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Born
Ditchley, Oxfordshire, England -
Father created Earl of Rochester by Charles II
Henry, Viscount Wilmot, created in 1652 for his military service to Charles II during the King's exile under the Commonwealth. Paul Davis describes Henry as "a Cavalier legend, a dashing bon viveur and war-hero who single-handedly engineered the future Charles II's escape to the Continent (including the famous concealment in an oak tree) after the disastrous battle of Worcester in 1651". His mother, Anne St. John, was a strong-willed Puritan from a noble Wiltshire family. -
Privately Tutored
From the age of seven, Rochester was privately tutored, two years later attending the grammar school in nearby Burford -
Father Dies
John Wilmot inherited the title of the Earl of Rochester in April of that year.(11years old) -
Fellow at Wadham
Admitted as a Fellow commoner to Wadham College, Oxford, a new and comparatively poor college. Whilst there, it is said, the 13-year-old "grew debauched". In September 1661 he was awarded an honorary M.A. by the newly elected Chancellor of the university, Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon, a family friend. -
Charles II give pension of $500
?Date? As an act of gratitude towards the son of Henry Wilmot, Charles II conferred on Rochester an annual pension of £500 -
Grand Tour with Andrew Balfour
1661 Charles sent Rochester on a three year Grand Tour of France and Italy, and appointed the physician Andrew Balfour as his governor.This exposed him to an unusual degree to European (especially French) writing and thought. In 1664 Rochester returned to London, and made his formal début at the Restoration court on Christmas Day. -
Period: to
The Merry Gang
The Merry Gang flourished for about 15 years after 1665 and included Henry Jermyn; Charles Sackville, Earl of Dorset; John Sheffield, Earl of Mulgrave; Henry Killigrew; Sir Charles Sedley; the playwrights William Wycherley and George Etherege; and George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham. -
Pepys on Abduction of Mrs Mallett
(..) my Lady Sandwich's, (..) [I told] her a story of my Lord Rochester's running away on Friday night last with Mrs. Mallett, the great beauty and fortune of the North, who had supped at White Hall with Mrs. Stewart, and was going home to her lodgings with her grandfather, my Lord Haly, by coach; and was at Charing Cross seized on by both horse and foot men, and forcibly taken from him, and put into a coach with six horses, and two women provided to receive her, and carried away. -
Serves in the Second Dutch war
Rochester attempted to redeem himself by volunteering for the navy in the Second Dutch War in the winter of 1665, serving under the Earl of Sandwich. His courage at the Battle of Vågen, serving on board the ship of Thomas Teddeman, made him a war hero -
Created Gentleman of the Bedchamber
Pleased with his conduct, Charles appointed Rochester a Gentleman of the Bedchamber in March 1666, which granted him prime lodgings in Whitehall and a pension of £1,000 a year. The role encompassed, one week in every four, Rochester helping the King to dress and undress, serve his meals when dining in private, and sleeping at the foot of the King's bed. -
Spends three weeks in the Tower
18-year-old Rochester spent three weeks in the Tower, and was only released after he wrote a penitent apology to the King.[ -
Serves on HMS Victory
(Dat?) In the summer of 1666, Rochester returned to sea, serving aboard HMS Victory under Edward Spragge. He again showed extraordinary courage in battle, including rowing between vessels under heavy cannon fire, to deliver Spragge's messages around the fleet. -
Elopes with Elizabeth Mallet
Defying her family's wishes, Mallett eloped with Rochester again in January 1667, and they were married at the Knightsbridge chapel. -
Entered House of Commons
The monarch granted Rochester special licence to enter the House of Lords early, despite being seven months underage.[3] The act was an attempt by the King to bolster his number of supporters among the Lords. -
Relationship with Nell Gwyn
Teenage actress Nell Gwyn "almost certainly" took him as her lover; she was later to become the mistress of Charles II. Gwyn remained a lifelong friend and political associate, and her relationship with the King gave Rochester influence and status within the Court.[ -
Child: Lady Anne Wilmot (1669—1703) born
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Banned fro court for boxing Tom Killigrew's ears (Pepys)
'The King dining yesterday at the Dutch ambassador's, after dinner they drank and were pretty merry; and among the rest of the King's company there was that worthy fellow my Lord of Rochester, and Tom Killigrew, whose mirth and raillery offended the former so much that he did give Tom Killigrew a box on the ear in the King's presence ...' Considered an offence against the King, or a lèse-majesté, and he was banned from the court, although the King soon called for his return. -
Child: Charles Wilmot (1671—1681) born
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Begins to train Elizabeth Barry as an actress
She went on to become the most famous actress of her age. -
George Villiers loses power in (King's advisor/friend of Rochester)
Rochester's standing fell as well. -
Created Ranger of Woodstock Park
Despite the banishment, in February 1674, after much petitioning by Rochester, the King appointed him Ranger of Woodstock Park. -
Publishes A Satyre against Reason and Mankind
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Child: Lady Elizabeth Wilmot (1674—1757) Born
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Elizabeth Barry takes him as a lover
The relationship lasted for around five years, and produced a daughter, before descending into acrimony after Rochester began to resent her success.[3] Rochester wrote afterwards, "With what face can I incline/To damn you to be only mine?… Live up to thy might mind/And be the mistress of mankind".[22] -
In the Isle of Britain results in banishment from court for two months
At the Christmas festivities at Whitehall of that year, Rochester delivered a satire to Charles II, "In the Isle of Britain" – which criticized the King for being obsessed with sex at the expense of his kingdom. Charles' reaction to this satirical portrayal resulted in Rochester's exile from the court until February. -
Falls into disfavour, impersonates mountebank
During a late-night scuffle with the night watch, one of Rochester's companions was killed by a pike-thrust. Rochester was reported to have fled the scene of the incident, and his standing with the monarch reached an all-time low.[25] Following this incident, Rochester briefly fled to Tower Hill, where he impersonated a mountebank "Doctor Bendo". Under this persona, he claimed skill in treating "barrenness" (infertility), and other gynecological disorders. See Gilbert Burnet's comment -
Child: Lady Malet Wilmot (1676—1708/1709) born
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Died
Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England (Aged 33)
Cause believed to be from syphilis -
Adaptation of Fletcher's Valentinian
produced posthumously
