Did you know that Marie Antoinette almost escaped the guillotine and ended up in Maine, USA? Of course, we all know she didn’t make it – but some say her cats might have. Could that be the origin of the Maine Coon?
The Maine Coon
An unusual breed of large, long-haired cat hails from the state of Maine. Because of its ample size and long bushy tail, it resembles a raccoon and is called a Maine coon. Its origins are unknown but several legends try to explain where this big cat came from. One of the most intriguing tales says they came from France – from the palace of Versailles to be exact. Supposedly, some of Marie Antoinette’s cats were put on a ship along with a load of her belongings and sailed across the sea to Maine.
But let’s go back to 1792, when this story begins…
During the time of the French Revolution, there was a shipping company in Wiscasset Maine that had contracts for trading in Paris. The company was owned by Colonel James Swan, and Captain Stephen Clough worked for him, sailing his ship, the Sally, back and forth between Maine and France.
1792 – The Royals are Arrested
The Sally was docked at the port of Le Havre in the summer of 1792 when King Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette and their children were arrested. The royalist sympathizers immediately started plotting to rescue the King and his family. They soon came up with the idea of putting them on a ship sailing for America. Since the Sally was there and was a known, legitimate trading ship, Captain Clough was recruited into the plot as the getaway driver. Now they just had to come up with a plan to get them out of prison.
After their arrest, the King and Queen had been taken to the Temple prison and put in separate cells. The palace was ransacked and the royal possessions were sold in the street. Captain Clough and others bought them up and placed them on the Sally so the royals would feel more comfortable when they reached their new American home.
1793 – A Very Bad Year for the Royals
It seems, however, that the royal supporters took a bit too long in their escape planning, and things went from bad to worse. In December 1792, Louis XVI was brought to trial, and in January 1793 the guillotine claimed his royal head. His supporters stepped up their efforts to try to save the Queen and her two children.
In August, a plot was formed and prison guards were bribed. A note was sent to the Queen on paper wrapped around the stem of a carnation. She replied by pricking a message in the paper with a pin, but the guard, who had been bribed to go along with the plan, had a change of heart. He decided his head was worth more than the money, so he showed the note to his superiors and Marie Antoinette’s fate was sealed.
The Queen was immediately moved to a more secure prison to await her fate. In October, she was tried and, of course, found guilty of treason. Her head rolled into the same basket as her husband’s before her. With no further hope of saving the queen, Captain Clough sailed back to Maine with his boat load of French finery (and, who knows, maybe even some royal cats).
Meanwhile Back in Maine…
Before it had all gone wrong, Captain Clough had sent a letter to his wife. He knew that if he arrived home with an unexpected house guest – especially one who was a queen, he would be in big trouble.
Of course, Mrs. Clough started cleaning, painting and decorating her home and word leaked out to the townsfolk that a queen would be arriving. Everyone did their best to spruce up the place and all the ladies were fitted out in new dresses.
Unfortunately, the Sally arrived in the Wiscasset harbor without the Queen. It was, however, filled with fine French things: carved furniture, velvet and silk draperies, wallpaper, rich fabrics, etc. Captain Clough and Swan divided up the cargo as payment for their time and for endangering their lives.
The Clough house was papered with royal wallpaper and filled with gilded furniture. It soon became known as the Marie Antoinette House. About 9 months after Mr. Clough’s return, Mrs. Clough gave birth to a little girl who was given the middle name of Antoinette in memory of the almost house-guest queen.
The Marie Antoinette house still stands in Edgecomb. It was built in 1744 and originally stood on Squam Island, but was moved to its current location in 1838. Today it’s a private residence and not open to the public.
What About Those Cats?
So, were there big, long-haired cats on board Captain Clough’s ship along with all that French finery? It’s hard to say. However, we do know that in the 1700s, long-haired Angora or Persian cats were very popular among the Parisian upper classes. King Louis XV, Louis XVI’s grandfather, loved them and let them roam and breed freely at the palace of Versailles. In later years, they became a nuisance and overran the palace property. Louis XVI (Marie Antoinette’s husband) hated them and reportedly used them for target practice.
Is it possible that some of these cats were on Captain Clough’s boat and ended up in Maine? Could they have bred with the local cats to become the large furry cat we know today as the Maine Coon? Well, we may never know, but it sure makes a good story!
*A special thank you to my friend, Sarah Vermeersch for inspiring this story by telling me about her neighbor’s Maine coon cat and the links to Marie Antoinette. Have a look at her site for some amazing art/photography.
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So interesting!
Thank you Lynda! Glad you found it interesting.
Love it. Wonderful if you are a cat lover. Especially if it is a maine coon.
Lucky you, if you have one – they seem like amazing cats. And they may even have a royal lineage… 🙂
My Maine Coon when she was a kitten! So loving and affectionate and very good natured!
Aww! What a sweet little face!
Always look forward to your ramblings , thank you for another interesting story
Thank you so much for your kind words.
All the best. -Margo
Nice story! But I always wonder why the French Royal were abandoned by their contemporaries? Is it because of rivalry of other Royal house/Nation? Isolation? Or just like the reason for not rescuing the Romanovs?
Well, France was forever at war with England and I think they were at war with most other countries at the beginning of the Revolution. But I would have to look into that some more. Interesting question.
Is the house in Wiscasset or Edgecomb, Maine?
Hi Tari,
The house is in Edgecomb. Thanks for catching that, I’ve updated the article now.
Best,
Margo
Wow, I never heard about this! I have long had an interest in Marie Antoinette and the entire French Revolution. As a matter of fact, I am working on a novel set in this time period. I did not know that cats were popular pets among the aristocracy. I might need to include one in my book! 🙂 Great blog!
Thanks, I’m working on a French Revolution book too – what an era!. Glad you found it helpful and all the best on your book.
Margo
Thank you!
It’s easy enough to find out. There are now DNA tests for cats. I doubt the Maine Coon is part
Angora because the fur is entirely different and they are huge cats whereas Angoras are medium sized.
Mine is mostly Turkish Angora. She weighs 4.5 kg. They have no undercoat, just Angora fur which smears itself on carpets and furniture. arghh. They fur does not mat and she enjoys being brushed.
Can’t use any sort of Furminator on her because of the nature of the fur.
She’s a calico and won’t play with any of the other cats. An elitist snob who insists that only
I can pet her after she traps my wrist to massage her belly. She’s a Wannabe Princess.
Yes, I’ve seen recently that they have DNA tests for pets. Interesting…
Your cat sounds lovely and soft. But being a little spoiled princess, maybe her ancestors were Marie Antoinette’s pets. 🙂 🙂