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.

Sophie d'Egvilles Last Appearance In London

To date I haven't found an appearance by Sophie on the London stage much later than this extravaganza by James. This heroic pantomime cost Drury Lane some £7,000 to produce.

You will notice that Miss d'Egville appears twice on the billing. While admitting the possibility of other explanations it seems likely that these are Sophie and Fanny. This is three years after Peter d'Agueville's auction was forced by relocation from Ipswich in 1792.

The capitalisation is copied directly from the magazine so it is interesting that while Georges' name appears in small capitals neither of the Misses d'Egville merit this billing. Perhaps it was almost time to try something new for Sophie.

It is worth reading some of the other articles in the Freemasons' Magazine for February 1795 because they give a real sense of the instability in the Europe for which Sophie was shortly to embark. A good analogy might be that one decides to go and get a job in Paris some time after Dunkirk in 1940.

Feb. 12. The long-expected heroic Pantomime of D'egville's—"Alexander The Great, or, The Conquest OF Persia," made its entre at Drury-laneTheatre.

In this Ballet, which certainly exceeds every thing of the kind ever exhibited on an English Theatre, the magnificent splendour of scenery and decorations are happily and ingeniously blended with all that strength of interest which fine action must ever excite. The characters are as follow:

MACEDONIANS.

Alexander, - - Mr. J. D'Egville.

Hephestion, - - Mr. Aumer.

Clytus, - - Mr. Dubois.

Perdiccas, - - Mr. Fairbrother.

Parmenio, - - Mr. Phillimore.

Ptolemy, - - Mr. Caulfield.

Attalus, - - Mr. Benson.

Eumenes, - - Mr. Bland.

Philip, - - Mr. G. D'Egville.

Officers, Guards, Attendants.

AMAZONS.

Thalestris, - - Mrs. Fialon,
Miss Collinse, Miss Heard, Miss D'Egville, Miss Redhead, Miss Stagledoir. Miss Stuart, Miss.Tidswell, Mrs. Bramwell.
PERSIANS.
Darius, - - Mr. Fialon.

Son of Darius, - - Master Menace.

Oxathres, - - Mr. Boimaison.

Memnon, - - Mr. Webb.

Arsites, - - Mr. Maddocks.

Spithridates, - - Mr. Banks,

Raesaces, - - Mr. Lyons.

Sysigambes, - - Mrs. Coyler.

Parisatis, - - Mrs. Hedges.

Artemisia, - - Mrs. Butler.

Statira, - - - Miss J. Hillisberg.

High Priest of the Sun, Mr. Roffey.

Satraps.

Mr. Kelly, jun. Mr. Evans, Mr. Brady, Mr. Caulfield, jun. Mr. Powel, Mr. Creed,

Attendant Females.

Miss Brooker, Miss Phillips, Miss Daniels, Mrs. Harris, Mrs. Hasley, Miss Chatterley, Miss Grainger, Mrs. Jones, Miss Menage, Miss D'Egville.

 Priests and Persian Army.