It's always gratifying to see an actual artefact connected to the Thorn family. This is a letter to Herman from John Jacob Astor about his ship Tonquin. Tonquin had been commanded by Herman's brother, Jonathon (a hero of the Barbary Wars), who was killed on a trip to Canada after rudely inciting an argument with... Continue Reading →
James Jancey Senior was deeply involved in New York politics. Below are examples of his activity and involvement with John Cruger and his title of Master of the Rolls: At a meeting of the freemen and freeholders of the city, in order to consult on the Propriety of re-electing the late 4 Members for this... Continue Reading →
In this letter to George Perkins March (considered to be America's first environmentalist), GPA Healy mentions how he has just finished the Thorn portrait. *Dubourjal is a French artist of the time. Paris March 27 1854. 16. Place Vendôme Page 1My dear Marsh, I have been greatly disappointed in not being able to make my... Continue Reading →
I continue to collect snippets of information that weave into the tapestry of the Thorn's life. There is always the possibility that some of these are inaccurate, but it is worth recording in order to cross reference them. Herman and his family moved into "Elmwood" (Apthorp mansion) soon after William Jauncey died in 1828. Though... Continue Reading →
Both William Jauncey and Herman Thorn were, at one time, vestrymen at St Michael's Episcopalian church on 100th St (Bloomingdale) on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The church has been rebuilt on other locations since then, but Herman must have retained his faith during his lifetime as he began holding Episcopalian services at Hotel... Continue Reading →
In the Salon of 1853 both Disderi and Gayrard displayed works. For Gayrard it was the bronze statue of The Lady on Horseback (Jane Thorn de Pierres). Whereas Disderi was exhibiting his portait photography. This year the famous exhibition was moved to northern Paris, and not everyone was happy with this. There were 1,768 works... Continue Reading →
I came across this rather vicious description of of King Louis-Philippe's sister, Madame Adelaide, and her connection to Colonel Thorn. It seems that within Parisian society they both had plenty of critics. If this can be believed, the Colonel was fearful of being "papped" by the likes of Alphonse Karr, who had written many scathing... Continue Reading →
The author of The Last of the Mohican's, James Fenimore Cooper was a friend of Colonel Thorn's and mentioned him often in his letters to his wife and friends. I have posted a couple of his comments previously, and here are a few more. I did not know about the Ludlow St rental, and it... Continue Reading →
I found this advertisement of William Jauncey's business, located in Pearl Street in the Wall St area of Manhattan. It was in the Appleton's Navigation Guide. I found it interesting to see that he was importing indigo (I assume to use as a dye) from these places. The Jauncey's made their fortune through merchant shipping,... Continue Reading →
As has happened many times now since I began this website, I have had an email from a fellow researcher looking for information that is related to the Thorn story. In this instance, it is from the Chatham Booksellers in New Jersey, who have come into the possession of a letter addressed to Miss Jauncey... Continue Reading →
[…] royal equipages of the King not excepted. He entertained the nobility at his house in Paris, and at the…
Hi Matt, thanks for your message. Can you point me to any research saying they were both called Ots Toch?…
From my research, it seems there were 2 people with the name Ots Toch, both Mom and Daughter. They are…
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[…] Mr Maurer […]