Move mouse over images to see a larger image.

Move mouse over links to preview the link.

On this Day in History ... 8th December

08 Dec is in December.

1290 Eleanor Crosses

1529 Henry VIII Creates New Peerages

1538 Exeter Conspiracy

1551 Trial and Execution of Edward Seymour Duke of Somerset and his Supporters

1666 Poll Bill

1980 Death of John Lennon

See Births, Marriages and Deaths.

Events on the 8th December

On 07 Dec 1154 King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England (age 21), the seven months pregnant Eleanor of Aquitaine Queen Consort Franks and England (age 32) and their son William Plantagenet IX Count Poitiers (age 1) left Barfleur for England. On 08 Dec 1154 King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England and his party landed near Southampton, Hampshire [Map].

On 08 Dec 1290 or 07 Dec 1290 Eleanor of Castile Queen Consort England (deceased) body rested at Hardingstone, Northamptonshire.

On 08 Dec 1521 Christina Queen Consort Denmark Norway and Sweden (age 59) died.

On 08 Dec 1538 Edward Neville (age 67) was beheaded at Tower Hill [Map].

On 08 Dec 1542 Mary Queen of Scots was born to King James V of Scotland (age 30) and Mary of Guise Queen Consort Scotland (age 27) at Linlithgow Palace. She a great granddaughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland.

Chronicle of Greyfriars. 08 Dec 1551. Item the viij. day of that monyth was a gret muster at Totehylle [Map] of men of armes befor the kynge (age 14), of dyvers lordes.

On 08 Dec 1626 John Davies (age 57) died of apoplexy.

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 08 Dec 1662. Then to my Lord Sandwich's (age 37), and there spent the rest of the morning in making up my Lord's accounts with Mr. Moore, and then dined with Mr. Moore and Battersby his friend, very well and merry, and good discourse.

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 08 Dec 1662. So to the Duke (age 29) and Mr. Coventry (age 34), and alone, the rest being at a Pay and elsewhere, and alone with Mr. Coventry I did read over our letter to my Lord Treasurer (age 55), which I think now is done as well as it can be.

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 08 Dec 1663. So home to dinner, and thence by coach to White Hall, where a great while walked with my Lord Tiviott, whom I find a most carefull, thoughtfull, and cunning man, as I also ever took him to be. He is this day bringing in an account where he makes the King (age 33) debtor to him £10,000 already on the garrison of Tangier [Map] account; but yet demands not ready money to pay it, but offers such ways of paying it out of the sale of old decayed provisions as will enrich him finely.

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 08 Dec 1663. Anon came my Lord Sandwich (age 38), and then we fell to our business at the Committee about my Lord Tiviott's accounts, wherein I took occasion to speak now and then, so as my Lord Sandwich did well seem to like of it, and after we were up did bid me good night in a tone that, methinks, he is not so displeased with me as I did doubt he is; however, I will take a course to know whether he be or no.

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 08 Dec 1665. Up, well pleased in my mind about my Lord Sandwich (age 40), about whom I shall know more anon from Sir G. Carteret (age 55), who will be in towne, and also that the Hambrough [ships] after all difficulties are got out. God send them good speed!

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 08 Dec 1665. Thence after some discourse with Sir G. Carteret (age 55), who, though he tells me that he is glad of my Lord's being made Embassador, and that it is the greatest courtesy his enemies could do him; yet I find he is not heartily merry upon it, and that it was no design of my Lord's friends, but the prevalence of his enemies, and that the Duke of Albemarle (age 57) and Prince Rupert (age 45) are like to go to sea together the next year. I pray God, when my Lord is gone, they do not fall hard upon the Vice-Chamberlain, being alone, and in so envious a place, though by this late Act and the instructions now a brewing for our office as to method of payments will destroy the profit of his place of itself without more trouble.

