Nell Gwyn
| Nell Gwyn | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Born |
Eleanor Gwyn 2 February 1650 St Martin in the Fields, London (disputed. See 'early life'), England |
| Died | 14 November 1687 (aged 37) Pall Mall, London, England |
| Other names | "pretty, witty Nell" William Nell |
| Occupation | Actress, prostitute |
| Partner(s) | Charles II of England |
| Children |
Charles Beauclerk, 1st Duke of St Albans James Beauclerk |
| Parent(s) | Thos (Thomas) Guine Ellen Gwyn |
Eleanor "Nell" Gwyn (2 February 1650 – 14 November 1687; also spelled Gwynn, Gwynne) was a long-time mistress of King Charles II of England and Scotland. Called "pretty, witty Nell" by Samuel 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. She was the most famous Restoration actress and possessed a prodigious comic talent. Gwyn had two sons by King Charles: Charles Beauclerk (1670–1726); and James Beauclerk (1671–1680). The surname of her sons is pronounced 'Bo-Clare'. Charles was created Earl of Burford and later Duke of St. Albans.
The details of Nell's background are somewhat obscure. Her mother's name was Ellen (or a variant) and she was referred to in her lifetime as "Old Madam", "Madam Gwyn", and "Old Ma Gwyn". Madam Gwyn was born, according to a monumental inscription, in the parish of St Martin in the Fields, London, and is thought to have lived most of her life in the city. She is also believed, by most Gwyn biographers, to have been "low-born". Her descendant and biographer Charles Beauclerk calls this conjecture, based solely on what is known of her later life. Madam Gwyn is sometimes said to have had the maiden surname Smith. However, this appears to be derived from a pedigree by Anthony Wood that shows signs of confusion between different Gwyn families and it has not been firmly established.
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. There is some suggestion, from a poem dated to 1681, again of doubtful accuracy, that Nell's father died at Oxford, perhaps in prison.
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