The very strange history of Charlotte Atkyns
She was the daughter of Britain’s first prime minister, an actress, lady of Ketteringham Hall, and she tried to save Marie Antoinette from the guillotine. It’s a great local story – but is any of it true?
The Making of a Terrorist: Alexandre Rousselin and the French Revolution
Publisher: Oxford University Press (June 1, 2023)
Paperback: 256 pages
ISBN: 9780197675540
Much has been written about the French Revolution and especially its bloody phase known as the Reign of Terror. The actions of the leaders who unleashed the massacres and public executions, especially Maximilien Robespierre and Georges Danton, are well known. They inspired many soldiers in the Revolutionary cause, who did not survive, let alone thrive, in the post-Revolutionary world.
I was browsing in an antiques fair yesterday in a small village in the South of France, when I came across these three coins.
1) The first was minted in 1792. It has the head of Louis the 16th, with the inscription, Le Roi des Français. Note he is not called the King of France, but King of the French which reflects the changing constitutional position of the King following the storming of the Bastille. The coin was circulating one year or less before he was executed, and during the period when he was obliged to reside in the Tuileries Palais, following his failed escape from Paris and arrest at Varennes.
2) The second was a coin minted during the period of the Directoire, and potentially during the terror. They changed the dating system, so I am still working out what date it is exactly. It has the representative head…
This link says that the revolutionary calendar started from the birth of the république, and counted on from that, and that the start of year 2 was deemed to be 22 September 1793. This would mean that the second coin was minted between 22nd September 1796 and 21st September 1797. It says L'AN 5. I'm not sure what the AA underneath it means though....?
I am trying to find a digital copy of the following work: W. von Reiche, "Kurzgefasste Erzählung der Defensiven Campagne des rechten Flügels der combinirten Armee in Flandern, Belgien und Holland in den Jahren 1793-1795" (Berlin, 1806). Unsuccessful until now. Does someone know where to find a copy on the internet?
@tomholmberg Apparently a copy is held in the basement of the library of the Royal Military Academy in Breda (part of the Defensiebibliotheken). However, two decades ago I was literally camping in those basements and haven't come across it. Now I know that a number of books have been lost over time, maybe this is one of them. I don't know how easy access to these cellars is these days, but if I'm in the area I'll give it another try.
Tom, as ever, thank you for your dedication to bring interesting pieces and news about new releases to everyone's attention