The East London Forum.

by **ladyDeWint** » Mon Apr 28, 2008 10:24 am

You're probably right :-D

but it could be interesting, I'll have to have a think about it.

by **Barryoneoff** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 9:46 am

Thanks for that, I'm sure someone will find it useful. :-)

by **ladyDeWint** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 10:28 am

Thanks for that Intellops, it's always nice to learn more about someone who was just a name on a monument.

by **ladyDeWint** » Tue Jan 27, 2009 11:46 am

Hello Adrienne I'm surprised how much interest this thread has caused, and how much history lay behind a name carved on a momument.

The added info on Tauni de Lesseps was interesting, but although the NYT gives her age as 86 there are other sites which gives it as 1920, also that she was born in France, and as Jacques was also in France it seems their marriage was still strong at that time.

As for Lady Grace MacKenzie living in New York without the count, the reason probably is because of world war one which had started the previous year and in which the Count was fully involved, for in January 1915 he was asked to approach the French government on behalf of an American flyer who wanted American flyers residing in Paris to join the French forces, the proposal was denied, by this time the Count was already serving as a Lieutenant, and as these excerpts from various websites show he continued to serve throughout the war. This was probably the reason his wife went to New York alone for to stay in either Paris or London would have been deemed too dangerous.

[Above Paris on the second of August 1915, the airship was gunned by AAA without visible result.
Then it was attacked by a Farman from the CRP: Sgt Deneboude made a single pass, caporal Louis Vallin fired incendiary bullets with a carbine.
Finally the airship was under the fire of Slt Jacques de Lesseps and Lt Galliot during half an hour.

The rear of the airship was slowly losing gas. The LZ79 was losing height and speed. It crossed the frontline at an altitude of 1800 meters with a nose-high attitude. It was completely destroyed when it crashed-landed in the fog. The location was "close to Mainvault, west of Ath".]

[DE LESSEPS, JACQUES B. M.
Captain, French Army
Pilot, 2d Bombing Group, French Air Service
Date of Action: August 15, 1918
Citation::
The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Jacques B. M. De Lesseps, Captain, French Army, for extraordinary heroism in action at Conflans and Audun le Roman, August 15, 1918. Captain De Lesseps made three successful bombing raids in one night, two in Connans and one on Audun le Roman, causing great damage. Despite the heavy anti-aircraft fire, he flew at an extremely low altitude and besides his successful raids, returned with valuable information of the enemy's movements.
General Orders 81, W.D., 1919
Citizen of France]

Also this article shows that in the last year of his life his four children were with him in Canada, but oddly Tauni is not mentioned among them, so the mystery deepens.

Click Here

by **REBEL** » Wed May 06, 2009 5:22 pm

I have a watercolor on foil painted by Tauni de Lesseps that was given by Tauni to Kinau Wilder in Honolulu many years ago. Kinau happens to be the Mother of Charles McVay, the Captain of the Indianapolis that was sunk and was the U.S. Navy's worst to date. Kinau gave the painting to my Mother in the early 80's and it has been passed on the me. Would like very much to find more out about the watercolor. Could anyone help me with this ?

by **ladyDeWint** » Wed May 06, 2009 5:33 pm

Hello Rebel, sorry I can't help but this thread has caused more interested than I anticipated so hopefully someone will be able to help you.

by **REBEL** » Wed May 06, 2009 6:15 pm

Thank you so much for your quick reply and yes, maybe we'll get a little more interest in Tauni de Lesseps.

by **glasweigianrhapshody** » Fri Jul 31, 2009 5:11 pm

Hi all,

I am very interested by this thread, as my girlfriend is the great-grandaughter of Jacques de Lesseps and Lady Grace Mackenzie. I met the couple's 91 year-old daughter Kiki just two weeks ago - an amazing lady. What's more, my girlfriend is currently living in Bethnal Green, and has been for the last 18 months!

by **Jockney1** » Fri Jul 31, 2009 7:27 pm

So where are you glaswegianrhapsody and can't you get a shorter name, murder to type that when you pi@hed

by **Barryoneoff** » Fri Jul 31, 2009 11:16 pm

by **ladyDeWint** » Sat Aug 01, 2009 2:35 pm

That's interesting glaswegianrhapsody if she would like to add any further info it would be appreciated, for as you can see there has been a lot of interest in this thread.