More for Your Bookshelves

The price tag of this book must be attached to a rocket. I bought it a couple of years ago and I can't have paid anything like this sum as my pockets aren't this deep.

Luckily, a preview is available of this book. If you pull down the 'more' menu on the Google search page, then select 'Books' and enter the search term 'Italian opera in 18th century London' this book will be top of the list.

On navigating to the book you can replace the search term with 'd'egville' and then follow the links to some of the pages which are freely accessible.

Ian Woodfield's Opera and Drama in Eighteenth Century London (Cambridge University Press, 2006) is more within reach at £34.85. This book doesn't have a preview available to Google but does refer to Pierre and Sophia d'Aigueville and their earnings at the King's Theatre.

Search Engines and Archives

I'm sure that many readers will have become frustrated in their research and reached the limits of Ancestry.co.uk and Google. So here are a few tips that may open new avenues for you.

Many resources do not allow Google to search their databases. There are many digital archives and a number will reward the family historian with a mass of new information. Most archives are free to search, like Ancestry.co.uk, but accessing the information has a cost.

The Times Archive has a monumental 1573 entries satisfying the search term 'egville'. It also shows the context in which the term is found so in most cases it is obvious whether the information will be of interest. A day pass costs £4.95 and seems good value.

The British Library catalogue holds 14 million books and 920,000 journal and newspaper titles. Works by members of the d'Egville family are held by the Library and appear in the catalogue. However, newspaper titles must be searched seperately and the search terms 'egville', 'd'egville' and 'degville' return no results.

This demonstrates a common failing; any catalogue is only as good as the index. We can deduce that the British Library newspaper and journal collection must include articles about members of the d'Egville family because of the wealth of information in the Times Archive.

These are much better accessed through the British Newspapers webpage of the British Library although the catalogue only extends from 1800-1900. As with the Times Archive a day pass must be bought.

Gallica, a service of the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF), is in contrast entirely free. The online documents are not the complete collection of the BnF but a search provides some tantalising information. While the search engine is accessible in English most of the documents are written in French.

Links to all these sites and others are now available in the upper right area of the screen.

L'Intervention des Sabines by Jacques-Louis David

James Harvey d'Egville appears to the left of the woman with her arms outstretched in this David, painted between 1796-1799.

The Hanging of Michael Harvey Peter William Henry d'Egville

Michael d'Egville was hanged because the court was unable to accept evidence from a slave. When I read this I was shocked: not by the execution but because someone who may be a relative owned a slave.

 

Harper's Weekly 19 November 1864 

THE CASE OF MONS. D'EGVILLE.

Tins remarkable case of circumstantial evidence, though generally known to the curious in such matter; who have searched into West Indian records, is as yet, we believe, entirely new to the American public. The details, however, might never have been laid before them had not the original papers been recently discovered in the Provost-marshal's office in Barbadoes, and copied and forwarded to the writer. Besides the intrinsic interest attaching to the story itself as a mere anecdote, there is the object of adding another instance to the list of executions carried out upon the evidence of circumstance alone, and of exhibiting some of the strong as well as the weak points which characterize this peculiar

form of judgment. Perhaps a close and careful comparison of numerous instances of circumstantial evidence might assist in moulding into something like a system the various and sometimes almost contradictory inferences deduced during trials of this character, and in bringing them under a legal form which might be applied when similar occasions required. At present it is well known that the law of circumstantial evidence is very uncertain, and the story before its is a most conspicuous in-stance.

In the year 1824, Michael Harvey Peter William Henry D'Egville, resident in the island of Barba-does, West Indies, dancing master, was brought up before the local June Sessions charged with having caused the death of his wife by administering to her poison in the form of arsenic.

