I had heard through family lore that Stephane Henri de Pierres, son of Jane and Etienne (my great grandfather) was in a duel. But thanks to Philippe, I have some evidence of it. Here is a newspaper clipping from Le Petit Caporal in 1879. Dueling was technically outlawed by Louis XIII in 1626 and later by Louis XIV,... Continue Reading →
Thanks to a fellow researcher, Philippe Grelat, I was alerted to the fact that there is an etching of Jane and Etienne out riding with Empress Eugenie and her son. If you read the caption below, it mentions their names. (Le Monde Illustré issue number 362 of March 19, 1864)
As I've been putting together the Thorn family story in non fiction form, I have repeatedly thought what a wonderful novel it would make... full of drama and colour and life. So, I have finally decided to adapt it into that form as well. From there, I hope to further adapt it into a TV... Continue Reading →
I have purchased this letter on ebay and I am delighted to reveal its contents: Letter to Madame la Baronne de Pierres - Dame d'Honneur de l'Imperatrice Dear Miss Thorn, I thank you for letting me know of your marriage and be assure that I shall certainly assist on Saturday at the ceremony and offer... Continue Reading →
Thanks to Serge, I did some digging around as to where Jane and Etienne (Stephan) lived in Paris and have found record of them at 16 Rue Montaigne in the 8th, near the Champs Elysees. The building now seems to be home to designer labels such as Armani and Cucinelli. This would have been in... 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 →
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: On the way back from Chantilly, several accidents occurred which could have been very serious, and which... 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'm not going to recount the whole story behind this. You can read the court documents (page 702). But it seems as though, after William Jauncey died, Herman pressured Jane's cousin Elizabeth Hait into selling her share of the inheritance to him for a reduced price. It's hard to imagine why anyone would agree to... Continue Reading →
I discovered this letter, which was sent to the Editor-in-chief of Le Sport. It was written by Baron Etienne de Pierres in 1859 and speaks in defence of his father-in-law about the rumours that abounded at the time, after the Colonel had left France to return to New York. It's curious that he responded publically... 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…