a splendid and tragic real-life nineteenth century family saga
Since I began to blog about Colonel Thorn, I have been contacted by relatives from America, France and Ireland. I'd like to welcome them to my journey, and thank them, not only for getting in touch, but for sharing some of their personal archival material. From the Mansfield/de Ferussac connection through Alice Thorn in Ireland,... Continue Reading →
Colonel Thorn Today marks the beginning of the journey of my first creative non fiction piece, a sprawling family saga based on my ancestor Colonel Herman Thorn (1783 - 1859) and his wife, Jane Mary Jauncey and their children. I'm using this blog as a way of organising my thoughts and research material, while I... Continue Reading →
My dear sister, Nicole, is the keeper of family history, and the best French scholar among the Australian branch of the de Pierres. She stumbled on this in some family papers recently. For me it was the equivalent of striking gold!! Interestingly it is written in English, though I am yet to decipher the contents.... Continue Reading →
I have enjoyed finding out which artists performed at Colonel Thorn's salon in Paris. It helps paint a vivid picture of the times. Most recently, I have found a mention of Mr Adrien Garreau, an exalted cellist. Mr Garreau has come to this country on the recommendation of the Ambassador of France to Washington and... Continue Reading →
It's these incidental pieces of information that build such a rich picture of the Thorn family's life. Of course, I'm curious about who was in the carriage! Being 1842, I expect it was Jane, Alice or Mary. 1842: The axle of the Duke of Orléans' car broke on the way, but the car did not... Continue Reading →
It is believed that Colonel Thorn spent 1 million francs renovating Hotel Matignon. In today's currency, that is equivalent to 51 million AUD. It's kind of hard to take in, and puts the 'e' in extravagant. So far, I have been able to find out a few facts about the renovation. He took the advice... Continue Reading →
Have I mentioned that Archival Librarians Rule the World! Much of the research material I'm finding on Google Books is only available in snippet view. This has been a constant source of frustration to me, which I didn't know how to overcome. Lately, though I've taken to reaching out to the librarians where the book... Continue Reading →
This passage in Le Mémorial bordelais : feuille politique et littéraire has revealed some fascinating kernels of Thorn history. It seems that when the family packed up ready to return to New York for good, they left Hotel Matignon and stayed temporarily at Hotel Forbin just outside Marseille. My assumption is that their boat was... Continue Reading →
I've been reading a biography about Peg Woffington, an Irish actress and celebrity of the stage from the 1700's. The biography was written by Janet Camden Lucey, and in it I found the passage below. It resonanted deeply with all that I have uncovered about the Thorn's, and captures the essence of their lives. I... Continue Reading →
I have found a few memories of what Colonel Thorn's final home in Manhattan was like, but this is a particularly informative and poignant recount. I didn't realise that he lost all of his French furniture in a fire. How devestating, to a man who was an aesthete. It was also great to garner a... Continue Reading →
Below is a second reference to Franz Liszt playing at Colonel Thorn's and the reason behind it - the troupe of starving German musicians. You can read an entire academic paper about this story on academia.edu. For civilization, for colonization, the cross is better than the sword. Paris, which at this moment is almost depopulated of its beautiful... Continue Reading →
I discovered something ultra cool today! Eugene Thorn, the youngest of the Thorn sons, and the only one to survive Herman, composed a polka for his love (and later wife) Mary Hyslop in 1851. I currently have a friend recording it for me and I will upload the file so you can hear it. I... Continue Reading →
The Colonel and Mrs Thorn 
Lovely to meet you. Do you have any more information to share? best Marianne
She was my 9th great grandmother. I am from Jacque.
Thanks
I've added in the hyperlink, Jacqueline xx
Marianne This was fascinating..thank you for sharing it…could I ask for the source..when I save to my tree I’d like…