James, Lord Beauclerk

James Beauclerk
Lord Beauclerk
Engraving of Beauclerk, 1679
Born
James Beauclerk, Lord Beauclerk

(1671-12-25)December 25, 1671
London, England
DiedSeptember 1680 or 1681 (aged 8–9)
Paris, Kingdom of France
Parents
FamilyBeauclerk

James, Lord Beauclerk (25 December 1671 - September 1680 or 1681) was an illegitimate son of King Charles II of England, the second by his mistress Nell Gwyn. He died in childhood in Paris in September 1680 or 1681.[1][2] His cause of death is unknown.[3]

Biography

Portrait painting of Beauclerk, c. 1675

Beauclerk was born James Beauclerk in London on Christmas Day 1671,[1][2] to Charles II of England and actress Nell Gwyn, as an illegitimate child.[1][3] Little is known about his upbringing. He was raised in the private residence's of Nell Gwyn, alongside his older brother, Charles Beauclerk.[4][3] On January 17, 1676, he was given the courtesy style "Lord Beauclerk", a subsidiary title of his brothers peerage, the Duke of St. Albans, which was awarded on the same day.[1][5] As a recognized son of the King, he likely would've been created his own title, had he lived into adulthood.[3] Not long after, at around age 6,[6][4] Beauclerk was sent to Paris to receive an aristocratic education. Nothing is known about his time spent in France. He died between September 1680 - 1681, whilst still attending schooling in the city. His burial details are unknown.[6]

Ancestry

Ancestors of James, Lord Beauclerk
8. James VI and I of England
4. Charles I of England
9. Anne of Denmark
2. Charles II of England
10. Henri IV of France
5. Henrietta Maria of France
11. Marie de Medici, Queen of France
1. James, Lord Beauclerk
12. Robert Edward Gwynne
6. Thomas Gwynne
13. Marie Popham
3. Nell Gwyn
14. John Smith
7. Helena Smith
15. Unknown

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Peerage Record - 10504". British and European Nobility Register. 2024-07-11. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
  2. 1 2 Paul, Sir James Balfour (1904). The Scots Peerage: founded on Wood's edition of Sir Robert Douglas's The Peerage of Scotland. London: David Douglas. pp. Volume I, Page 32.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Adamson, Donald; Beauclerk Dewar, Peter (1974). The House of Nell Gwyn: The Fortunes of the Beauclerk Family, 1670–1974. Kimber.
  4. 1 2 Melville, Lewis (1900). Nell Gwyn: The Story of Her Life. London: Hutchinson.
  5. ↑ Weir, Alison (1999). Britain's Royal Families: The Complete Genealogy. London: The Bodley Head. p. 257.
  6. 1 2 Beauclerk, Charles (2005). Nell Gwyn: Royal Mistress. London: Macmillan.