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 08 Dec 1665. That done I to the 'Change [Map], and among many other things, especially for getting of my Tangier [Map] money, I by appointment met Mr. Gawden, and he and I to the Pope's Head Taverne, and there he did give me alone a very pretty dinner. Our business to talk of his matters and his supply of money, which was necessary for us to talk on before the Duke of Albemarle (age 57) this afternoon and Sir G. Carteret (age 55). After that I offered now to pay him the £4000 remaining of his £8000 for Tangier [Map], which he took with great kindnesse, and prayed me most frankly to give him a note for £3500 and accept the other £500 for myself, which in good earnest was against my judgement to do, for [I] expected about £100 and no more, but however he would have me do it, and ownes very great obligations to me, and the man indeed I love, and he deserves it. This put me into great joy, though with a little stay to it till we have time to settle it, for for so great a sum I was fearfull any accident might by death or otherwise defeate me, having not now time to change papers.

John Evelyn's Diary. 08 Dec 1665. To my Lord of Albemarle (age 57) (now returned from Oxford), who was declared General at Sea, to the no small mortification of that excellent person, the Earl of Sandwich (age 40), whom the Duke of Albemarle not only suspected faulty about the prizes, but less valiant; himself imagining how easy a thing it were to confound the Hollanders, as well now as heretofore he fought against them upon a more disloyal interest.

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 08 Dec 1666. Up, and to the office, where we sat all the morning, and at noon home to dinner, and there find Mr. Pierce and his wife and Betty, a pretty girle, who in discourse at table told me the great Proviso passed the House of Parliament yesterday; which makes the King (age 36) and Court mad, the King having given order to my Lord Chamberlain (age 64) to send to the playhouses and bawdy houses, to bid all the Parliament-men that were there to go to the Parliament presently. This is true, it seems; but it was carried against the Court by thirty or forty voices. It is a Proviso to the Poll Bill, that there shall be a Committee of nine persons that shall have the inspection upon oath, and power of giving others, of all the accounts of the money given and spent for this warr. This hath a most sad face, and will breed very ill blood. He tells me, brought in by Sir Robert Howard (age 40), who is one of the King's servants, at least hath a great office, and hath got, they say, £20,000 since the King come in.

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 08 Dec 1666. Mr. Pierce did also tell me as a great truth, as being told it by Mr. Cowly (age 48), who was by, and heard it, that Tom Killigrew (age 54) should publiquely tell the King (age 36) that his matters were coming into a very ill state; but that yet there was a way to help all, which is, says he, "There is a good, honest, able man, that I could name, that if your Majesty would employ, and command to see all things well executed, all things would soon be mended; and this is one Charles Stuart, who now spends his time in employing his lips [Note. Another version includes 'and his prick'] .... about the Court, and hath no other employment; but if you would give him this employment, he were the fittest man in the world to perform it". This, he says, is most true; but the King do not profit by any of this, but lays all aside, and remembers nothing, but to his pleasures again; which is a sorrowful consideration.

