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Escape to Paradise
The story of Frank Cunningham Jaunay
Frank Cunningham Jaunay was born in Londonderry Ireland on 22 June 1851. His mother was either determined that her first born would be Irish or wanted to be at 'home' for the birth! By August 1851, he was back in London for his baptism at St Martin in the Fields Church on Trafalgar Square on the 17th. Nothing is known about Frank's schooling although he clearly received a comprehensive education.
Prior to his marriage in 1882, Frank undertook many adventures. Apart from the usual grand tour of Europe, Frank spent much time in Britain visiting his mother's family. It is claimed he spent two years in Russia and Vienna before attending the University of Heidelberg in Baden, Germany where he was wounded in the forehead in a duel. Frank also spent a year in the monastery, the couvent de la Grande Chartreuse near Grenoble in the town of St-Pierre-de-Chartreuse. From a letter written by his brother, Jules, one suspects the monks may have indulged in the manufacture of wine and if this is so then it is likely that Frank was there for that earthly reason rather than a spiritual one! As a result of his travels he became fluent in German, Russian and English and developed a keen interest in history. In 1879 he was appointed United States Vice Consul for Reims.
By late 1879 Frank was living in Reims with his father at 10 rue de la Grue. He was already developing his skills in discerning good wines working with his father as a wine merchant, although Frank had undertaken studies as a young man in a course of analytical chemistry. Unfortunately there is little evidence that he was gaining experience in blending, the basic skill to make champagne!
On Monday, 8 January 1883, Frank married Mary Ellen Cawley, the daughter of Joseph and Mary Jane [née Puttick] in a civil ceremony at the Hôtel de Ville, Reims. A service in the Protestant Temple followed the next morning.
The Cawleys had moved to London from Bridport in Dorset where several generations of the family had been carpenters. Mary's father had moved to London and had set up a partnership, Cawley, Brew and Company, Cabinetmakers and Upholsterers at 20 Finsbury Place. On his death, Mary's mother remarried Charles William Auguste Feige, a man associated with the Maison Brimont in Reims. Feige, a naturalised Englishman born in Germany, had first become associated with the Jaunays as their agent in the UK.
Following his marriage, Frank effectively took control of L Jaunay & Co from his father. With the death of Louis Brunet Jaunay in 1887, Frank found himself with a small but prosperous champagne company and little experience on how to operate the business and survive the highly competitive market. The great champagne houses like those of their cousins, the Krugs, were able to use resources beyond the local district to promote their product. It soon became evident that the tide had turned and that times in the industry were not going to be as generous as they had been to the smaller marques and especially those who were owner-growers or récoltants-manipulants. No doubt, Jules was writing glowing reports of Australia back to his brother and in the end, Frank decided to migrate to Australia too. It has been suggested that the threat of the phylloxera blight may have also helped in the decision!
Continued...
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