Carlos Clemente de Espanha

1771–1774

Born: 19 Sep 1771, Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial
Country of birth: Spain
Died: 7 Mar 1774, Royal Palace of El Pardo

facts: 7
sources: 1
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Facts and their sources

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Birth19 Sep 1771, Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El EscorialProbable1 source
Death7 Mar 1774, Royal Palace of El PardoProbable1 source
ParentCharles IV of SpainConfirmed1 source
ParentMaria Luisa of ParmaConfirmed1 source

A life in time

19 Sep 1771
Born · Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial
Birth, Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial
7 Mar 1774
Died · Royal Palace of El Pardo
Death, Royal Palace of El Pardo

What was it like?

The world around Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, 1771: who ruled, who else was alive, how people lived. This is general history, not a record about the family, and every item shows where it comes from.

Carlos was born around the same time as Thomas Young, Gaspare Spontini, and Giuseppe Acerbi.

Born around the same time

Thomas Young
1773 · English polymath (1773-1829)
Gaspare Spontini
1774 · Italian composer and conductor
Giuseppe Acerbi
1773 · Italian naturalist, explorer, composer (1773-1846)
William Henry Harrison
1773 · president of the United States in 1841 (1773-1841)
Klemens von Metternich
1773 · Austrian diplomat, foreign minister and Chancellor (1773–1859)
Caspar David Friedrich
1774 · German Romantic landscape painter (1774–1840)

Fashion

The Essential Male Cape

Ordinary men frequently wore a cape, which was considered essential even for the very poor, who might lack a shirt or shoes but would still wear their cape to be buried decently. The cape served multiple purposes, acting as a mattress or blanket at night and as a way to hide worn-out clothing.

The High Value of Footwear and Clothing

Rope or wooden shoes were common among poorer individuals, and it was not unusual to find records of people owning only a single shoe or a single stocking. Clothes were so valuable that they were rarely discarded, often being repurposed, auctioned to pay for burial expenses, or given as part of a domestic servant's wages.

Music

Popular instruments and castanets

The guitar was the most popular domestic instrument, often used to accompany dances like the seguidilla and tirana. Dancers frequently played simple castanets, which were held in the palm by a bead tied to their fingers.

Around 1775–1799

Guitar and Castanets in Popular Life

The guitar was the most popular instrument among ordinary people, frequently used to accompany singing and dancing at home, in streets, and at festivals. Dancers often played simple castanets held in their palms to accompany themselves during performances.

Getting around

Daily travel speeds and distances

Travelers using the posta system to change horses at established stops could cover approximately 150 to 200 kilometers per day. In contrast, heavy cargo carts drawn by oxen moved slowly, typically traveling only 20 to 35 kilometers per day.

Primary transport modes in Bourbon Spain

Between 1750 and 1774, most travel relied on mules, horses, or oxen, as railways and steamships did not yet exist in Spain. People traveled by coach, carriage, or on horseback, with the posta system providing the fastest travel for those who could afford it.

Daily life

Dark, poorly lit homes for the poor

Ordinary homes for humble people were dark because windows were small, often covered with oiled paper instead of glass, which was reserved for the wealthy. Artificial lighting was mostly provided by oil lamps or candles, which could produce unpleasant odors and safety hazards in poorer households.

Kitchen life and cooking customs

Cooking was done in fireplaces using basic equipment like iron pots, pans, and grills, and families often gathered in the kitchen because it was the only room in the house kept warm. Chocolate was a prized, calorie-rich item used to show social status, often consumed as a drink by those who could afford it.

Food

Around 1767–1767

The Cost of Daily Bread in Madrid

In 18th-century Madrid, bread was the dietary staple, with an individual consuming about 390 grams daily. Following a 1767 price increase, standard wheat bread cost 11 cuartos, while refined French or candeal bread cost 12 cuartos.

Around 1763–1764

The Price of Meat in Madrid

Meat consumption was stratified by price, with mutton being the most common, followed by beef and pork. By the 1760s, a pound of beef cost 13 cuartos and a pound of mutton cost 14 cuartos.

Prices and wages

Annual cost of basic food items

In the mid-18th century, a daily ration of 1.5 pounds of bread for a maid cost roughly 576 reales de vellón per year. Meat for a household—half mutton, half beef—cost 730 reales de vellón annually.

Around 1775–1799

Domestic servant wages and perks

In the late 18th century, a maid working for a family typically earned 24 reales per month in addition to her meals and chocolate.

Work

Around 1774–1774

Coping with Daily Hardship

In 1774, a blind man selling gazettes in Madrid explained his frequent drinking by telling officials he had a bad life and needed to forget it.

Daily Diet and Food Costs

A common diet for working families included bread, wine, and simple warm dishes like a stew, with a daily allowance of only eight maravedís often set aside for a maid's food.

News and letters

Around 1775–1775

Mail schedules in 18th-century Dénia

In 1775, mail arrived in Dénia from its main administration center on Wednesdays and Sundays, departing on Mondays and Thursdays.

Around 1775–1799

Variable costs for letters

Mail delivery costs were not uniform; the recipient paid based on the weight of the letter and the distance it had traveled.

During their lifetime

1771
New Mail Coach Service Established in 1771
In 1771, a mail coach service was established between Madrid, Barcelona, and Cádiz, charging four to five reales per league and promising travel in twenty-one days. This was considered a remarkable speed and comfort for passengers at the time.

Family

Parents

Ancestors and children

Open the full tree

Four generations back to the right, the children to the left. The number beside a child counts the generations of descendants known after them.