The second part of Osgood's reflections is a sarcastic account of Charles Lever tasting sherry with Colonel Thorn. The Marquis de Penafiel mentioned in the excerpt was a Spanish noble and either the 11th or 12th Duke of Osuna. Charles Lever was an Irish writer and editor, author of The Confessions of Harry Lorrequer among... Continue Reading →
This excerpt from Uncensored Recollections by Julian Osgood Field paints a disturbing picture of Albert Thorn's marriage to Clotilde Barili, is unflattering about Jane Thorn de Pierres, and sarcastic about the Colonel. His anecdotes are hearsay from stories his father used to tell, and though perhaps exaggerated, still give valuable information. Osgood Field was a... Continue Reading →
It seems that in 1843 Colonel Thorn was witness of the the marriage between the New York banking heiress, Mary Mason Jones (Edith Wharton's great aunt) and the Baron de Trobriand. I'm curious as to whether there was an actual connection between them, or if he was merely called upon as a well known American... Continue Reading →
It was common knowledge that Old William Jauncey did not approve of his niece's choice of husband. As I mentioned in an earlier post, he had planned for her to wed the son of his friend, Colonel Barclay. The old man was so furious about their elopement in 1810 that he refused to ever speak... Continue Reading →
Here is a second newspaper account of Mary Jane Thorn's will. It seems that people were intrigued by the instructions she left for her tiara. It must have been coveted by all, and she wanted to make sure that there was no favouritism displayed. One had to buy the others out of their shares if... Continue Reading →
As I just posted about the Thorn family holidays to Dieppe, I decided that the family's regular trips to Pequot House deserved its own post. Just to remind you, I found it first mentioned in Mrs Thorn's will: For many years before her death, Lady Thorn, accompanied by her family, spent the summer months at... Continue Reading →
There are records of Colonel Thorn and family visiting the Dieppe baths on June 15th, 1831; July or August 1842; and then again in 1844, which suggests they might have gone there for an annual summer holiday while they lived in France. The baths were a popular holiday destination in Northern France and seemed to... Continue Reading →
When you're trying to recreate someone's life, incidental anecdotes reveal a lot about their personality and their environment. This recount details how Colonel Thorn, not content with his second tier box at the Theatre Italien, was seeking to rent a first tier opera box from the Duc d'Osuma, who had returned to Spain. The first... Continue Reading →
While researching this family story, I have begun to realise more and more just how subjective and incomplete history is. Take the legend of Ots Toch, Herman Thorn's great, great, great grandmother. Historical accounts differ on who her parents were and we may never know the truth. Ots Toch was a Mowhawk woman from the... Continue Reading →
I've been holding off writing about Herman Jr. His is such a sad story, just like the other male Thorn children - apart from Eugene. As I mentioned in an earlier post, Herman Jr was keen to become an officer in the US Army, but was not admitted to West Point. Once he had been... Continue Reading →
The Colonel and Mrs Thorn 
[…] Mr Maurer […]
I noticed that too..nicknames add even more color to the picture
Oh, yes I found the photo amd put it on the poat about the Thorn granchildren! From Jane's letters it…
I shared her portrait and her father James with you…James is the black framed portrait vs the giant gold framed…
Dear Jacqueline, I feel the same as you. It has brought so much to life. Jane is clearly very fond…