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 08 Dec 1667. At noon to dinner, where W. How with us, and after dinner, he being gone, I to my chamber again till almost night, and then took boat, the tide serving, and so to White Hall, where I saw the Duchesse of York (age 30), in a fine dress of second mourning for her mother, being black, edged with ermine, go to make her first visit to the Queene (age 58) since the Duke of York (age 34) was sick; and by and by, she being returned, the Queene come and visited her. But it was pretty to observe that Sir W. Coventry (age 39) and I, walking an hour and more together in the Matted Gallery, he observed, and so did I, how the Duchesse, as soon as she spied him, turned her head a one side. Here he and I walked thus long, which we have not done a great while before. Our discourse was upon everything: the unhappiness of having our matters examined by people that understand them not; that it was better for us in the Navy to have men that do understand the whole, and that are not passionate; that we that have taken the most pains are called upon to answer for all crimes, while those that, like Sir W. Batten and Sir J. Minnes (age 68), did sit and do nothing, do lie still without any trouble; that, if it were to serve the King (age 37) and kingdom again in a war, neither of us could do more, though upon this experience we might do better than we did; that the commanders, the gentlemen that could never be brought to order, but undid all, are now the men that find fault and abuse others; that it had been much better for the King to have given Sir J. Minnes and Sir W. Batten £1000 a-year to have sat still, than to have had them in his business this war: that the serving a Prince that minds not his business is most unhappy for them that serve him well, and an unhappiness so great that he declares he will never have more to do with a war, under him. That he hath papers which do flatly contradict the Duke of Albemarle's (age 59) Narrative; and that he hath been with the Duke of Albemarle and shewed him them, to prevent his falling into another like fault: that the Duke of Albemarle seems to be able to answer them; but he thinks that the Duke of Albemarle and the Prince are contented to let their Narratives sleep, they being not only contradictory in some things (as he observed about the business of the Duke of Albemarle's being to follow the Prince upon dividing the fleete, in case the enemy come out), but neither of them to be maintained in others. That the business the other night of my Lord Anglesey (age 53) at the Council was happily got over for my Lord, by his dexterous silencing it, and the rest, not urging it further; forasmuch as, had the Duke of Buckingham (age 39) come in time enough, and had got it by the end, he, would have toused him in it; Sir W. Coventry telling me that my Lord Anglesey did, with such impudence, maintain the quarrel against the Commons and some of the Lords, in the business of my Lord Clarendon (age 58), that he believes there are enough would be glad but of this occasion to be revenged of him. He tells me that he hears some of the Thomsons (age 60) are like to be of the Commission for the Accounts, and Wildman (age 46), which he much wonders at, as having been a false fellow to every body, and in prison most of the time since the King's coming in. But he do tell me that the House is in such a condition that nobody can tell what to make of them, and, he thinks, they were never in before; that every body leads, and nobody follows; and that he do now think that, since a great many are defeated in their expectation of being of the Commission, now they would put it into such hands as it shall get no credit from: for, if they do look to the bottom and see the King's case, they think they are then bound to give the King money; whereas, they would be excused from that, and therefore endeavour to make this business of the Accounts to signify little. I spoke with him about my Lord Sandwich's (age 42) business, in which he is very friendly, and do say that the unhappy business of the prizes is it that hath brought all this trouble upon him, and the only thing that made any thing else mentioned, and it is true. So having discoursed with him, I spent some time with Sir Stephen Fox (age 40) about the business of our adjusting the new method of the Excise between the Guards household and Tangier, the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury being now resolved to bring all their management into a course of payment by orders, and not by tallies, and I am glad of it, and so by water home late, and very dark, and when come home there I got my wife to read, and then come Captain Cocke (age 50) to me; and there he tells me, to my great satisfaction, that Sir Robert Brookes (age 30) did dine with him today; and that he told him, speaking of me, that he would make me the darling of the House of Commons, so much he is satisfied concerning me. And this Cocke did tell me that I might give him thanks for it; and I do think it may do me good, for he do happen to be held a considerable person, of a young man, both for sobriety and ability. Then to discourse of business of his own about some hemp of his that is come home to receive it into the King's stores, and then parted, and by and by my wife and I to supper, she not being well, her flux being great upon her, and so to bed.

Click to read complete text ...