The name of D'Egville has been always famous as the title of a family of dancing-masters and mistresses : there were some of the family, I believe, in Cheltenham when I was a boy, and I certainly was instructed in the art by a D'Egville, though whether the name was assumed as a recommendation or not I can not say. The unhappy man of whom I write had, though a Frenchman, migrated to Barbadoes with the view of teaching dancing, and was, it is reported, very successful. After a some-what long residence in the island, he married a lady -whose family name was LIewellyn, though whether maid or widow at the time of her union with D'Egyille is not shown. The Frenchman was net a man of good character : he was addicted to debauched society and to drink. In many of his tipsy fits he was wont to strike and ill-use his wife, though he never seemed to cherish the least ill-feeling toward her. He was not therefore malicious, though he was quarrelsome in his cups. Still, his ill-usage of Mrs. D'Egville was so continuous and excessive that the long-suffering wife determined upon a separation. This was effected without any scene of violence or

recrimination between the parties; and while the dissolute husband pursued at uncertain interval his profession of danncing-master, the relieved wife lived at some distance, out of his and harem's way as was supposed. It is to be particularly notice( that, though separated from each other, no ill-feeling was to be discerned between Mr. and Mrs. D'Egville; on the contrary, the wife was in the habit of sending to her depraved partner little attentions in the form of dainties, such as she knew he was attached to, as for instance, fruit, soup, rare fish, etc. etc. D'Egville recognized these attentions, and (occasionally) returned them, though the fluctuation of his gains at times prohibited an equivalent interchange of gifts. Now D'Egville was aware that his wife had not only signified her intention of leaving to him a sum of money at her death, but had actually executed the instrument by which he was to be entitled at her demise to a bequest of £500 old Barbadoes currency, i. e., about £330 sterling.

It was proved that D'Egville had bought arsenic some few days previously at a druggist's shop, and being asked if it was required for rats, said, " Yes: and I shouldn't care much if f they were two-legged ones!" Observe, that to be in the possession of arsenic was nothing of itself, for there generally was a supply in every house in the island for the ex-termination of rats and wood-ants; indeed, I can vouch for the fact of my grandfather keeping a very large quantity in the medicine chest for periodical poisonings of wood-ants which infested one of the mills on his estates, so that no stress can be laid on the mere purchase of the arsenic.

Mrs. D'Egville was particularly fond of toasted cheese, and at times of the year cheese was a very scarce article in the island. However, things had been prosperous with the Frenchman of late ; for he purchased a piece, had it prepared, end sent it to his wife by the hands of a little mulatto boy, with these instructions: "Tell her to eat it herself, and not to give any of it to Miss Llewellyn." This was Mrs. D'Egville's sister, who lived in the same house with her.

Mrs. D'Egville was found dead in her bed next morning; Miss Llewellyn was dead also, and two or three of the negro servants were ill, though they ultimately recovered.

An inquest was immediately held, and Dr. Cutting tested the contents of the stomachs of the de-ceased, the rejected matter from the negroes who were suffering at the time, and the remainder of the cheese which was left in the dish. In all was arsenic found.

D'Egville was arrested, and brought up at the June Sessions in 1824. It was the interim between the death of the late Attorney-General Beckles and the appointment of his successor, and Mr. Coulthurst (acting attorney-general) prosecuted. Mr. Hinds defended the prisoner, resting his defense on the fact that a link in the chain of evidence was wanting. This meant of course the evidence of the little mulatto boy who had carried the cheese to Mrs. D'Egville, for negro evidence could not be received in court at that time.

The jury, after long consultation, came into court and said that it was impossible that they could ever agree, nine of their number being for an acquittal and three for a verdict of " Guilty ;" so they were discharged, and the prisoner remanded to the next sessions. Meantime, Samuel Hinds was appointed Attorney-General. When the sessions arrived (December, 1824), Mr. Hinds declined to prosecute, on the ground of having formerly defended the prisoner, so the prosecution devolved upon Mr. Solicitor-General Griffith. The jury were empanneled, the evidence and all other proceedings carried on from the last sessions were read over to them, and after a short deliberation they brought in a verdict of " Guilty"

