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 →
Below is an account from the Gallica archives of what happened to Alice Thorn (de Ferussac's) fortune, which was mismanaged by her lawyer in Brooklyn. It's a sad story, made all the more poignant by the fact that Alice died in considerable pain from the results of surgery. From the NEW YORK HERALD of April 12: A document which... Continue Reading →
Thanks to Serge, I did some digging around as to where Jane and Etienne (Stephan) lived in Paris and have found record of them at 16 Rue Montaigne in the 8th, near the Champs Elysees. The building now seems to be home to designer labels such as Armani and Cucinelli. This would have been in... Continue Reading →
My dear sister, Nicole, is the keeper of family history, and the best French scholar among the Australian branch of the de Pierres. She stumbled on this in some family papers recently. For me it was the equivalent of striking gold!! Interestingly it is written in English, though I am yet to decipher the contents.... Continue Reading →
I have enjoyed finding out which artists performed at Colonel Thorn's salon in Paris. It helps paint a vivid picture of the times. Most recently, I have found a mention of Mr Adrien Garreau, an exalted cellist. Mr Garreau has come to this country on the recommendation of the Ambassador of France to Washington and... Continue Reading →
It's these incidental pieces of information that build such a rich picture of the Thorn family's life. Of course, I'm curious about who was in the carriage! Being 1842, I expect it was Jane, Alice or Mary. 1842: On the way back from Chantilly, several accidents occurred which could have been very serious, and which... Continue Reading →
It is believed that Colonel Thorn spent 1 million francs renovating Hotel Matignon. In today's currency, that is equivalent to 51 million AUD. It's kind of hard to take in, and puts the 'e' in extravagant. So far, I have been able to find out a few facts about the renovation. He took the advice... Continue Reading →
Have I mentioned that Archival Librarians Rule the World! Much of the research material I'm finding on Google Books is only available in snippet view. This has been a constant source of frustration to me, which I didn't know how to overcome. Lately, though I've taken to reaching out to the librarians where the book... Continue Reading →
This passage in Le Mémorial bordelais : feuille politique et littéraire has revealed some fascinating kernels of Thorn history. It seems that when the family packed up ready to return to New York for good, they left Hotel Matignon and stayed temporarily at Hotel Forbin just outside Marseille. My assumption is that their boat was... 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…