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 Thorn's return to New York in late 1845 was prompted by a regime change in France. "He arrived at the port of New York aboard the ship Zurich on 9 Sep 1845.[2][3] The traveling party included Col Thorn age 60, Mrs. Thorn age 45, Mr. Alfred Thorn age 18, Mr. Eugene Thorn age 16, Ellen... 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 →
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 →
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