_Lucy Walters, the Duke of Monmouth's Mother._--The death of this
unfortunate woman is usually stated to have taken place at Paris. The date
is not given, and the authority cited is John Evelyn. But Evelyn's words
have been misunderstood. He says, speaking of the Duke of Monmouth's
execution:
"His mother, whose name was Barlow, daughter of some very mean
creatures, was a beautiful strumpet, whom I had often seen at Paris;
she died miserably, without anything to bury her."--_Diary_, July 15,
1685.
This passage surely does not imply that she _died_ at Paris? In the Parish
Registers of Hammersmith is the following entry:
"1683, June 5, Lucy Walters bur."
which I am fully persuaded records the death of one of King Charles's
quondam mistresses.