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 →
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 →
For those of you who are interested in New York politics of the time, here is a link to a letter addressed to James Jauncey senior, John Cruger and others in Congress, from a constituent. There is a hint from the below excerpt that James Sr may have been a Freemason. Trinity Church Then there... Continue Reading →
As you can see, I haven't been researching much this year, but next year I will be back on task! Despite my lack of activity, I have had a constant stream of messages through the site. People are continuing to seek out the information stored here to help with their personal ancestry journeys. In particular,... Continue Reading →
Below is a series of biographical notes about James Jauncey senior - father to William, and Jane Mary's father, John. (Jane Mary then married Herman Thorn and they called one of their boys James. James Thorn was forced to change his name to James Jauncey to inherit his uncle's money). The elder Jauncey's (James and... Continue Reading →
James Jauncey, warden of the Port of New York, merchant ship owner, and founder of the New York Chamber of Commerce, married Mary Smith in 1773. They had four children William, James Jr, John (Jane Mary's father), and Mary. Being Royalists during the revolution, their life was plagued with fear and politics. In 1776, the... Continue Reading →
Old William Jauncey, Jane Mary's uncle and legal guardian, deserves some space in this large family story. He was the source of Herman and Jane's great wealth, and the reason that they made many decisions in their early married life. Because of his disapproval, they eloped. And his desire to control who inherited his money,... 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 →
Jane Mary Jauncey Jane Mary Jauncey (Herman Thorn's wealthy wife) was raised by her uncle, William Jauncey. He took her into his care, with the help of his sister, when his brother John, b.1755 approx. (Jane Mary's father), took his own life. I have not been able to ascertain who Jane Mary's mother was. Apparently,... 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…