Catherine Mary (Stuart) Paulet (abt. 1652 - abt. 1741)

Born about 1652 in London, England

Ancestors

Wife of Charles Paulet — married 1678 in London, England

Died about 1741 at about age 89 in Taunton, Somerset, England

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Biography

Catherine Mary Stuart (ca. 1652-ca. 1741) is presumed to be an illegitimate daughter of King Charles II and Catherine Pegge and thus an older sister of Charles Fitzcharles, 1st Earl of Plymouth (1657-168) and Catherine "Sister Cecilia" Fitzcharles (1658-1759), who became a nun in the Benedictine convent at Dunkirk. However, there is no authoritative evidence that Catherine Mary Stuart was in fact the child of King Charles II and Catherine Pegge. She is never mentioned in lists of the illegitimate children of either Charles II or Catherine Pegge.

Catherine Mary Stuart is said to have married Charles Paulet, Jr. (1661-1722), 2nd Duke of Bolton, in London (or Plymouth) in 1678 but again there is no confirmation of this marriage or even of a relationship. The 2nd Duke of Boulton is known to have married three times: Margaret Coventry (1657-1681; m. 10 Jul 1679, London); Frances Ramsden (1661-1696; m. 8 Feb 1682/3); Henrietta Crofts (1682-1729; m. 1697, Dublin). Charles Paulet, Jr. and Frances Ramsden did have a daughter Mary born in 1696.

It may be that the Charles Paulet who is said to have married Catherine Mary Stuart in London (or Plymouth) in 1678 was a person entirely different from the 2nd Duke of Boulton.

THESE PERSONS AND ATTRIBUTIONS REQUIRED ADDITIONAL RESEARCH. FOR THE TIME BEING, HOWEVER, I AM LEAVING THEM AS IS.

Research notes

"Charles quietly slept with his new mistress, Catherine Pegge. By her he had an illegitimate daughter who died and a son who was somewhat unimaginatively named Charles FitzCharles".^[1]

"Seven mistresses had provided him with twelve bastards. Lady Castlemaine was the mother of five of them, Nell Gwynn of two, while Elizabeth Killigrew, Catherine Pegge, Moll Davis and Louise de Kerouaille had added one each to the number.^[2]

Mother of two children, Charles and Catherine.^[3]

The peerage only gives two children.^[4]

Daughter Catherine died in infancy.^[5]

Alison Weir gives three children, Charles 1657-1680, Katherine 1658-1759, a nun at Dunkirk, and an un-named daughter possibly another Katherine, conjectural. Said to have died young. Material is unsourced.^[6]

"Catherine Pegge the beautiful daughter of a Derbyshire Squire presented him with a son in 1657 and a daughter in 1658. The girl died". ^[7]

"As far as one can keep track of them, the total that survived long enough to feature in the royal records was a round dozen. The twelve known bastards were born from seven women; Lucy Walter, Elizabeth Killigrew, Catherine Pegge, Barbara Villiers (five), Nell Gwynn (two), Moll Davis and Louise de Kerouaille." ^[8]

Sources

1. ↑ Royal Survivor, A Life of Charles II. Stephen Coote ISBN 0 340 6619 2 Hodder and Stoughton 1999 Page 156
2. ↑ Royal Survivor, A Life of Charles II. Stephen Coote ISBN 0 340 6619 2 Hodder and Stoughton 1999 Page 345
3. ↑ Wikipedia: Catherine Pegge
4. ↑ Thepeerage.com: Catherine Pegge
5. ↑ English Monarchs: The illegitimate Children of Charles II
6. ↑ Alison Weir. Britain's Royal Families, The Complete Genealogy. ISBN 9780099539735 Vintage 2008 Page 257
7. ↑ "Charles II" Antonia Fraser Book Club Associates 1979 Page 153
8. ↑ "Charles II" Antonia Fraser Book Club Associates 1979 Page 411

1. Ancestry.com.

2. Myheritage.com.

3. Genealogy.com.