The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-12-08
MARIE lNTOINETTE.
Was There a Plan to Bring Her to
This State?
PRESIDENT BAXTER'S PLAN FOR
COUNTY SOCIETIES.

COUNTY SOCIETIES.
Mayor Baxter Has in His House a Side
board That Once Belonged to Marie
Antoinette-CaptainC lough's Venture
Transactions at Yesterdays Meeting of
the Maine Historical Society
Yesterdays meetings of the Maine His
torical Society were marked by the
presentation of several subjects of m ore
than usual interest.
After the usual reports, President Bax-
ter introduced Mr.. Rufus K. Sewall, of
Wiscasset, who had been advertised to
give paper relating to Marie Antoinette.
Mr.. Sewall said that Chief Justice
Peters had suggested to him the under
taking of an investigation of the tradi-
tions relative to an American asylum
which is supposed to have been provided
for Marie Antoinette. Mr.. Sewal tn IN
presented for the inspection OF the society
piece of embroidery alleged to have
been piece of the robe in which Queen
Marie Antoinette was executed. This
embroidery is in the form of wreath,
silken and very delicate. One may well
believe that it once knew the stately and
elegant etiquette of the famous court of
the young sovereigns. This piece of en-
broidery was brought to America by
Captain Stephen Clough, by whose
Sewall also presented photograph of
the old "Marie Antoinette house" in
Edgecomb. Tradition says that this
house was intended for an asylum for
Marie Antoinette, in case she could be
rescued from the French Revolutionists.
bank of the Sheepscot, EMPOWERED in
an old orchard, it having been moved in
1888, from it's original position at Swan
point by an old Edgecomb merchant who
had purchased it.
Captain Stephen Clough is the figure
about whom clusters the romance of the
old Edgecomb house. He was we'll
know mariner of the Sheepscot, and was
in Paris in 1853, probably in his ship
Sally, with cargo of lumber. Mr..
Sewall thinks there can be no doubt that
Captain Clough was also in Paris during
a large portion of the reign of terror, and
that he, in cooperation with the Boston
merchant James Swan, and the Ameri-
cans and French royalists, had plan
for rescuing the heart broken Marie
Antoinette from Robespierre and Marat.
While Marie Antoinette was lying in
prison, closely guarded, after the execu-
ton of her husband, the king, the plan
was made. for her escape. a sketch of
the plan was Struggled to her on note
concealed in flower; but unfortunately
the guards detected it. On the 18th of
October, 1888, the unfortunate queen was
executed. She wore on that occasion a
white robe, one of the only two garments
left to her. The fragment of EN- LIodery
shown yesterday, is claimed to be a
piece of that robe. Captain Clough was
in Paris three years assisting French
refugees and nearly losing his own life
Many articles of royal use, including a
robe of Louis XVI, were brought home
by him, and the family traditions relate
that this robe was made over for a dress
for Mrs. Clough. Many of these relics
afterwards came into the possession of
Judge Sllas Lee of Wiscasset.
The family tradition is that the
queens goods were placed on the Sally,
ready for the sailing, and that on the
evening of the queens execution, when
all hope of rescuing her was over, Capt.
Clough sailed away with the goods. A
portion of these goods went to James
Swan, Captain Clough's business associ-
ate, and the former afterwards built a
handsome residence in Dorchester, which
was furnished with royal furniture
The Sally landed first at Wiscasset, and
Mr.. Sewall thinks that it was on this
vessel that the famous Talleyrand made
the voyage, after landing making his
way to Augusta, where he was enter
tanned by Col. North, before proceeding
westward. In the Clough family the.
name Marie Anoinette has been given
to one of the daughters for several gener-
ations.
Mayor Baxter, after this paper had been
read, added very interesting narrative
about piece of furniture which he now
owns. Several years ago the Maine
Historical Society, on one of it's visits to
Ihomaston, examined some Knox relics.
Among them was an old French side
board, which Mr.. Baxter purchased, buy
ing it of woman who in her youth was
maid to Mrs. Thatcher, Gen. Knox's
daughter. After buying the sideboard,
Mr.. Baxter found that there had once
been as part OF it, a silver urn This
nS nudIiy IOouo III Su0lSStt, IhaSS., WQGre
it was called the Washington and
Lafayette" urn, and was used for coffee
in church affairs. A few years after
wards the lady of whom he had bought
the sideboard, called at his house to see
the relic. She was much interested in
it and asked Mr.. Baxter if he knew it's
history. He said he did not That be-
longed to Marie Antoinette," said she,
"and it came from the Louvre. Mrs.
Thatcher SO related Young Mr.. Swan
married daughter of Gen. Knox, and
through him the Marie Antoinette side
board came into the Knox famiIy.D
At the afternoon session Secretary
Bryant read a long list of articles
donated, and of works added to the