Extract from the minute-book of the Court of Grand Sessions held December 17, 1824:

Michael Harvey Peter William Henry D'Egville was then brought up and set to the bar to receive judgment; when, upon being asked if he had any thing to say why sentence of death should not be pawed upon him, he de-livered in a paper writing, signed by himself and Mr. Moore, as his counsel, protesting, alleging, and pleading that he, the said D'Egville, was put on his trial at a former sessions for the same offense, and, therefore, prayed that judgment might be arrested and stayed against him. Mr. Attorney-General Hinds objected to the same, on the ground that the former trial was not complete, inasmuch as no verdict was rendered, and inasmuch as the prisoner had on the present trial pleaded "not guilty," and put himself upon the country, he was by that plea barred from any other. The opinion of the court being taken, the said paper writing was rejected, but the court declared them-selves ready to hear any thing, by way of reasons in arrest, which the prisoner or his counsel might think proper to offer; when Mr. Moore moved that the judgment in the cause of the "King v. M. H. P. W. H. D'Egville" be arrested, on the following reasons, namely: because it appears by the proceedings of the last Court of Grand Sessions, holden for the body of this island, in the month of June last, in the Town Hall, in Bridgetown, in the said Island of Barbadoes, that the said M. H. P. W. H. D'Egville was arraigned on an indictment preferred against him by our Sovereign Lord the King for the murder by poison of his wife Susanna D'Egville, whereto he pleaded "not guilty," and that a jury of twelve men was empaneled, sworn, and charged to try, and he, the said M. H. P. W. H. D'Egville, was actually put on his trial on the said indictment for the said offense, and whereto he, by his counsel, entered upon, disclosed, and made his defense; and further, because that the said jury, is sworn, empaneled, and charged to try him, the said M. H. P. W. H. D'Egville, afterward actually retired and went out to the petit jury-room, and remained several hours deliberating on their verdict ; and further, because the offense whereof he hath been tried at the present sessions, and the offense for which he was put on trial, as before mentioned, at the Second Court of Grand Sessions, in the month of June last, are one and the same offense, and not divers, which said reasons being taken into the serious consideration of the court, were rejected, and sentence of death was accordingly pronounced.

This extract shows the procedure of the court (which was acting upon the condemnatory evidence alone) to have been crippled by the absence of the one link in the evidence exculpatory, viz.: the testimony of the mulatto boy who had been intrusted with the cheese. The common precaution of inquiry into the conduct and motives of the person through whose hands the poisoned cheese had last passed was thus cast aside, and this being not received, the poor dancing-master returned to prison without a hope.

Here is a copy of his death warrant :

GEORGE THE FOURTH, by the Grace of God, of the United

Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, etc.

To our Provost-Marshal of our said Island of Barbadoes

or his lawful deputy, greeting:

WHEREAS Michael Harvey Peter William Henry D'Egville, late of the parish of St. Michael, in the island afore said, yeoman, now detained in your custody in our jail of our said island, was, at a Court of Grand Sessions of Oyer and Terminer, General Jail Delivery, and General Sessions of the Peace, held for the body of our said island, and begun on Tuesday, the fourteenth day of December, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-four, and so continued and held by special adjournment de die in diem, on the fourteenth, fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth days of the said month, at the Town Hall, in the parish of St. Michael, it our island aforesaid, indicted and arraigned for the man der of Susanna D'Egville, and thereupon was tried, convicted, and in due form of law attainted, and now stand, adjudged unto death, of which judgment execution re-mains to be done. We therefore command, and by these presents firmly enjoin you, that in and upon Monday the fourteenth day of this instant February, between the hours of nine and twelve in the forenoon of the same day, you carry the said M. H. P. W. H. D'Egville to the place of execution within the jail-yard, in the town of St. Michael, in our island aforesaid, and there cause him the said M. H. P. W. H, D'Egville to be hanged by the neck until he be dead, and that this you fail not to do upon peril thereon to ensue.

