Josephine Butler to [Miss Forsaith]

  • This material is held at
  • Reference
      GB 106 3JBL/46/33
  • Former Reference
      GB 106 5412
  • Dates of Creation
      23 Dec [1902]
  • Physical Description
      1 item

Scope and Content

Photocopy of letter. Written from Cheltenham.

The letter is devoted to the Monod family distinguished in its several branches as theologians and preachers (French Protestant) and also eminent in medicine, writing etc. She relates at some length the history of 'dear old Guillaume Monod, who is dead'. During the Franco German war and the siege of Paris and as a result of horrors and privations he became insane but remained gentle and unobtrusive. When JB was in Paris the winter of 1874/5 he came and spoke to her after one of their abolitionist meetings and she told him about a girl called Josephine Bouquoi who had been seized by the Police des Moeurs during the siege of Paris thrust into a Maison Toleree where she was kept for several years. After JB had returned to Liverpool, old Guillaume went straight to that house, and after experiencing much violence he got the girl released for £20, accompanied her to Calais and paid her journey all the way to Liverpool, where she arrived safely at the Butler's house. 'I think only we knew of it. I can never forget it. If he thought he was Christ he at least thought he must 'descend into Hell'. She also mentions the famous Monod [Adolphe] who writes 'very learned and wonderful theological books' She does not know him, but 'knew well all such good men'. Her 'late brother in law Tell Meuricoffre [d. Apr 1900] was baptised in Naples by the famous Adolphe Monod...Tell was the first Protestant child baptised in Naples.'

Administrative / Biographical History

Biog: Guillaume Monod, Theodore Monod,

Leopold Monod, Gustav Monod, Adolphe Monod, Frederic Monod, Gabriel Monod, Tell Meuricoffre, Mlle Sara Monod