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Background information http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirishitan http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuge I've long tried to reconcile my Japanese name and appearance with a place at the French court, and I think i have found a way now. Since the court is now set at 1660, it would not be impossible for Nakamura Satoharu and her family to have fled Japan with the Catholic missionaries between the years of 1614 - 1630. Unlikely, yes. But not impossible.So now Mademoiselle Satoharu is descended from a kuge family that converted to Christianity. To escape being forced to renounce their faith, their family fled with the Western missionaries. Kuge at this time were politically and economicly weak, but maintained their rank and privilieges when at the Imperial court. They focused their attention on fashion, poetry, ritual, and court politics. One of that class would be perfectly suited to the life of a courtier, I should think!From what I've read, the Spainish court seemed severe, so I doubt the Nakamura family would have desired to remain either there or Portugal. And 45-30 years in France would certainly allow plenty of time for the Nakamura family to learn French fluently and manage to attain some level of rank, if only as a curiosity from the far East.Her father wants her to either become a nun or marry a good Japanese boy. But since the only good Japanese boys were halfway across the world, I suppose Lord Nakamura will just have to settle with a Frenchman.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Biography I was born in 1640, the daughter of Nakamura Takurou and Getsube Okiku. This year of our Lord 1660, I am 20 years old. My mother Getsube Okiku was born in 1617, in Japan. My father Nakamura Takurou was born in 1605, also in Japan. They were promised to each other when Mother was born. In 1626, when it was crystal clear that the Tokugawa shogun would not tolerate Christianity within Japan, Takurou asked the Getsube for the permission to bring his young fiancee with him when he fled with the Portuguese missionaries. They gave permission, as long as he brought a suitable number of attendants for her. A group of about 25 Japanese travelled, including the young couple, his parents and older sister, and servants, some who had served her family. They landed in Portugal, but decided they preferred the culture of France.I was born in this country, and grew up speaking both my native tongue and French. In Japan, my family were kuge, nobility of high enough rank to serve the emperor directly. Naturally, father did not expect to be given high rank immediately in a foriegn land, but we hope to earn a rank that fits with our high rank in Japan. My mother brought with her a small mulberry sapling and a few silk worms. Three of the servants she brought were trained in sericulture, and one of them was qualified to weave. It was on the backs of those four servants that the Nakamura family made money in France. With that money, Father bought a barony off of some particularly desitute nobleman. The family bought some land near Sevre, and a small silk farm is located in that country estate.My aunt manages the estate. Since she left Japan, there wasn't anyone for her to marry. Grandfather died when I was a little girl, but Grandmother still lives in the family home. Auntie tends to her. As for me, Father would like me to marry a good Japanese man, but the only ones we know of are servants, and how would that look for his only daughter to marry one of her servants? He does not want me to marry a European, but that might be how it will have to happen. Already some of the servants have taken white husbands or wives, though there was one match between a Japanese porter and one of the sericulturists.My father, the lowly Baron Nakamura, is determined that I will bring esteem to our family name. My younger brother might have a chance of bringing honor to us, but his hand in marriage cannot be bargained away in the same way mine could be. Therefore, he sends me to court with the hopes of attracting some gentleman of higher rank and wealth. I am glad that the fate of our family does not rest in my hand alone, or the pressure would be unbearable.(I orginally posted this in the old Royal Courts ning site. Thank goodness I saved a copy to my computer!)

Marie Antoinette's Salon Dor one of the four main rooms of her Petits Appartements in Versailles.

These small rooms with their concealed doors escaped the surveillance of spies and favoured love affairs and intrigues. To step through the looking-glass, just as Marie Antoinette used to do, is an extraordinary experience. The four main rooms, the Mridienne, the two libraries, the Salon Dor, their boudoirs and their bathrooms provide a perfect image of eighteenth-century France as we imagine it today.

17th of November, 1773- Versailles, France

My Dearest Father,

Why must marriage be so complicated? It has only been a single day since the marriage of sweet Therese and yet I can already sense that she has the qualities and traits to become popular and successful at Versailles. As I gaze upon Therese and Charles, I see a lovely couple who enjoy each others company, however, when I look at Stanislas and I, we are the exact opposite. Therese and Charles have alreadyconsummatedtheir marriage on their wedding night which was desired of that Austrian and I, however, both of us have yet to consummate ours. For once in my time here at Versailles, I feel a connection with that terrible Austrian. I have realized how she felt when Stanislas lies about us in the bedroom. Perhaps I misjudged Antoinette and I never really knew how much we have in common. I shall still act cold and heartless towards Antoinette as that is what Stanislas wishes but perhaps i should invite the Austrian over to tea with Victoire, Therese, and I.

As I was at the ball this evening, I had the most interesting conversation with my dear Victoire. With Stnislas still away in the country, it has made me think of our marriage and I decided to ask for the advice of dear Tante Victoire. She said that I should not envy Therese's marriage due to its success but rather I should act as a motherly figure for Therese. As Victoire and I continued to speak, shereferredto women as being different kinds of meat and how Men only enjoy a certain kind. Perhaps that is the case with my marriage. I'm just not the type of meat that Stanislas enjoys but perhaps I would be morelikableif I had the proper seasonings. Maybe then we shall finally consummate our marriage andfulfill my duty to France.

Sincerely your loving Daughter,

Marie Josephine Louise

Some people have been surprised at the snow and frozen canals in the duchy, especially as far south as Provence and Languedoc. Both southern areas are uncomfortably hot during the summer, and yet during the winter, the canals are frozen! We checked some records and found that this has been going on intermittently for centuries:

1507 - Port of Marseilles (Provence) was entirely frozen - 3 feet of snow fell

1565 - Rhone frozen entirely at Arles

1568 - 11 Dec., loaded carts crossed the Rhone on the ice.

1570, 1571 - End of Nov 1570 to end of Feb 1571, carts could pass across iced rivers in Languedoc/Provence
1594 - Sea frozen at Marseilles and at Venice (at least -20C)
1621-1621 Venetian fleet hemmed in by the ice in the channels of Venice
1638 galleys in the port of Marseilles blocked in by ice
1655, 1656 - Seine frozen from the 8th to 18th December and again on 29th Dec to 28th Jan.
1657, 1658 - Seine entirely frozen
1662, 1663 - Frost lasted at Paris from 5th Dec to 8th Mar
1676-1677 2 Dec - 13 Jan, Seine frozen 35 days

1684 Thames frozen at London to 11 inches thick
1709 Gulf of Venice and Mediterranean frozen at Genoa, Marseilles, Cette (Languedoc)
1716 Thames frozen - Great number of shops and stalls were established on the river
1740 Thames frozen

Since as recently as 1742, the Seine has been frozen at least 7 times:

1742 -10C
1744 -9C
1762 -9C
1766 -9C
1767 -16C
1776 -12C
1788 -12C

1749-1781 - temperature never dropped below -9C at Provence, but dropped to -17C in Marseilles!

Seawater typically freezes at about -2C. Most canals are freshwater, including much of the Canal du Midi which is fed from a mountain lake, so the freezing temperature is 0C.

OOC - from The London Literary Gazette and Journal of Belles Lettres, Arts, Sciences, &c. - 8 January, 1825

Low temperature at Provence for 1749-1781 has been corrected. The original source of this information is from the 27th volume of the "Annales de Chimie et de Physique" which according to William Darby in his book "View of the United States - Historical, Geographical, and Statistical" prints the extract with negative numbers while the Gazette printed some of the numbers (like the Seine temps) without negative signs.