Dear Friends, I am constantly updating the Thorn research and correcting my own errors as the story evolves. So, if you have a particular interest area/post, it's worth checking back every now and then to see if new information has come to light. I want to try and keep the research clustered, so there won't... Continue Reading →
I have copied this from The American Register newspaper article that published Jane Mary Thorn's last will and testament. I am most curious about the missing art she mentions, but I also believe her tiara was quite famous. I wonder whose collection it now sits in? The most important find from reading this, is the... Continue Reading →
I've known for a while that these engravings represented Herman and Alfred Thorn, but it was not until I recently read Jane Mary Jauncey Thorn's will that I realised the third engraving is James Jauncey Thorn who married Therese von Leykam. It' s one of the reasons I've enjoyed this research so much - finding... Continue Reading →
So, I'm a little confused over something. I'd love your thoughts! Which of the Thorn girls are in the first two paintings below with Ellen? Alice or Ida? The Frick collection notes say it's the Countess de Ferussac (Alice), but in his biography Healey refers to painting the two youngest Thorn girls, which would make... Continue Reading →
You can't imagine how thrilled I was to find this ghost story about Colonel Thorn. Even if the journalist denounces its veracity, it's quite a find! I love how this family saga has so many dimensions. It seems the Colonel loved having his big family all around him, and in latter years it was nothing... Continue Reading →
In researching Herman Thorn's life, I have found a rich composite of stories and snippets that paint a picture of the man. While clearly a spendthrift and a classist social climber, he was also gentlemanly, with a sense of humour and an inclination to host benefits for people in need, such as the impoverished German... Continue Reading →
I have not been able to establish if this was a model of a real boat. If it was, I suspect it had a different name. But there is no mention (that I can find at least) that the Colonel commissioned a boat to be built to sail his family to Europe. Below is the... Continue Reading →
As I try to build a picture of Colonel Thorn's character, I try and envisage many things: how he dressed, what things he surrounded himself with, what his tastes were - in essence, his style. Below are some of the glimpses I've had into the material aspects of his life. This also gives me more... Continue Reading →
Angelina "Jauncey" Thorn was the eldest daughter of the Thorn children. She was born in 1813 and married at the American Embassy in Paris in 1835 to Lewis (Louis) de Pau of New York, grandson of Comte de Grasse. Like her brothers William and James, she was forced to change her surname to "Jauncey" in order... Continue Reading →
In a previous post, I looked at how Jane Mary (Thorn) de Pierres (1821 - 1873) was immortalised in paintings and scultpures, but I'd like to dip into her life a bit more, and try and recreate a picture of her personality. Other than being the third eldest girl of thirteen children, not a lot... 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…