Pepy's Diary. 22 Sep 1663. This day the King (age 33) and Queen (age 24) are to come to Oxford, Oxfordshire [Map]. I hear my [his mother] Baroness Castlemaine (age 22) is for certain gone to Oxford, Oxfordshire [Map] to meet him, having lain within here at home this week or two, supposed to have miscarried; but for certain is as great in favour as heretofore;¹ at least Mrs. Sarah at my Lord's, who hears all from their own family, do say so.

Note 1. According to Collins, Henry Fitzroy, Baroness Castlemaine's (age 22) second son by Charles II, was born on September 20th, 1663. He was the first Duke of Grafton. B.

Pepy's Diary. 27 Jul 1667. At the office all the morning; and at noon to the 'Change [Map], where I met Fenn; and he tells me that Sir John Coventry (age 31) do bring the confirmation of the peace; but I do not find the 'Change [Map] at all glad of it, but rather the worse, they looking upon it as a peace made only to preserve the King (age 37) for a time in his lusts and ease, and to sacrifice trade and his kingdoms only to his own pleasures: so that the hearts of merchants are quite down. He tells me that the King (age 37) and my [his mother] Baroness Castlemayne (age 26) are quite broke off, and she is gone away, and is with child, and swears the King (age 37) shall own it; and she will have it christened in the Chapel at White Hall so, and owned for the King's, as other Kings have done; or she will bring it into White Hall gallery, and dash the brains of it out before the King's face¹.

Note 1. Charles owned only four children by Baroness Castlemaine's (age 26) - [his illegitimate sister] Anne, Countess of Sussex (age 6), and the Dukes of [his illegitimate brother] Southampton (age 5), Grafton (age 3), and [his illegitimate brother] Northumberland (age 1). The last of these was born in 1665. The paternity of all her other children was certainly doubtful. See pp. 50,52.

Evelyn's Diary. 01 Aug 1672. I was at the betrothal of Lord Arlington's (age 54) only daughter (age 4) (a sweet child if ever there was any to the Duke of Grafton (age 8), the King's (age 42) natural son by the [his mother] Duchess of Cleveland (age 31); the Archbishop of Canterbury (age 74) officiating, the King (age 42) and the grandees being present. I had a favor given me by my Lady; but took no great joy at the thing for many reasons.

Evelyn's Diary. 06 Nov 1679. Dined at the Countess of Sunderland's (age 33), and was this evening at the remarriage of the Duchess of Grafton (age 11) to the Duke (age 16) his Majesty's (age 49) natural son), she being now twelve years old. The ceremony was performed in my Lord Chamberlain's (age 61) (her father's) lodgings at Whitehall by the Bishop of Rochester (age 54), his Majesty (age 49) being present. A sudden and unexpected thing, when everybody believed the first marriage would have come to nothing; but, the measure being determined, I was privately invited by my Lady (age 45), her mother, to be present. I confess I could give her little joy, and so I plainly told her, but she said the King (age 49) would have it so, and there was no going back. This sweetest, most hopeful, most beautiful, child, and most virtuous, too, was sacrificed to a boy that had been rudely bred, without anything to encourage them but his Majesty's (age 49) pleasure. I pray God the sweet child find it to her advantage, who, if my augury deceive me not, will in a few years be such a paragon as were fit to make the wife of the greatest Prince in Europe! I staid supper, where his Majesty (age 49) sat between the [his mother] Duchess of Cleveland (age 38) (the mother of the Duke of Grafton) and the sweet Duchess (age 11) the bride; there were several great persons and ladies, without pomp. My love to my Lord Arlington's (age 61) family, and the sweet child made me behold all this with regret, though as the Duke of Grafton (age 16) affects the sea, to which I find his father intends to use him, he may emerge a plain, useful and robust officer: and were he polished, a tolerable person; for he is exceedingly handsome, by far surpassing any of the King's (age 49) other natural issue.

Evelyn's Diary. 17 Jul 1682. Came to dine with me, the Duke of Grafton (age 18) and the young Earl of Ossory (age 17), son to my most dear deceased friend.

Evelyn's Diary. 20 Jul 1685. The Trinity House met this day, which should have ben on ye Monday after Trinity, but was put off by reason of the Royal Charter being so large that it could not be ready before. Some immunities were super-added. Mr. Pepys (age 52), Secretary to ye Admiralty, was a second time chosen Master. There were present the Duke of Grafton (age 21), Lord Dartmouth (age 12), Master of ye Ordnance, the Commissioners of ye Navy, and brethren of the Corporation. We went to Church according to costome, and then took barge to the Trinity House [Map], in London, where we had a great dinner, above 80 at one table.

Evelyn's Diary. 19 Feb 1686. Many bloody and notorious duels were fought about this time. The Duke of Grafton (age 22) kill'd Mr. Stanley, brother to the Earle of Shrewsbury (age 25), indeede upon an almost insufferable provocation. It is to be hop'd his [his uncle] Ma* (age 52) will at last severely remedy this unchristian custome. Lord Sunderland (age 44) was now Secretary of State, President of the Council, and Premier Minister.

Evelyn's Diary. 29 Mar 1686. The [his illegitimate brother] Duke of Northumberland (age 20) (a natural son of the late King by the [his mother] Dutchess of Cleaveland (age 45)) marrying very meanly, with the helpe of his brother Grafton (age 22), attempted to spirit away his wife.

Evelyn's Diary. 01 Aug 1690. The Duke of Grafton (age 26) came to visit me, going to his ship at the mouth of the river, in his way to Ireland (where he was slain).

Evelyn's Diary. 12 Oct 1690. The French General, with Tyrconnel (age 60) and their forces, gone back to France, beaten out by King William. Cork [Map] delivered on discretion. The Duke of Grafton (deceased) was there mortally wounded and dies. Very great storms of wind. The 8th of this month Lord Spencer (age 49) wrote me word from Althorpe [Map], that there happened an earthquake the day before in the morning, which, though short, sensibly shook the house. The "Gazette" acquainted us that the like happened at the same time, half-past seven, at Barnstaple, Devon, Holyhead, Anglesey, and Dublin [Map]. We were not sensible of it here.

Evelyn's Diary. 03 Dec 1693. Mr. Bentley preached at the Tabernacle, near Golden Square. I gave my voice for him to proceed on his former subject the following year in Mr. Boyle's lecture, in which he had been interrupted by the importunity of Sir J. Rotheram that the Bishop of Chichester (age 59) might be chosen the year before, to the great dissatisfaction of the Bishop of Lincoln (age 57) and myself. We chose Mr. Bentley again. The Duchess of Grafton's (age 25) appeal to the House of Lords for the Prothonotary's place given to the late Duke and to her son by King Charles II, now challenged by the Lord Chief Justice. The judges were severely reproved on something they said.

In 1756 Joshua Reynolds (age 32). Portrait of Henry Fitzroy 1st Duke Grafton in his Garter Robes.