1731 deaths

Bartolomeo Cristofori di Francesco (May 4, 1655 – January 27, 1731) was an Italian maker of musical instruments famous for inventing the piano.

Lady Barbara FitzRoy (16 July 1672 – 6 May 1737), was the sixth and youngest child of Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland, a mistress of Charles II of England. Charles never publicly acknowledged her as his child, as he was probably not the father. She became a Benedictine nun, known as Benedite.

Daniel Defoe (c. 1660 – 24 April 1731), born Daniel Foe, was an English trader, writer, journalist, pamphleteer and spy. He is most famous for his novel Robinson Crusoe, published in 1719, which is claimed to be second only to the Bible in its number of translations. He has been seen as one of the earliest proponents of the English novel, and helped to popularise the form in Britain with others such as Aphra Behn and Samuel Richardson. Defoe wrote many political tracts and was often in trouble with the authorities, and spent a period in prison. Intellectuals and political leaders paid attention to his fresh ideas and sometimes consulted with him.

Louise Hippolyte (10 November 1697 – 29 December 1731) was one of only two women to rule Monaco (after Lady Claudine), reigning as Princess of Monaco from 20 February 1731 until her death in December the same year.

Tsarina Eudoxia Fyodorovna Lopukhina (Russian: Евдоки́я Фёдоровна Лопухина́, Yevdokíya Fyodorovna Lopukhiná; 9 August [O.S. 30 July] 1669 in Moscow – 7 September [O.S. 27 August] 1731 in Moscow) was a Russian Tsaritsa as the first wife of Peter I of Russia, and the last ethnic Russian and non-foreign wife of a Russian monarch. She was the mother of Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich and the paternal grandmother of Peter II of Russia.

Anthony Aston (died 1731) was an English actor and dramatist.

William Aikman (24 October 1682 – 7 June 1731) was a Scottish portraitist.

Mary of Jesus de León y Delgado (Spanish: Sor María de Jesús), was a Spanish Dominican lay sister, mystic and visionary, known popularly as "La Siervita" (the Little Servant). She lived a life which was austere and simple, and many miracles were attributed to her, as well as levitation, ecstasy, bilocation, the stigmata, clairvoyance and healing, among others.

Violante Beatrice of Bavaria (Violante Beatrix; 23 January 1673 – 30 May 1731) was Grand Princess of Tuscany as the wife of Ferdinando de' Medici, Grand Prince of Tuscany and Governor of Siena from 1717 until her death. Born a Duchess of Bavaria, the youngest child of Elector Ferdinand Maria, she married the heir to the Tuscan throne, Ferdinando de' Medici, in 1689. Violante Beatrice loved him but Ferdinando did not return her affection, declaring her too ugly and too dull. Her brother-in-law, Prince Gian Gastone, befriended her out of sympathy, a friendship that lasted until Violante Beatrice's demise.

Abdallah bin Muhammad bin al-Qdadi 'Abdallah (died 1731 CE), better known as Ibn Razqa, was a Mauritanian poet and scholar. He is sometimes referred to as "the father of the Mauritanian poets". He was the grandson of Abd-Allah al-Qadi (also known as Qadi Shinqit). A short biography of Ibn Razqa is contained in the beginning of Al-Wasit by Ahmad ibn al-Amin al-Shinqiti.