turnips, and cinder-girl. Her mother kept a bawdyhouse in the Covent Garden district, where Nell was brought up to fill strong waters [brandy] to the guests (Samuel Pepys, Diary, Oct. 26, 1667). Downing Street said that the earl, a direct descendant of the illegitimate offspring of Charles II and Nell Gwyn, gave Tony Blair all the proof he needed that the peers were ripe for the axe. I suspect they loved each other. 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. All contributions are moderated. Catherine of Braganza PreviousNext Barbara Palmer, Copyright 2004 - 2022 www.englishmonarchs.co.uk All rights reserved All rights reserved Privacy Policy, Copyright 2004 - 2022 www.englishmonarchs.co.uk All rights reserved All rights reserved . Explore genealogy for nell gwynn including research + more in the free family tree community. One of Charles' early acts as king was to license the formation of two acting companies and to legalise acting as a profession for women. Called "pretty, witty Nell" by Pepys, she has been regarded as a living embodiment of the spirit of Restoration England and has come to be considered a folk heroine, with a story echoing the rags-to-royalty tale of Cinderella. [38], Late in 1667, George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham took on the role of unofficial manager for Gwyn's love affairs. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Children of Eleanor Gwynne and Charles II Stuart, WebNell Gwynn (c. 16501687) The descendants of Holy Roman Empire monarchies became feeble-minded in the twentieth century, and after World War I had been done in 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. She was illiterate and scrawled an awkward E.G. at the bottom of her letters, written for her by others. 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. In 1676, Gwyn was granted the freehold of the property, which remained in her family until 1693; as of 1960 the property was still the only one on the south side of Pall Mall not owned by the Crown. She and Gwyn would prove rivals for many years to come. Can you tell us more about this person? Linked sites hawker of herring, oysters, or turnips, and cinder-girl record for. To Charles Beauclerk, the funeral sermon was preached by Thomas Tenison, afterwards Archbishop Canterbury... 'S Bank was reported to be well over four figures, and her brief affair with Buckhurst had.! Must have agreed with Pepys 's opinion in February 1671, Gwyn moved into brick... More in late August, and chestnut-brown hair in February 1671, Gwyn moved into a brick townhouse 79! 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