Talk:Theodore of Corsica

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Is it possible that his name was Theodor Stephan Freiherr von Neuhoſſ? As his great grandson lists his name as T. von Neuhoss. Craig, Dick (1990). The King Country. Waitomo: Waitomo News. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |Page= ignored (|page= suggested) (help).

NevilleDNZ (talk) 00:48, 21 June 2008 (UTC)

Hello. According to Julia Gasper (Theodore von Neuhoff, King of Corsica. The man behind the legend, University of Delaware Press, nov. 2012), Theodore and his sister were both received into the catholic church (12th of June 1698). The act said : Theodorus Nicetius Henricus Stephanius. Nicetius = Nizier ou Nicet. So, his real name is Theodore Nizier Henri Stephane (or Theodor Nizier Henry Stephen). Theodore's mother choose for catholic godmother his grandmother Theodora. I say catholic godmother beacause Theodore and his sister were first received in the calvinist church. Perhaps, they hadn't the same names, in first. But, it seems he was catholic (he was with Goertz and Alberoni, in the jacobite plots). But, he was "page de la duchesse d'Orléans" (a catholic lady, because of his mariage with Monsieur, the Louis XIV's brother. The Palatine Princess was a protestant lady). Freiherr have the sense (in the german countries) of Free Lord, and Baron. It's for this that Theodore presented his nephew Frederick as the free baron of Neuhoff (baron libero di Neuhoff, voir plus bas).

The same source said that Alberoni and Goertz was friends of the jacobite diaspora, (Theodore too). His mission, according to Le Glay (Monaco, 1907) consisted to be the "messager" betwin the two ministers. Look at the book of Gasper and at the book of André Le Glay, Theodore de Neuhoff, Roi de Corse, Monaco 1907).

Some false biography (with some bad intentions from the genovese Republica or without a serious work from the authors of this century, writing some bad pages, more for gold than to serve History) had painted Neuhoff like an avdenturer. He spend gold in Corsica, without gain. Genovese Republic wanted to kill him).

It was not the Bey of Tunis, but the Dutch merchants of Amsterdam : they paid his expedition in 1738 (I had read 3 letters of 1738, (see at Abbé Letteron, Pièces pour servir à l'Histoire de Corse, 1737 à 1739, Bastia 1893) The Preterod, The Agathe, The Jacobé et Marie (or Christine et Jacob), and L'Africain was the boats leaving the Trexel island (1st june, passing by Malaga, Alicante and Alger. The 14th of august at Cagliari (Sardaigne), and near Porto-Vecchio the 15th of september). In 1736, he was friend with Ripperdà, and we can suppose that the same merchants were behind the first expedition. But, in a letter, he said at his uncle, Von Drost, when he was king : “Vous n'avez pas su le malheur que j'ai eu d'être pris en mer l'année passée, et emmené à Alger, comme esclave, dont j'ai cependant su me délivrer, mais avec perte très considérable etc.“ The english consul of Tunis gave him the opportunity to join Aleria, where he arrived the 25th of march (the day of Ascension, for the normal years. But not in 1736 : it was during the Holy Week, because the 1st of april is the day of Pasqua. So the 25th of march is the day of the "Rameaux", when Jesus-Christ enter in Jerusalem. So, Neuhoff went in Corsica like a "Messie" or an "envoyé du Ciel", according to the preast Orticoni. Corsican people expectated a "sauveur" to help it against the Genovese). The genovese manifesto (1736) in the german anonymous book (Sur la vie et les gestes du baron Théodore de Neuhofen et sur la République de Gênes par lui offensée, relation de Giovanni de San-Fiorenzo, Francfort, 1736, p. 329) said : “Nous […] avons appris qu’un certain personnage fameux, habillé à l’asiatique, a débarqué dans notre royaume de Corse, du côté d’Aléria, où il s’était rendu avec quelques munitions de guerre à bord d’un petit bâtiment, commandé par le capitaine Dick, anglais“.

Ripperdà was a Basha (Pacha) of the Marroco Sultan, at this time. It's for this reason the dutsch merchants had sended Theodore in prison, at the end of his life. According to Julia Gasper, he would be return, in 1755, in Corsica, for a secret mission. The Great Britain sended powder and guns to the "Rebelles" of Pascal Paoli, hoping than they could win againt the troops of Louis XV of France. Or just to complicate the annexion of the Island.

Sorry, for my english. BRT-LASTRA (talk) 14:23, 11 June 2013 (UTC) BRT-LASTRA (from Corsica, who write a biography for an alerian website).

About Colonel Frederick, he was 35-36 years old when he went in Corsica, according to Costa (the Theodore secretary). So, he would born in 1713. At this time, Theodore was 19 years old and living at Versailles. Madame (Orleans duchess) don't write this. And Frederick said that he was born in 1724. Theodore had leaving Paris and Madrid. He can't be his son. Theodore was not the kinh of Corsica and Caprera. He hadn't never talk of Caprera, or Capraia. But we know that Theodore sent his nephew, "Frederico, baron libero di Neuhoff, signor di Rauschenburg" (Letteron, Pièces pour servir... p. 356. Theodore letter to Peretti, commandante generale di Zicavo, 2 mars 1739). Theodore had no child and was always writing about his nephews (child of Elisabeth du Trévoux, his sister). Colonel Frederick published his book 12 years after the death of Theodore (1756 and 1768), when he couldn't said that it was not true.

BRT-LASTRA (talk) 14:44, 11 June 2013 (UTC) BRT-LASTRA.

According to Julia Gasper, he was burried like a king (shroud of double superfine cloth, an impressive hearse pulled by black-pulled horses, and a "large elm coffin"). A oil merchant (perhaps because he had made some good deal in Corsica. Theodore promised to the dutsch (and english ?) merchants, for the powder and guns, coriscan oil at low coast and a free port in a city), John Wright, wanted to have "the honor of burying a king". But he didn't pay all the bill. The Theodore's obsequies were like his life : beautiful and poor at the same time. Wright didn't pay for a burial plot and the king of Corsica was burried in the communal pauper's corner. It's for this reason that the Warpole text said : "Near this place". And, last paradox, the Theodore's memorial is well-preserved, because the tablet is made of a "very good quality of marble".

Another paradox : Theodore began a fiction heroe, in Candide of Voltaire, where he is one of the six kings at the Venice Carnival (and Candide offer him some diamonds, end of the Chapter XXVI). An opera "ero comico" was made : Il re Theodoro in Venezia (1784), who was translated and played for Louis XVI at Versailles. Theodore said (Act. I, Sc. 1) :

Sans royaume et sans argent, /Senza soldi e senza regno

On est Roi bien tristement. / brutta cosa è l'esser re.

Without kingdom an without money,

We are King so sadly. (transl. approx.)

BRT-LASTRA (talk) 15:13, 11 June 2013 (UTC)