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 08 Dec 1668. Up, and Sir H. Cholmly (age 36) betimes with me, about some accounts and moneys due to him: and he gone, I to the Office, where sat all the morning; and here, among other things, breaks out the storm W. Hewer (age 26) and I have long expected from the Surveyor, [Colonel Middleton.] about W. Hewer's conspiring to get a contract, to the burdening of the stores with kerseys and cottons, of which he hath often complained, and lately more than ever; and now he did it by a most scandalous letter to the Board, reflecting on my Office: and, by discourse, it fell to such high words between him and me, as can hardly ever be forgot; I declaring I would believe W. Hewer as soon as him, and laying the fault, if there be any, upon himself; he, on the other hand, vilifying of my word and W. Hewer's, calling him knave, and that if he were his clerk, he should lose his ears. At last, I closed the business for this morning with making the thing ridiculous, as it is, and he swearing that the King (age 38) should have right in it, or he would lose his place. The Office was cleared of all but ourselves and W. Hewer; but, however, the world did by the beginning see what it meant, and it will, I believe, come to high terms between us, which I am sorry for, to have any blemish laid upon me or mine, at this time, though never so unduly, for fear of giving occasion to my real discredit: and therefore I was not only all the rest of the morning vexed, but so went home to dinner, where my wife tells me of my Lord Orrery's (age 47) new play "Tryphon", at the Duke of York's (age 35) house, which, however, I would see, and therefore put a bit of meat in our mouths, and went thither; where, with much ado, at half-past one, we got into a blind hole in the 18d. place, above stairs, where we could not hear well, but the house infinite full, but the prologue most silly, and the play, though admirable, yet no pleasure almost in it, because just the very same design, and words, and sense, and plot, as every one of his plays have, any one of which alone would be held admirable, whereas so many of the same design and fancy do but dull one another; and this, I perceive, is the sense of every body else, as well as myself, who therefore showed but little pleasure in it.

On 08 Dec 1699 Maria Josepha of Austria was born to Joseph I Holy Roman Emperor (age 21) and Wilhelmine Amalie of Brunswick (age 26). She a great x 3 granddaughter of King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland.

John Evelyn's Diary. 08 Dec 1700. Great alterations of officers at Court, and elsewhere, - Lord Chief Justice Treby died; he was a learned man in his profession, of which we have now few, never fewer; the Chancery requiring so little skill in deep law-learning, if the practicer can talk eloquently in that Court; so that probably few care to study the law to any purpose. Lord Marlborough (age 50) Master of the Ordnance, in place of Lord Romney (age 59) made Groom of the Stole. The Earl of Rochester (age 58) goes Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.

On 08 Dec 1708 Francis I Holy Roman Emperor was born to Leopold Duke of Lorraine (age 29) and Élisabeth Charlotte Bourbon Duchess Lorraine (age 32). He a great x 3 grandson of King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland.

On 08 Dec 1746 Charles Radclyffe Earl Newburgh (age 53) was executed at Tower Hill [Map] for his having joined the 1715 insurrection.

On 08 Dec 1754 Thomas Middleton (age 63) died. Monument in St Giles' Church, Wrexham [Map] sculpted by Louis Francois Roubiliac (age 52).

Thomas Middleton: he and Arabella Hacker were married. Around 1691 he was born to John Middleton.

On 08 Dec 1793 Jeanne Bécu Comtesse du Barry (age 49) was guillotined on the Place de la Révolution. On the way to the guillotine, she collapsed in the tumbrel and cried, "You are going to hurt me! Why?!" Terrified, she screamed for mercy and begged the watching crowd for help. Her last words to the executioner are said to have been: «De grâce, monsieur le bourreau, encore un petit moment!» – "One more moment, Mr. Executioner, I beg you!" She was buried in the Madeleine Cemetery

On 08 Dec 1907 King Oscar II of Sweden and Norway (age 78) died. His son Gustav V King Sweden (age 49) succeeded V King Sweden.

On 08 Dec 1980 at around ten to eleven in the evening John Lennon Musician (age 40) was shot and killed by Mark David Chapman outside of The Dakota Upper West Side Manhattan where he lived. Lennon was rushed to Roosevelt Hospital Midtown West Manhattan where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Births on the 8th December

On 08 Dec 1207 William Longespée was born to William "Longsword" Longespee Earl Salisbury (age 31) and Ela of Salisbury 3rd Countess of Salisbury (age 20). He a grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.

