| Surname | Mestral, de | |
| First Name | Henri Georges | |
| Gender | male | |
| Place of birth | Aubone | |
| Place of death | Aubone | |
| Year of birth | 1770 | |
| Year of death | 1849 | |
| Profession | Serviceman | |
| Religion | Protestant | |
| Place(s) of activity | Aubonne (VD), Lausanne, Edinburgh | |
| Century | 18 | |
| Biographical information | Son of Charles Albert (Lord of Lavigny and Dizy) and Elisabeth Sophie Guiguer. He married his cousin, Marie Susanne (the daughter of Henri Albert, Lord of Arruffens). Between 1787 and 1789 he studied at the University of Edinburgh. In 1793 he became Captain of a Carabinieri fighter company and during the 1798 revolution occupied Lucens Castle in the name of the Bernese Government. In 1815 he was made a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Federal Army. Two years later he lodged a claim with the Diet concerning compensation for owners of non-Bernese lods. | |
| Title | Journal de mes Voyages. | |
| Genre / Art |
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| Additional genre details | ||
| Period writen | ||
| Period covered | 1 May - 8 December 1790 | |
| Format / Language | Autograph, French | |
| Physical description | Notebook, 12 x 19 cm, 167 p. |
| Content |
The document begins in 1789 with the author about to leave Scotland alongside his brother. Although he is happy the trip will allow him to see his parents, he regrets leaving Edinburgh and the friends he has made there. He describes the landscapes on their journey, as well as the towns and villages they pass through. He provides some historical and economic background and also writes about the cultural monuments and factories they visit (e.g. Wedgwood Pottery). He mentions the inns at which they lodge or people who put them up for the night. They also ran into some friends on the road near Halifax. The document continues with a more fragmented record of their journey through Brussels, Vienna, Switzerland and Germany. Several drawings accompany the text (e.g. of a student from the University of Oxford). |
| Place of deposit | ACV |
| Classification | P de Mestral I 68/535 |
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| Transcription | |
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| Author | FF |