Witness.--His Excellency Sir Henry Warde, K.C.B., etc., his Majesty's Captain-General and Governor, Commander-in-Chief, etc., of this island, etc., at Government House, this seventh day of February, in the sixth year of our reign.

(Signed) HENRY WARDS.

This warrant was duly carried into effect.
Some years afterward, when D'Egville's name was forgotten, a negro man who had been a slave in the possession of Mrs. D'Egville, and who was, by her father's will, to receive his manumission, confessed that he had received the cheese from the mulatto boy and had put in the arsenic, as he was aware that his freedom was to follow upon his mistress's death. The link wanting (as the learned I counsel observed), namely, what had passed between the time the cheese was put out of D'Egville's hands and its delivery into those of his wife, was now supplied. The negro's name was Christian, and he went, as was usual, by the family name of Llewellyn. All this he confessed upon his death-bed, to the great discomfiture of those who had condemned the wretched dancing-master, and to the shame of the system of refusing any evidence, though from negro lips, in a trial where life and death depended upon evidence alone.

Books for the enthusiast

Watteau: Retrospective exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts

Gilles by Jean-Antoine Watteau

Jean-Antoine Watteau (1684-1721)

Watteau's wistful Pierrot stares out as if from a roccoco chocolate box. The worn white silk emphasises the innocence of the lovelorn buffoon.  

But perhaps his pain isn't entirely due to a broken heart. Training in the acrobatics of ballet began early when performers took to the stage as young as the age of four. The Pierrot Gilles may have carried injuries that would cause modern performers and athletes to retire.

Jean-Antoine Watteau was born on 10 October 1684 in Valenciennes. He moved to Paris at the age of eighteen and became assistant to Claude Gillot in 1703. Gillot was known as a theatre designer - both of scenery and costumes - and it may have been in his workshop that Watteau's lifelong attraction to theatrical subjects began.

A tale appears in Concert room and orchestra anecdotes of musicians, ancient and modern by Thomas Busby (1825) and was reprinted in several other publications,

"music Won The Cause.'

Anseaume,a gentleman of very limited income, hired a small house at Bagnolet, and invited his friends once or twice a-week to come and amuse themselves there. On these occasions, each brought some provisions; one wine,another cold meat, another patties, another game. It unluckily happened that Anseaume, as absent in mind as straitened in his finances, had forgotten, for a whole year, to pay his rent. The landlord made a descent upon him precisely on the day that his friends Colle, Panard, Piron, Gillet, the painter Watteau, the musician Degueville, and other epicures, had assembled there. These gentlemen, according to custom, had brought plenty of provender, but no money; and the landlord imperiously demanded his rent of two hundred crowns. What was to be done, in order to assist their friend? They immediatelyset about cooking the meat and poultry; they levied contributions on the fruit and vegetables of the gardens; Watteau drew a beautiful and inviting sign, and Degueville borrowed a violin of the parish beadle; in short, they got up a cabaret and a fete champetre. The appearance of these new cooks, who served their customers in habits of embroidered velvet, with swords by their sides, had a curious effect, and greatly diverted the company, which was so numerous that the receipts amounted to five hundred crowns. Anseaume paid his landlord, and his distress was converted into joy and gladness. But now a question arose, that was discussed with no small earnestness and interest:—To which of his guests Was the host most indebted? Those who played the parts of cooks declared that, without their labours, there would have been nothing for the public to eat; Watteau laid no little stress on the invitation held out by his sign; and Degueville insisted that, without his music, the people's attention would not have been drawn to the sign; and that, even if they had noticed it, and came in, there would have been no mirth and spirit, little eaten, and that little scantily and reluctantly paid for. The dispute began to grow warm, when Degueville seized the violin, played them all into good humour, and was, at length, allowed to be the victor.

