Pauline Duvernay
Encyclopedia
Pauline Duvernay or Yolande Marie-Louise Duvernay or Yolande Marie Louise de Varnay (December 1812 – 2 September 1894) was a noted French
dancer.
and became a student of at the Paris Opera Ballet
, where she also worked with Auguste Vestris
, and Filippo Taglioni
.
She made her debut on the stage of the Théâtre de l´Académie Royale de Musique in Paris performing Venus in Jean-Baptiste Blache
's Mars et Vénus. That same year she made her debut in London at the Drury Lane Theatre
in Jean-Pierre Aumer
's La Belle au bois dormant ("Sleeping Beauty"). Working with the renowned Ballet du Théâtre de l´Académie Royale de Musique (today known as the Paris Opera Ballet
), she also gave outstanding performances in Jean Coralli
's La Tentation in 1831.
Her beauty and dancing skills captivated audiences in Paris and London, and she enjoyed tremendous popularity. She retired in 1837, at the height of her career, marrying an English banker and Member of Parliament, Stephens Lyne-Stephens
, thought to be the richest commoner in England at that time. Duvernay devoted herself to charity work. Stephens bought Lynford Hall
near Thetford in 1856, intending to develop its 8000 acres (32.4 km²) with mansion house, parkland and lake as a hunting retreat, and commissioned the architect William Burn
to refurbish it. His death in 1861 set off a frenzy of fortune hunters, who went so far as to tamper with their family trees in order to bolster their claims to the estate. The fortune was amassed by William Stephens of Cornwall
, an illegitimate child born in 1731. He started a glass factory in Portugal with his brother and members of the related Lyne family. Stephens had influential political connections in Portugal, exempting his business from taxes.
A childless widow, Duvernay had a liaison with a general who had been the British Military Attache to France. She lived at Lynford Hall, using her personal fortune to build the Catholic Church of Our Lady and the English Martyrs in Cambridge
and financially assisting local schools. She died at Mundford
, Norfolk
, and was buried at Roehampton
.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
dancer.
Biography
Pauline Duvernay was born at VersaillesVersailles
Versailles , a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the de facto capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial centre...
and became a student of at the Paris Opera Ballet
Paris Opera Ballet
The Paris Opera Ballet is the oldest national ballet company in the world, and many European and international ballet companies can trace their origins to it...
, where she also worked with Auguste Vestris
Auguste Vestris
Marie-Jean-Augustin Vestris, known as Auguste Vestris was a French dancer.Born in Paris as the illegitimate son of Gaëtan Vestris and of Marie Allard, he was dubbed "le dieu de la danse", , a popular title bestowed on the leading male dancer of each generation...
, and Filippo Taglioni
Filippo Taglioni
Filippo Taglioni was an Italian dancer and choreographer and personal teacher to his own daughter, the famous Romantic ballerina Marie Taglioni. He is the son of Carlo and father of both Marie and Paul...
.
She made her debut on the stage of the Théâtre de l´Académie Royale de Musique in Paris performing Venus in Jean-Baptiste Blache
Jean-Baptiste Blache
Jean-Baptiste Blache de Beaufort was a German ballet dancer and ballet master active in France....
's Mars et Vénus. That same year she made her debut in London at the Drury Lane Theatre
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane is a West End theatre in Covent Garden, in the City of Westminster, a borough of London. The building faces Catherine Street and backs onto Drury Lane. The building standing today is the most recent in a line of four theatres at the same location dating back to 1663,...
in Jean-Pierre Aumer
Jean-Pierre Aumer
Jean-Louis Aumer was a French danseur and choreographer, who was born in Strasbourg on 21 April 1774, and who died in Saint-Martin-de-Boscherville in July 1833. Educated at the school of the Paris Opera Ballet, he joined the company in 1801 after an initial engagement with Jean Dauberval in Bordeaux...
's La Belle au bois dormant ("Sleeping Beauty"). Working with the renowned Ballet du Théâtre de l´Académie Royale de Musique (today known as the Paris Opera Ballet
Paris Opera Ballet
The Paris Opera Ballet is the oldest national ballet company in the world, and many European and international ballet companies can trace their origins to it...
), she also gave outstanding performances in Jean Coralli
Jean Coralli
Jean Coralli , born Jean Coralli Peracini, was a French dancer and choreographer and later held the esteemed post of First Balletmaster of the Paris Opera Ballet...
's La Tentation in 1831.
Her beauty and dancing skills captivated audiences in Paris and London, and she enjoyed tremendous popularity. She retired in 1837, at the height of her career, marrying an English banker and Member of Parliament, Stephens Lyne-Stephens
Stephens Lyne-Stephens
Stephens Lyne-Stephens was an English Tory politician who represented Barnstaple before the 1832 Reform Act. After inheriting a family fortune from glass manufacture in Portugal, he was later reputed to be the richest commoner in England.Lyne-Stephens was returned as Member of Parliament for...
, thought to be the richest commoner in England at that time. Duvernay devoted herself to charity work. Stephens bought Lynford Hall
Lynford Hall
Lynford Hall is a neo-Jacobean country house at Mundford, near Thetford in the English county of Norfolk. It is now an hotel.The house was built in 1857-1862 by William Burn for Stephens Lyne-Stephens, said at the time to be the richest commoner in England...
near Thetford in 1856, intending to develop its 8000 acres (32.4 km²) with mansion house, parkland and lake as a hunting retreat, and commissioned the architect William Burn
William Burn
William Burn was a Scottish architect, pioneer of the Scottish Baronial style.He was born in Edinburgh, the son of architect Robert Burn, and educated at the Royal High School. After training with the architect of the British Museum, Sir Robert Smirke, he returned to Edinburgh in 1812...
to refurbish it. His death in 1861 set off a frenzy of fortune hunters, who went so far as to tamper with their family trees in order to bolster their claims to the estate. The fortune was amassed by William Stephens of Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, an illegitimate child born in 1731. He started a glass factory in Portugal with his brother and members of the related Lyne family. Stephens had influential political connections in Portugal, exempting his business from taxes.
A childless widow, Duvernay had a liaison with a general who had been the British Military Attache to France. She lived at Lynford Hall, using her personal fortune to build the Catholic Church of Our Lady and the English Martyrs in Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
and financially assisting local schools. She died at Mundford
Mundford
Mundford is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It is situated at the intersection of two major routes, the A134 Colchester to King's Lynn road and the A1065 Mildenhall to Fakenham road, about north west of Thetford...
, Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, and was buried at Roehampton
Roehampton
Roehampton is a district in south-west London, forming the western end of the London Borough of Wandsworth. It lies between the town of Barnes to the north, Putney to the east and Wimbledon Common to the south. The Richmond Park golf courses are west of the neighbourhood, and just south of these is...
.