Ball Anecdotes

Balls were the mainstay of the Regency and Victorian eras, and the Thorn's enjoyed these extravagant affairs more than most. In previous posts I have devoted some time to the Colonel's most exceptional ball in 1840. Below are some other mentions of Thorn events. I have enjoyed re-reading the ball extracts after reading Jane's letters... Continue Reading →

March 28, 2026 0

Colonel Thorn Obituary #2

Unfortunately, I have misplaced the reference link for this one, but I'm pretty sure it came from Gallica. It's alway amusing to read observations about the Colonel's motivations and behaviours! : Colonel Hermann Thorn died in New York on Sunday, July 31 , at the age of 78 , after a long and painful illness. He leaves a considerable fortune to a large family. One... Continue Reading →

March 3, 2026 0

A Wonderful Musical Evening at Colonel Thorn’s

Love this description from the GAZETTE MUSICALE DE PARIS in 1835! Alice Thorn sang a duet by Handel.A wonderful musical evening took place this week at Colonel Thorn, with the aim of rescuing our unfortunate comrades-triotes from Guadeloupe, and it is believed that the product will have exceeded the figure of 10,000 fr. The hero... Continue Reading →

October 20, 2025 0

Rue de Varenne’s Address Changes

I was fascinated to come across a list of who was living on the Rue de Varenne during the time that the Thorns inhabited the Hotel Matignon. Interestingly, this record has them living at no. 23 not no. 57. This may have something to do with the street numbers changing over time (see below). I'm... Continue Reading →

February 7, 2025 0

John Jacob Astor writes to Colonel Thorn

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 →