| BACHS | The two wives and 20 children of Johann Sebastian |
| NERO | Emperor who killed his mother, two wives, and himself |
| EISENACH | Town in the German state Thuringia that was the birthplace of Johann Sebastian Bach (8) |
| BACH | Composer of the six Brandenburg Concertos and father of 20 children including Johann Christian who was music master to Queen Charlotte (4) |
| HOWARD | Name of several Dukes of Norfolk, including the third, who was an uncle of two wives of King Henry VIII (6,6) |
| THOMAS | Name of several Dukes of Norfolk, including the third, who was an uncle of two wives of King Henry VIII (6,6) |
| MILKTOOTH | One of a set of 20 children have for starters (4,5) |
| JOSEF | Brother of Johann the Younger bringing warring foes to justice (5) |
| BACHELORPAD | Chap with twenty children and untamed leopard in place of single man |
| BIGAMY | Crime of having two wives, or husbands, at the same time (6) |
| ANNE | Either of two wives of Henry VIII |
| ISSUE | Time to escape from 20 children |
| LAMECH | Relative of Noah who took two wives named Adah and Zillah (Gen. 4:19) (6) |
| BEHEADED | As were two wives of Henry VIII |
| ANNES | Two wives of Henry VIII |
| MOLIERE | Pen name of Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, the French dramatist who wrote Tartuffe, The Misanthrope, The School for Wives and The Bourgeois Gentleman (7) |
| GASKELL | Author of the novels including North and South, Wives and Daughters and Cranford (the latter adapted into a BBC television period drama in 2007) (7) |
| HAWES | Actress in the 1999 miniseries Wives and Daughters as well as The Casual Vacancy, The Durrells and a film adaptation of Rebecca (5) |
| IVY | Forename of the novelist Dame Compton-Burnett, who penned Brothers and Sisters, Men and Wives and Pastors and Masters (3) |
| POLKA | Many of Johann Strauss's works in double rather than triple time could accompany this dance |