Eugene Thorn was the youngest of the Colonel's sons and is the only one to survive him. It was wonderful to discover him in the portrait with the Colonel and his youngest daughters, Ida and Ellen. From what I can tell he was a graduate of Columbia University and a Captain in the Army. He... Continue Reading →
I discovered this delightful despcription of Alice, Ellen, and Ida Thorn being observed in their carriage as it tooled around Central Park. This was six years after the Colonel had died. Interesting to hear that Napoleon 111 was annoyed by the Colonel's flashy livery. French Landau Central Park 1865 The married daughters of the late... Continue Reading →
I discovered excerpts from an autobiography (1887- 97) by Gabriel Henry Manigault who says his uncle was the only one present at the marriage of Herman Thorn and Jane Mary Jauncey. Col Thorne had been in early life a paymaster in the Navy, and of obscure birth. He made a runaway marriage with the daughter of a... Continue Reading →
And still the infamy of the Masked Ball of 1840 continues! This is taken from a letter by writer and journalist by Delphine de Girardin. It's a fascinating perspective on Colonel Thorn's motivations for the extravagant entertaining he did. If the author is in any way correct, then it begs the question why? Why spend... Continue Reading →
It's unsurprising, with so much ostenatatious wealth, that the Thorn's were occasionally robbed over the years. I've found a few references to these incidents. One occasion was August 1839 when they were on holiday in Italy. They had been living in Paris for almost a decade at that time, and they travelled often. Colonel Thorn,... Continue Reading →
It was interesting to read the article below, as it puts the Thorn's back in New York in 1845, staying in New Rochelle, while they waited for Apthorp Manor to be made ready for their return. And it suddenly struck me how mobile the entire family was over the years. They were constantly on the... Continue Reading →
As part of my immersion into the Thorn's story, I've found it interesting to learn about the people around him. Particular writers' names keep coming in connection with the family, so I will take a moment to talk about who they were, and speculate on why they might have been friends. For instance, the artist... Continue Reading →
The Versailles train accident in 1842 is still one of the worst rail accidents ever. A loco with 17 carriages left for Paris and derailed at Meudon when an axle broke. Reports of the deaths ranged between 50 and 200 hundred people. Of importance for this story is that one of Colonel Thorn's sons escaped... Continue Reading →
Some of the anecdotes I have found in the course of my research have been amusing and revealing. None more so than this one from 1866, which I mentioned in my post about Jane (Thorn) de Pierres. It is such an insight into the tone and day to day court life of Napoleon 111 and... Continue Reading →
Zerlina was the Thorn's tenth child, born around 1828/9. I mentioned her in the general post on the children. Sadly, she drowned at the age of eight years old at Trenton Falls, New Jersey, in July, 1836. An account of the incident, describes Herman was carrying her and helping his wife across the fastmoving water.... Continue Reading →
The Colonel and Mrs Thorn 
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…
How wonderful to hear the voices of the family..the daily life, the visits the boredom…first hand accounts from woman are…