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 →
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 →
I am absolutely ecstatic to share with you this George Healy painting of Mary (Jauncey-Thorn) de Varaigne du Borg and her daughter Jeanne-Marie. This photo has been shared with me by my French cousins to whom I send many, many thanks!! We believe that Healy painted this around 1858-60 and that Jeanne Marie is about... Continue Reading →
This was a rather exciting find! It appears that the Colonel commissioned 3 x paintings from Danish artist Ernst Meyer through the icelandic sculptor, Bertel Thorvaldsen. Just when I think I've exhausted all the research avenues the Internet can offer, a little gem sparkles at me. The Colonel mentions copies of two paintings and a... Continue Reading →
Like many wealthy people, Colonel Thorn invested in and gave contribitions to a slew of beneficaries and projects outside his patronange of the Arts. Here is the list I have tracked down so far. These details paint a composite picture that bring the Colonel and his family to life. Below is a list for me... Continue Reading →
In an earlier post, I pondered on who was in the painting below, which is listed in the Frick collection as Colonel Thorn and family, and I decided it was Ellen or Alice, Ida, Eugene and Colonel Thorn. I checked back recently and Frick had updated their archive details (or maybe I'd missed them first... Continue Reading →
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 →
The Colonel and Mrs Thorn 
[…] is believed that the product will have exceeded the figure of 10,000 fr. The hero of the party was…
Will do
Hi Eugene, nice to meet you. Let me know if you find out something new.
I also believe that I have correctly traced my ancestry to Ots-Toch, through my mother, Claribel Ackart (via Solomon Eckert,…
[…] From 1858 – 1871, he was a councillor at the Canton of Saint-Aignan-sur-Roe in Mayenne. And deputy of Mayenne…