Letter from Abbé Henry Essex Edgeworth

Details

Level of description

Item

Date

[c.1790-1800]

Reference

13

Extent and medium

1 p.; manuscript

Scope and content

A letter from Abbé Henry Essex Edgeworth, Paris, to the Comtesse du Roure. Translation of letter ‘Paris this 22nd. Jan. I neglect you, Madam the Countess: but it is very much against my will. You must therefore forgive me. Will you receive me on Tuesday at eleven o’clock? a thousand and a thousand pardons if I give you five of my days and my moments instead of taking yours, it must be agreed that this is the universal worlds. but all is topsy-turvy today. If my proposal suits you, you will give me by the pains of my answers. your silences now. but if I must I occasion the slightest derangements, give me simply your day, and I will try to extend myself. Madam the Countess all my will become possible, when it is a question of giving you the slightest proofs of the profound respects that I have vowed to you. Edgeworth’.

Related units of description

Cf. Letters from Abbé Henry Essex Edgeworth to the Comtesse du Roure held in the Musée Carnavale in Paris. https://www.parismuseescollections.paris.fr/fr/musee-carnavalet/oeuvres/lettre-de-l-abbe-edgeworth-de-firmont-a-la-comtesse-du-roure#infos-principales

General note

For biographical information on Abbé Henry Essex Edgeworth (1745-1807) see https://www.dib.ie/biography/edgeworth-de-firmont-abbe-henry-essex-a2885

General note

Born in County Longford, Edgeworth is known to history as the confessor to Louis XVI, the last King of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. He accompanied Louis to the scaffold before his execution by guillotine on 21 January 1793. Edgeworth was a distant relation of the celebrated novelist Maria Edgeworth (1768-1849). He was educated by the Jesuits and trained for the priesthood in Toulouse in France. Upon his ordination he took the name de Firmont, from his father’s estate of Firmount near Edgeworthstown in County Longford. This was likely due to his surname being too difficult to pronounce in French. He is known as Abbé de Firmont in France, but in English-language sources, he is generally referred to as Abbé Edgeworth. He was Vicar-General of the Diocese of Paris and was appointed confessor to King Louis XVI’s sister, Elizabeth, in 1791. It was she who recommended Edgeworth to Louis as the revolution engulfed his realm. Following Louis’ condemnation to death, Edgeworth was able to obtain permission to celebrate Mass for him and to attend him at his execution. Legend ascribes to him the expression ‘Fils de Saint Louis, montez au ciel’ (‘Son of Saint Louis, ascend to heaven’) as the King was beheaded. However, his utterance of this phrase was later disputed, and it is likely that the words were merely attributed to him at a later date. Edgeworth subsequently went into hiding and although he considered returning to Ireland, he remained loyal to the now exiled French court. He died while ministering to French soldiers at Mittau in Russia (now Jelgava, Latvia) on 22 May 1807.

Repository

Irish Capuchin Archives

Context

Irish Capuchin Archives > Papers of 'The Capuchin Annual' and the Irish Capuchin Publications Office > Papers of Fr. Senan Moynihan OFM Cap. > Autograph Letters and Historical Ephemera

Rights

Rights

Copyright held by the respective institution. Contact the archive for reproduction permissions.

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