The Sanson Memoirs- 3/3

by Nomad

In this the third and final post of the series, we examine how the curse of the revolutionary madness was lifted, how the family curse came to an end. Finally, we ask: What are the parallels to our time?

End of the Curse

For the next seven years after the execution of the French king, the nation saw a series of rebellions within rebellions and partisan uprisings. The timeline shows a convoluted parade of leaders and groups that came and went.

Eventually, the leader of the revolutions, revolutionary leaders, Georges Jacques Danton and the radical Jacobin leader Maximilien Robespierre, were themselves consumed by the seemingly temporary insanity of the French people.

The Sanson Memoirs- 2/3

by Nomad

In the first part of this series, we profiled the Sanson family- the official executioners for imperial France before the Revolution. In this part, we will look at the Charles-Henri's vivid observations of the chaos that overwhelmed France during the revolt.

Your King is Ready to Die

As we noted in Part One, as an eyewitness to historical events particularly those of the French Revolution, Charles- Henri Sanson's diary is both fascinating and horrible.

By January 1792, the guillotine was working at full steam, with a growing - and shrinking- list of the French 1% and members of the royal court. The borders had been closed long before. Those that had waited too long to escape were now trapped and were being hunted down like rats. 

It was the moment, the writer explains, when the history of the scaffold and the history of France combined.

The Sanson Memoirs- 1/3

by Nomad

Not too long ago, I spent about a month reading The Memoirs of  Sanson Family. I am pretty certain you've never heard of it. I myself discovered it accidentally on the "shelves" of archive.org. For history buffs, it is a remarkable and unique find, a truly riveting history.

Written by Henry-Clément Sanson, the last of the family line, the two-volume chronicle tells the true story of a French dynasty of state executioners. It covers the period beginning with the age of the kings and through the horrific revolution. Exactly how accurate it is is, of course, up for debate but most scholars consider it reasonably accurate.

The Dreaded Inheritance 

The family history began with Charles Sanson of Abbeville (1658–1695), a soldier in the French royal army. According to the tale, Charles fell off his horse, breaking his leg and was cared for by a gruff father and his lovely daughter. While nursed back to health, the brutish soldier fell in love with the young woman.
Tenderer feelings were stirred, as they say.