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An English interlude
The story of François Marie Jaunay 4
At this time, François Marie Jaunay remains an elusive person. This has not been helped by long standing family folk lore about this man. Records of his life are few and little detail of his significant life events have been revealed. Nothing is known about him from the time of his birth until 1806 saw him as a partner in a Leicester Square hotel. Some twenty years of research has uncovered the sparse information in this narrative. However, It is fairly certain that he was never a member of the King's Swiss Guard [Gardes Suisses] many of whom were slaughtered by the Paris mobs in 1792. He would have been 16 years old at the time�hardly old enough to be a member of this elite bodyguard to the King of France! One would think that the patron of a thriving large hotel in London, which catered for French refugees in the years following the French Revolution would have left some mark on the public record! His hotel was known by Thackery who mentions it in his work, The history of Pendennis, Chpt 30: They [the King and Queen of France] went away from Paris last Tuesday night and are living at this present moment in Jaunay's hotel. Furthermore, the members of François' family remain beyond the reach of the researcher. The origin of his parents has not been determined although the relationship with the Condés may be an avenue of further research. At the time of his marriage and for the birth of his daughters, François and his family lived in 33 Conduit Street just around the corner from the church of that parish, St Georges Church Hanover Square. His profession described as a cook. Prior to this he was a co-proprietor at the well known Sablonière Hôtel at Nos 30-31 Leicester Square. This establishment was described as a French house where a table d'höte affords the lovers of French cookery and French conversation an opportunity for gratification at a comparatively moderate charge. [André Louis Simon, History of the Champagne Trade in London Wyman & Sons Ltd, London 1905 pp92-93] No records of François have been located prior to this date with the exception of his baptismal certificate.
It is recorded [M Schlumberger, Souvenirs sur la famille Jacquesson, privately published, Paris 1933] that François took up the customs and appearance of a real Englishman. While he spoke French fluently, he wrote it very incorrectly, which indicates that he may have received little education in France despite his father's station. Regardless of this, he maintained a strong affection for his country of origin and especially the House of Orléans and hence used the names of Louis and Louisa for his younger children. François was a friendly man who was willing to help anyone who sought his aid. Unfortunately this trait did not suit the type of business he 'inherited' from Louis Brunet.
Continued...
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