On 08 Dec 1542 Mary Queen of Scots was born to King James V of Scotland (age 30) and Mary of Guise Queen Consort Scotland (age 27) at Linlithgow Palace. She a great granddaughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland.

On or before 08 Dec 1675 John Thorold 7th Baronet was born to John Thorold. He was baptised 08 Dec 1675.

On 08 Dec 1678 Horatio Walpole 1st Baron Walpole was born to Colonel Robert Walpole (age 28).

On 08 Dec 1699 Maria Josepha of Austria was born to Joseph I Holy Roman Emperor (age 21) and Wilhelmine Amalie of Brunswick (age 26). She a great x 3 granddaughter of King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland.

On 08 Dec 1708 Francis I Holy Roman Emperor was born to Leopold Duke of Lorraine (age 29) and Élisabeth Charlotte Bourbon Duchess Lorraine (age 32). He a great x 3 grandson of King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland.

On 08 Dec 1752 John Barrington 9th Baronet was born to Fitzwilliam Barrington 8th Baronet (age 44).

On 08 Dec 1795 Captain John France St John-Mildmay was born to Henry Paulet St John-Mildmay 3rd Baronet (age 31) and Jane Mildmay.

On 08 Dec 1797 Elizabeth Tollemache Countess Cardigan was born to Admiral John Richard Delap-Halliday aka Delap-Tollemache (age 25) and Elizabeth Stratford.

On 08 Dec 1804 John Gerard 12th Baronet was born to John Gerard of Windle Hall, Lancashire and Elizabeth Ferrers (age 25).

On 08 Dec 1824 Robert Sheffield 5th Baronet was born to Robert Sheffield 4th Baronet (age 38) and Julia Brigidia Newbolt (age 24).

On 08 Dec 1826 Edmund Shirley 3rd Baronet was born to Edmund Hungerford Lechmere 2nd Baronet (age 34) and Maria Clara Murray Lady Lechmere.

On 08 Dec 1837 Robert Anderson 1st Baronet was born.

On 08 Dec 1851 William Nelson 1st Baronet was born.

On 08 Dec 1863 Herbert Cecil Boothby 12th Baronet was born to Reverend Brooke William Boothby 9th Baronet (age 54) and Martha Serena Boothby. Coefficient of inbreeding 3.12%.

On 08 Dec 1864 Henry Walter Hepburn-Stuart-Forbes-Trefusis was born to Charles Hepburn-Stuart-Forbes-Trefusis 20th Baron Clinton (age 30) and Harriet Williamina Hepburn-Forbes Baroness Clinton (age 29). Coefficient of inbreeding 6.28%.

On 08 Dec 1881 Lilian Lambton Countess of Home was born to Frederick Lambton 4th Earl Durham (age 26) and Beatrix Bulteel Countess Durham (age 22). Coefficient of inbreeding 1.57%.

On 08 Dec 1904 Christopher Addison 2nd Viscount Addison was born to Christopher Addison 1st Viscount Addison (age 36) and Isobel Gray.

On 08 Dec 1917 Thomas Cospatric Hamilton-Spencer-Smith 6th Baronet was born to Drummond Cospatric Hamilton-Spencer-Smith 5th Baronet (age 41).

On 08 Dec 1922 Lucian Freud was born to Ernest Freud (age 30) at Berlin.

On 08 Dec 1930 William Robertson 2nd Baron Robertson was born to Brian Robertson 1st Baron Robertson of Oakridge (age 34).

On 08 Dec 1948 Anthony Robert Milnes-Coates 4th Baronet was born to Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Edward James Clive Milnes-Coates 3rd Baronet (age 41) and Ethel Patricia Hare Lady Milnes-Coates (age 36).

Marriages on the 8th December

Around 08 Dec 1647 James Langham 2nd Baronet (age 27) and Mary Alston (age 20) were married.

