Jeanne Le Roux de la Chapelle, Baroness TASCHER DE LA PAGERI - Lot 331

Jeanne Le Roux de la Chapelle, Baroness TASCHER DE LA PAGERIE (1754-1822) wife of the above. L.A.S. [in Vauclin, Martinique] March 31, 1804, to her daughter Stéphanie (1788-1832, future Duchess of Arenberg); 8pages in-4. Magnificent and very long and letter on the tragic situation of the colonists of Martinique during the blockade: "This colony has been very unhappy since you left it because of war and famine, and will soon be even more so, since we expect to be attacked by the English every day, and perhaps, alas, taken by them, since we have very few troops, and the towns and countryside are dying of hunger because of nine months of blockade, which has been fairly well observed for our misfortune and everywhere much too well since January, which gives us even more reason to believe in this planned attack and to fear being taken by famine"... She instructs her to introduce the bearer of the letter to "your dear godfather and godmother" [Bonaparte and Joséphine] so that he can plead in favor of the island "for no one is truer than he [...] and your godfather and godmother will know all that concerns us with detail and truth". She recalls her worries when she learned that during her crossing her ship was taken and brought to England, gives news of her and their difficult situation. "I was hoping that last year's harvest would put me in a position not to run out of money. And not at all, the harvest is still in the house, the gaboteurs have not been able to continue to bring it to us", and she can no longer find anyone on the island to send it to her, there are no arms, no equipment, no food and for the first time in her life, she has had to borrow. "It's your worthy principal and teacher, Mr. Abbé Garnier and Mr. Nielly, who has kept me alive until now. Yes, ma bonne, it is he alone who every Monday, with the affection of a tender son, brings me what he has earned from his carnelle of negroes during the week". He is the only one, among all the people she has helped in this town, who is so charitable to her. The absence and estrangement of her children is terrible to live with, but she endures it "as a Christian", for she has the hope that, when peace comes, she will join them in France. "I will go and see you all, so as not to leave you, my dear children, until I die". She instructs her bearer to bring back portraits of each of her children. "I would like to have each of these portraits on a simple, plain, black tortoiseshell box, which I will kiss a thousand times every 24 hours, and which will make my life happy and help me to bear all my ills and the time I have left to be far from you all"...Attached is a L.A.S., [au Vauclin, Martinique] March 12, 1804, to his son Henri (4p. in-4); plus a L.S. Saint-Pierre Martinique November 24, 1805, to his brother-in-law Danès (1p. and a half in-4, address).