Une Académie De Danse

Mais le lendemain, et pour rien, j'en éprouvai
un bien vif à voir chez lui M. Degville, excellent
maître de l'école de Gardel. Vingt carrosses à sa
porte, et dans ses élégans salons, trente à quarante
jeunes personnes des premières maisons d'Angle-
terre, m'annoncèrent une académie de danse telle
que je n'en connaissais point encore. Les femmes
seulement, ou tout au plus quelques proches parens
des élèves, sont admis à ces réunions, Deux harpes
une basse, deux violons, sans compter celui du
maître, jouent les exercices les gavottes, les pas
de deux, de quatre, de huit, et enfin la contre-
danse ou walse générale. Des rafraîchissement
ofierts par madame Degville, femme modeste et
spirituelle, terminent cette joyeuse leçon, où cha-
cune aspire à se rendre, tant pour apprendre à
bien danser que pour dire que l'on y danse avec
les jeunes ladys telles, telles.... qui, dans cette
occasion, veulent bien déroger, mais sans tirer à
conséquence; c'est-à-dire, sans que la fille d'un
baronnet puisse jamais être invitée chez sa com-
pagne, fille d'un noble lord la connaissance et
l'amitié ne passent pas les portes de l'académie.

Souvenirs de Brighton, de Londres et de Paris; et quelques fragmens de littérature légère.

Amélie Julie Simons-Candeille. 1818

But the next day, and for nothing, I felt very keen to see at home Mr. Degville, excellent master of the school of Gardel. Twenty carriages at his door, and in his elegant rooms, thirty to forty young people of the first houses of England, informed me such a dance academy as I have not known. Women only, or at most a few close relatives of the pupils are admitted to these meetings. Two harps, a bass, two violins, not counting the master's, play the exercises, the gavottes, the pas de deux, de quatre, de huit and finally the contre-danse or waltz. The refreshments offered by Mrs. Degville, a modest and spiritual woman, end this happy lesson, where each one aspires to go, less to learn to dance well than to say that one dances there with such, such .... young ladys, who on this occasion, are willing to condescend, but without consequence. That is to say, that the daughter of a baronet can never be invited to to the home of her companion, daughter of a noble lord: the acquaintance and friendship do not pass the doors of the academy.

Amélie Julie Simons-Candeille (1767-1834) was a celebrated and multi talented woman. Composer, librettist, writer, singer, actress, comedienne, and instrumentalist; although only one of her works for the stage survives today. Her memoir of travels through England has some incisive observations. This example describes how James Harvey d'Egville's lessons provided a temporary opportunity for social barriers to fall.

Amélie Julie Simons-Candeille
c. 1810

Joe Manton's Shooting Gallery

A Pair of flintlock duelling pistols by Joseph Manton

Joseph Manton, whose address is given for further particulars of Mrs d'Egville's coach to Paris, was the foremost gunsmith of his day. He experimented with rifling, cartridges and improving the lock mechanism. His duelling pistols had the innovation of added weight at the tip of the barrel that compensated for recoil and allowed deadly accuracy. At the Davies Street address was a shooting gallery where the rich and famous would compete in shooting at a wafer.


(Gronow, 1862)

Although the fashionable congregated at the shooting gallery and the coach was a novel venture, because I have a nasty and suspicious mind, I immediately wondered whether Mrs d'Egville's establishment in Montmartre might be the sort of out-of-the-way place one might send one's pregnant hussies.

Rees Howell Gronow Reminiscences of Captain Gronow, formerly of the Grenadier Guards and M.P. for Stafford, being Anecdotes of the Camp, the Court, and the Clubs, at the close of the last War with France, related by himself (1962)

Madame Dagueville's Last Performances

Medea and Jason [1] Thursday 26 August 1784

Almost all of the theatre advertisements from the eighteenth century omit forenames. Consequently we can't be sure of the identity of the Madame Dagueville  who danced in the role of Medea. In this pantomime there would have been a transformation scene in which the characters of Greek mythology were transformed into the Harlequinade. Mother Shipton is said to have ultimately developed into the pantomime dame.

If the dancing master with his practice in Ipswich is d'Egville senior then he must have married at least twice. Mr Dagueville refers to himself as former principal dancer at the Opera House in some of his local advertising material. His wife died in childbirth on Monday 10 May 1779. We know that d'Egville senior continued to be active in London but this doesn't necessarily mean that the two men aren't one individual. Dagueville of Ipswich had a business partner who could have taken over his pupils when he was in town.

The Essex Chronicle 14 May 1779
The British Library Board

Its implausible that the Madame Dagueville who danced in the role of Medea is Catherine Berry (wife of James Harvey d'Egville) as they didn't marry until 1792. Neither can she have been either of Peter's known daughters. Madame Dagueville disappears from the advertisements in the latter half of the seventeen-nineties.

[1] Willaim Van Lennep, The London Stage, 1660-1800 Part 5, 1776-1800: A Calendar of Plays, Entertainment & Afterpieces Together with Casts, Box-Reciepts and Contemporary Comment (SIU Press, 1970)

James Harvey d'Egville's Art Collection

The Morning Chronicle 29 June 1820
The British Library Board

I apologise for the quality of the image; the left-hand side has been lost in the digitisation process. I haven't looked into why James might have moved out of Great Marlborough Street and sold at least part of his art collection.