It isn't clear which of the Watteaus this refers to, both Jean-Antoine's nephew and great-nephew also became painters. Neither can we be sure which D'Egville played so persuasively.  It may be no more than coincidence that Jean Baptiste Anselme and Françoise Gravillon lived in Valanciennes between 1733 and 1743. Seven of their children where born in the city, including their daughter Sophia who had a formidable career as a dancer and married Peter Hervet D'Egville. If bonds were formed between this generation then the tale probably refers to Louis Joseph Watteau (1731-1798).

The Violinist by Louis Joseph Watteau

Louis Joseph was clearly influenced by the work of his uncle, including his choice of subject matter. The pastoral context of the performance by the itinerant fiddler is equally idealised as that of Jean-Antoine's Gilles. The Elysian parkland far removed from the reality of the Théâtre de la foire. But both artists capture the magic of performance where the audience are acting out their lives and the paintings' eponymous figures are emphasised by their possession by dramatic genius.

As for the tale, it's probably no more than a tale. It has similarities to Aesop's fable of The Wind and the Sun. Importantly, it places a D'Egville among the luminaries of the mid-eighteenth century. It also portrays a man to whom I can relate - music might be his passion but he enjoys a barbecue. It is this kind of detail that I've strived to reveal about our ancestors. The work of the Watteaus helps by providing an insight into the contemporary theatrical world and because they drew on this world for their subjects you might be looking at one of your forebears.

Watteau: The Drawings
11 March—5 June 2011
Adults £10
Concessions: £8 (seniors, disabled, NADFAS, Art Fund)
Disabled carers: free
Corporate Guests: £7
Students (NUS): £7
Children 12-18 years/Income Support/unwaged: £4
Children 8-11 years: £3
Under 7 years: free

Watteau's draughtsmanship should perhaps be viewed as an accompanyment with the exhibition at the Wallace Collection.

Esprit et Vérité: Watteau and His Circle
Saturday 12th March, 2011 - Sunday 5th June, 2011
Price: Admission Free

The story of two violins

The D'Egville (1735) by Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù

Bartolomeo Giuseppe Antonio Guarneri was born into the Cremona dynasty of luthiers in 1698. His grandfather, Andrea, had been a fellow apprentice of Antonio Stradivari in the workshop of Nicolò Amati. It is estimated that Guarneri produced no more than 250 violins during his lifetime of which some 150 survive today.

He had a relatively short career working on his own account as the earliest violins created solely by Guarneri appear from the late 1720s and he died in 1744. Guarneri became known as del Gesù because the Christian monogram I.H.S was included on his labels from 1731 onwards.

The form of his instruments was based on those created by Stradivari. Some, including Paganini, consider that Guarneri’s violins are superior. While Stradivari maintained a consistent form and quality, Guarneri experimented with f-holes and other design features. The distinctive oil varnish of his instruments varies in colour from pale orange to orange brown, sometimes with a reddish tint.

 In 1735 two violins left Guarneri del Gesù’s workshop and disappeared into historical oblivion. For the next hundred years their whereabouts are unknown but sometime in the middle of the nineteenth century the instruments came into the hands of John Hart.

The firm of John Hart (1805-74) was established in Lower Wardour Street.  He had trained with Samuel Gilkes but made few instruments himself, rather he was renowned for his skill in restoration. Hart was the preeminent authority on the violin in Europe and assembled the finest collection of Italian violins ever known.

In 1855 at least one of the violins was bought from Hart by the amateur violinist Charles Hood Chichele Plowden (1796-1866). At the time of his death Plowden’s collection included a Nicolò Amati , three Antonio Stradivari and no fewer than six Guarneri del Gesù including the sibling 1735 instrument.

The instrument Plowden acquired in 1855 is now known as the ‘Plowden’. On Plowden’s death it returned to the dealer George Hart, son of John, before it was sold to Louis D’Egville in 1867. In the same year Louis appears to have bought the sibling Guarneri del Gesù directly from Plowden’s estate as George Hart isn’t listed in the instrument’s provenance. This violin is today known as the ‘D’Egville’.