Milton's Second Marriage, the Burials of a Wife and Daughter, and Records from Two Parish Chests

Unreported parish records from Saint Margaret's, Westminster, and Saint Mary the Virgin, Aldermanbury, provide new information about Milton's second marriage and the burials of Katherine Woodcock and the couple's daughter. These details invite us, in turn, to reconsider Milton's own views regarding church ceremonies and parish affiliations in the 1650s and Restoration. In particular, the Saint Margaret's Churchwarden Accounts reveal that Milton's second wife and fourth daughter were buried at the new Chappell in Tothill Fields rather than at the mother church. Benevolences given at each burial suggest the likelihood that Milton attended both services.

Automated summary

Unreported parish records reveal new information about Milton's second marriage and the burials of his wife and daughter, prompting a reconsideration of his views on church ceremonies and parish affiliations.