It would be interesting to try and discover what became of some of these paintings and their provenance. The collection appears to contain some important pieces. For example, Gapard Dughet (1615-1675) was known as Gaspard Poussin because he was Nicolas Poussin's pupil and brother-in-law. His Italianate landscape with goat herders was sold by Sotheby's for £12,500 in 2010.

While being "Old Masters" they aren't the most desirable or most expensive in today's market. In 1820 they might have had greater relative value or, for all I know, have been used as tinder.

If "Aglio" is Agostino Aglio it is possible that he was part of James' circle. Aglio worked in the decoration of theatres, churches and country houses in England and Ireland. Jame's son, James, who became a watercolourist worked in the studio of Augustus Pugin. His home must have provided some inspiration and might have provided role models for his future career.

Killed By A Pin

The Nottinghamshire Guardian 22 December 1900
The British Library Board

Infant mortality reached its peak in England and Wales in the 1890s. Although water and sanitation were improving and compulsory vaccinations had begun there were no antibiotics. Death in infancy affected most families and wealth provided little protection. As one of George Harvey d'Egville's descendants Minnie was likely to have been born into straitened circumstances.

The Invisible George

After George Harvey d'Egville relocated to Atherstone his presence in the archives becomes almost invisible. Louis, Sophie and James are apparent in their many column inches of advertisements and publicity. I'd attributed this to the destruction of the smaller circulation local newspapers but I'd begun to wonder whether he did anything other than father a large number of children.

This substantial advertisement that appeared in the Northampton Mercury is not unusual so far as dancing academies are concerned and it is difficult to establish who is really really a d'Egville. I'd consigned it to file of possibly fraudulent dancing teachers but I've reconsidered it because it might be George.

George certainly was a dancer at the Opera House although I'm unaware of any records associating him with the Royal Academy in Paris. One thinks of Atherstone being isolated but Lutterworth is only eighteen miles away on a direct route along Watling Street.

The Northampton Mercury 21 November 1829
The British Library Board

Mrs d'Egville's Establishment In Montmartre

The newspapers are full of advertisements by the enterprising d'Egvilles - I have a very low tolerance of boredom - but when I saw this one I did a cartoon double take. It provokes so many questions.

The Morning Chronicle 9 September 1802
The British Library Board

War with France was the default situation for Britain throughout much of the eighteenth century. The term The Second Hundred Years' War is used to describe the period from 1689-1815 by some historians. The longest interlude of peace lasted from 1713-1740. But on 25 March 1802 Britain signed the Treaty of Amiens and the War of the Second Coalition came to an end. This particular war - along with the War of the First Coalition - had been an attempt by the European monarchies to counter the revolution in France.  

Peace was short lived because Britain declared war again on 18 May 1803. Despite strong anti-French feeling in England France remained a cultural centre. The column also contains an advert for a school in Tournay. Mrs d'Egville doesn't appear to be offering any specific education so the nature of the establishment is unclear. It might almost be a 'bin' for unwanted young women. James d'Egville is certainly the ballet master because this address appears in other adverts at this date.

This was, perhaps, not the carriage's only journey. In the "Fashionable World" column of The Morning Post on 15 April 1802 it was reported that,

The first and only carriage sent to Paris from this country, since the signing of the Definitive Treaty, arrived there a few days ago. It was built by Mr. THOMPSON of Mortimer-street for Madame D'EGVILLE, a French lady of large fortune.

The identities or identity of Mrs and Madame d'Egville are anybodies' guess.

The Death Mask Of The Princesse de Lamballe

I've noticed from the statistics that many casual readers arrive at this blog after searching for the death mask of the Princesse de Lamballe. It seems macabre to want to view a remnant of a woman who met her end in such violent and inhumane circumstances.

Madame Tussaud was commissioned to make death masks of some who were murdered in the Terror but none are known to survive. The Tussaud collection endured a shipwreck in 1822, the Bristol riots of 1831, a fire in 1925 and was bombed in the Blitz of 1940.

This portrait was sketched on the day of her murder by Gabriel. She looks younger than her 42 years.

Discord Takes The Lead Of Harmony

The Ipswich Journal 14 October 1786
The British Library Board

I wonder how many children from each school attracted a crowd comprising of almost 200 friends and relations? And talk about pushy parents? This lot jeered the children from the floor. Today we would probably have been able to watch it on YouTube or somebody would have pocketed a couple of hundred quid by sending the video to a television show.

Peter d'Agueville - Car Booter

When I told my colleague Lacyee that I'd found a second advertisement for an auction at Peter d'Agueville's house she said, "He seems a bit of a car booter our Pierre." I wonder whether the first sale even took place because the items listed seem similar but for the absence of a piano.

Ipswich Journal 22 September 1792
The British Library Board

It appears that Mr d'Agueville has by this time already moved on from Hatton Court. However, he has lately occupied the house and isn't the late occupant. It doesn't necessarily even mean that he has left Ipswich.

Ipswich Journal 16 May 1778
The British Library Board

In the Ipswich Journal for Saturday 16 May 1778 advertised the sale of an estate situated in Ipswich. Lot iv is a freehold messuage with a bricked sashed front, "late in the occupation of Mr. Dagueville." Unlike many other d'Egville properties it was obviously unsuitable for a dancing school. Balls were held in the assembly rooms and he seems to have taught at various locations.

If Mr. Dagueville moved from the area of Saint Mary's Church in Stoke Street to Hatton Court then he upped sticks for new home little more that ten minutes walk away.