Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin



Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin



The yearbook Mémorial Drâmatique ou Almanach Théatral pour l'an 1808 has an entry for the Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin.

Ce Théâtre, supprimé par le décret impérial du 8 Août 1807, avait fait son ouverture le 27 Septembre 1802. On y jouait le Mélodrame, la Comédie et la Pantomime mêlée de danse.

The building from this period was destroyed in the flames of the Paris Commune but in 1871 the theatre was rebuilt and over the years has seen many premieres that we regard as synonymous with the French theatre (Cyrano de Bergerac etc).

Napoleon's decree of 1807 had reduced the number of theatres in Paris to seven and ended a period of expansion. I'm uncertain what impact this had on the employment opportunities for dancers but 1808 is unlikely to have been a boom year.

So in 1808 a M. and Mme. Degville were fortunate not to be resting and they are listed among the principal dancers. But this spartan entry raises many questions.

The spelling is that adopted by Jame's Harvey d'Egville's generation but obviously lacks the apostrophe. The absence of forenames makes it almost impossible to identify precisely whom these dancers are.

The name d'Egville and the family's contribution to the theatre was well known on the French side of the Channel. The press published dispatches of English productions and the usual gossip that dominates the news of today so it is not impossible that these names were adopted as a homage. Though it is unlikely because the ballet master was Eugène Hus.

Eugène Hus was the psuedonym of Pierre-Louis Stapleton (1758-1823) who was the stepson of Jean-Baptiste Hus. In 1762 Jean-Baptiste became ballet master in Brussels where Pierre d'Aigueville's Ballet Turc would be performed in 1767.

James and George Harvey d'Egville are unlikely candidates for M. Degville as they appear to have been employed in England at this time. Louis Harvey d'Egville was settled in Worcester with a growing family.

These Degvilles may have been living in Paris for some time by 1808. Théâtre choisi de G. De Pixerécourt 1841 gives us some detailed descriptions and notices for a production of Robinson Crusoé [in London, Robinson Crusoe seems to have been part of the standard repertoire by 1805]:

Journal de Paris. 3 Octobre 1805

Parmi les danses qui couronnent le dénoftmeot, on voudra revoir souvent celle du Chiea, danse voluptueuse , s'il en fût, et que Robillon et Mlle Degville exécutent avec une grande énergie d'expression.

Courrier des Spectacles 4 Octobre 1805

On a remarqué les beaux développements de Itérante, la légèreté de Morand et la danse grotesque de Robillon et de madame Degville dans un pas de nègres.

If these were Degvilles who had settled in the United Kingdom then through what circumstances did they find themselves in Paris just weeks before the Battle of Trafalgar? And is Mlle Degville a misprint or is there a small family living there? We know that a Jean-Pierre Degville died in Paris in the first quarter of the nineteenth century.

In the Annuaire Dramatique for the year 1813 under the entry of the Théâtre de la Gaîté, Boulevard du Temple  the name Sophie Degville appears and her address is given as the 'rue des Martyrs'. If she were Pierre d'Aigueville's wife she would be almost eighty years old and one wonders what sort of roles would have been open to her. I doubt whether she would have been capable of a voluptuous dance of great energy of expression less than a decade earlier but if she had I would like to have seen it.

Wild and Crazy Moments

Gill, aged 7 months.

From an early age I was always into ballet. Dad used to listen to Opera and Friday Night's Music Night and have a few beers.

He used to say to us girls, go dance like Little Fairies. So on went the plastic sandals. Posh word for them now (Jellie Beans).

And did we dance!! But when dad used to go spend a penny we all used to have a drink of his beer and then resume dancing as if nothing had happened. Dad used to shout, "Who's been drinking my beer?"

All in unison we used to say, "It's not us!!!"

We used to put plays on too. And we always had to have a Circus, all our friends' pets were the animals.

Everyone had a starring role. Mine was the Clown. I always had to be the Clown.

We had a very large garden so we used to have a Circus ring on the bottom lawn. On would come the acts and strut their stuff.

My prop for the Clown was a pair of step ladders, face painted and dressed. On I went...

Whilst climbing the step ladders they broke. It got laughs. How I did not kill my self I do not know!!

Yes, even back then the Degvilles were in our blood.

When Gran told me about the Degvilles being Fencing Masters, in my Wild and Crazy moments I fenced my way a round the house with anything that could pass for a sword.

Gill

Welcome

Welcome to the D'Egville family history research blog. I've been researching my D'Egville ancestors for the past decade. The trail has both challenged and tormented me but it has always been interesting and frequently surprising.

The purpose of this blog is to allow you to share memories, anecdotes, documents, images and perhaps to answer some of your questions. Anybody with a passionate interest in our family history is welcome to become an editor and post for themselves.

My writing style for this project is still evolving. I want my words to be accessible while still retaining the authority of painstaking research. The blog isn't an academic publication so the material won't be presented as if it were being peer reviewed by historians. Sometimes I will probably post articles that are 'in progress' just to see what they look like and if anyone reads and comments on them then they will be contributing to their development.

A lot of people who are interested in genealogy obviously devote much of the efforts to their family trees. For me, genealogy is only a part of family history. My approach is to invite my ancestors to their places around my dining table - metaphorically. I want to listen to their stories and pass them on.

What we read about our ancestors is only one perspective and may be some distance from the truth. I treat these accounts like memories that are going through a continual process of modification. Afterall, what I remember of the events of last week is already removed from their reality; if I've devoted any thought to them at all they will have been sifted through the riddle of subjectivity and reordered so that they fit into my agenda. Despite the 'spin' of people who are concerned with their celebrity I've found some individuals to be entertaining guests whom I continue to welcome.

The D'Egvilles have made a significant contribution to the arts during the past three centuries and sometimes my postings may appear to have more to do with dance history than with people who - although they have vanished - are our family. I hope that I can balance this by revealing something of their personalities and both the trials and pleasures of their everyday lives.