On 08 Dec 1743 John Cust 3rd Baronet (age 25) and Etheldreda Payne Lady Cust (age 23) were married. She by marriage Lady Cust of Stamford in Lincolnshire.

Before 08 Dec 1749 Arthur Pomeroy 1st Viscount Hamberton (age 26) and Mary Colley Viscountess Hamberton were married.

On 08 Dec 1817 Thomas Lyon Bowes 11th Earl Strathmore and Kinghorne (age 44) and Marianna Cheape Countess Earl Strathmore and Kinghorne (age 44) were married at the Charlotte Square Chapel, Edinburgh. He the son of John Lyon 9th Earl Strathmore and Kinghorne and Mary Bowes Countess Strathmore.

On 08 Dec 1818 Robert Sheffield 4th Baronet (age 32) and Julia Brigidia Newbolt (age 18) were married.

On 08 Dec 1876 Robert Curzon 15th Baron Zouche (age 25) and Annie Mary Eleanor Fraser (age 19) were divorced.

Deaths on the 8th December

On 08 Dec 1034 Bishop Æthelric died.

On 08 Dec 1485 Malise Graham 3rd Earl Strathearn 1st Earl Menteith (age 78) died. His son Alexander Graham 2nd Earl Menteith (age 13) succeeded 2nd Earl Menteith.

On 08 Dec 1521 Christina Queen Consort Denmark Norway and Sweden (age 59) died.

On 08 Dec 1725 John Thornycroft 1st Baronet (age 66) died. He was buried at St Mary's Church, Bloxham. His son John Thornycroft 2nd Baronet (age 34) succeeded 2nd Baronet Thornycroft of Milcombe in Oxfordshire.

On 08 Dec 1734 Humphrey Briggs 4th Baronet (age 64) died unmarried. His brother Hugh Briggs 5th Baronet (age 50) succeeded 5th Baronet Briggs of Haughton in Shropshire.

On 08 Dec 1746 Sophia Osborne Baroness Leominster (age 85) died.

On 08 Dec 1746 Charles Radclyffe Earl Newburgh (age 53) was executed at Tower Hill [Map] for his having joined the 1715 insurrection.

On 08 Dec 1749 John Cope 6th Baronet (age 76) died. His son Monoux Cope 7th Baronet (age 53) succeeded 7th Baronet Cope of Hanwell in Oxfordshire.

On 08 Dec 1754 Charlotte Elizabeth Boyle Marchioness Hartington (age 23) died. Her son William Cavendish 5th Duke Devonshire (age 6) succeeded 7th Baron Clifford.

On 08 Dec 1754 Thomas Middleton (age 63) died. Monument in St Giles' Church, Wrexham [Map] sculpted by Louis Francois Roubiliac (age 52).

Thomas Middleton: he and Arabella Hacker were married. Around 1691 he was born to John Middleton.

On 08 Dec 1797 Henry Burgh 1st Marquess Clarincade (age 55) died without issue. Marquess Clarincade extinct. His brother John Thomas Burgh 13th Earl Clanricarde (age 53) succeeded 13th Earl Clanricarde.

On 08 Dec 1798 Edward Dering 6th Baronet (age 66) died. His son Edward Dering 7th Baronet (age 41) succeeded 7th Baronet Dering of Surrenden Dering in Kent.

On 08 Dec 1843 Henry Windsor 8th Earl Plymouth (age 75) died without issue. Earl Plymouth extinct.

On 08 Dec 1847 Maria Dickonson Lady Nightingale (age 58) died.

On 08 Dec 1901 Fanny Catherine Lonsdale Baroness Beckett (age 78) died.

On 08 Dec 1907 King Oscar II of Sweden and Norway (age 78) died. His son Gustav V King Sweden (age 49) succeeded V King Sweden.

On 08 Dec 1923 Evelyn Henrietta Pennefather Countess Stanhope died.

On 08 Dec 1931 Eleanor "Nellie" Souray Viscountess Torrington (age 51) died.