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THE FRENCH POSSESSIONS
The French possessions on St Helena comprise Longwood House and its gardens, the Valley of the Tomb and The Briars Pavilion. They are managed by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Since 1858, the year when the French acquired two of the properties, namely Longwood House and The Valley of the Tomb, a French representative has always lived on the island.
The third property, The Briars Pavilion, bought back from a British Company in 1959, was offered to France by Dame Mabel Brooks of Melbourne, Australia. She was the great grand-daughter of William Balcombe, an agent of the East India Company who befriended the French Emperor Napoleon during his exile in St Helena.
Napoleon stayed for a short duration at the Briars Pavilion before he was moved to Longwood House. He died on 5 May 1821 and was interred in the Valley of the Tomb on 9 May 1821. Nineteen years later on 15 October his remains were exhumed and taken to France on the ship "La Belle-Poulle". His body was then laid to rest in Les Invalides in Paris.
Longwood House
The Living Room. Napoleon died in this room at sunset on 5 May 1821 on the little campaign bed from Austerlitz. In this room is his death mask, a white marble bust, various engravings and portraits, including some of Josephine and Marie-Louise, some original furniture and some which have been copied.
The Dining Room. The saddest and most sombre room in the house, looking out over the little garden known as "Ali’s Garden". This room contains a mix of original and copied furniture, a bust of Josephine by Bosio and portraits of Napoleon. The sideboard with the marble top served as an altar during the exile.
Napoleon’s Study. Furnished in 1821 with three library tables, two mahogany chairs, a full length mirror, a wing chair and a sofa. After the autopsy on 6 May 1821, the room served as the chapel of rest. There are copies of Napoleon’s frock coat and hat which he wore on the Island. The originals are in Les Invalides in France. There is a little mahogany writing desk inscribed "St Helena 1793.
The Bedroom. The furnishing was simple: a camp bed, a sofa, a mahogany pedestal table, a small table, a chest of drawers, two cane armchairs a sculpted stand and a bedside table. The two chairs are originals from this room but the camp bed is a copy.
The Billiard Room. This room was built within a few weeks by carpenters from the "Northumberland" whilst Napoleon stayed at The Briars. It is painted, as in 1821, in green, decorated with a black Greek key design. It was furnished with two sofas, seven occasional tables, five chairs and three armchairs. The billiard table was installed in 1816.
This room served in turn as a dining room, map room, billiard room and finally as a waiting room. It was in this room that Napoleon's doctor, Dr Antomarchi, carried out the autopsy on 6 May 1821 in the presence of representatives of the Governor and seven British doctors.
There are two display cases in this room. In the first can be seen:
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Dress shoe worn by Napoleon on St Helena;
-
The legion of Honour and the Iron Cross of Italy;
-
Snuffbox;
-
Billiard balls;
-
A Sevres medallion showing Napoleon and Marie-Louise;
-
Tea caddy from the Imperial service;
-
A lock of Napoleon’s hair;
-
Fragments of dining-room and sitting-room wallpapers;
-
3 gouaches of St Helena by Le Chinois.
In the second display case are the following:
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Miniatures of the King of Rome;
-
Miniature of the infant King of Rome;
-
Portrait of Napoleon on silk;
-
Lithograph of Longwood House;
-
Scenes of the exile;
- Calvary sword of year 13 of the French Revolution Calendar;
- A small Empire infantry sword.
On the walls are various engravings and there is in the room a white marble bust of Napoleon, the billiard table made by Thurston and the original globes.
The Bathroom. The original large copper tub used by Napoleon is in place.
The Valet's Bedroom. This room contains various objects connected with the Napoleonic legend, 2 letters from Napoleon, a book from Napoleon’s St Helena library, medallions, original drawings, books and a "Diary of St Helena" by General Gourgaud.
The Room of the Return of the Body. In 1821 this room served as a wine cellar. It now contains various documents relating to the removal of Napoleon's body to France in 1840, some water colours, a scale model of Napoleon’s tomb, a fragment of the pall that was used, a photocopied page from the log of the La Belle-Poule and fragments of the canopy used in St Helena in 1840.
The Study. A collection of portraits and souvenirs of Napoleon’s companions, together with various letters and six china plates by Montereau are retained in this room.
The Library. This room contains a copy of one of the original book-cases, samples of some of the books from Napoleon's Library, various objects and souvenirs from the same period.
The Will Room. Used as an office in 1821, this tiny room houses a photographic reproduction of Napoleon’s will written between 16 and 24 April 1821. The original is in the French Archives.
The Gardens. Renovated in 1990 the gardens are still well maintained and the landscape is that of 1821. There still remain the pools, two trees bent by the wind, an evergreen oak in front of the arbour and here and there the everlasting flowers seeded by Napoleon.
The Briars Pavilion
Napoleon resided in this property from 17 October 1815 to 10th December 1815. The Briars estate at that time belonged to the Balcombe family.
By a strange coincidence Arthur Wellesley, later to become the Duke of Wellington, had stayed at this place during a short stop at St Helena.
The property changed hands several times before it was bought in 1959 by Dame Mabel Brooks, great grand-daughter of William Balcombe. She then offered the property to France.The Pavilion has since been restored to its 1821 appearance with reproductions of the period furniture. It houses a unique collection of documents about St Helena, the Balcombe family, the regiment of the East India Company and English witnesses to the exile as well as a collection of English caricatures about the Imperial era.
Over the fireplace there is a plaster bust of "Napoleon" by Mariani, and in a display case there can be seen a square of carpet from the room in 1815 and a cup and saucer from the Balcombe tea service, used by Napoleon.
The Valley of the Tomb
Napoleon died on 5th May 1821. His funeral took place on 9th May and he was laid to rest in this valley. This position was chosen by Napoleon himself during a walk in the cool valley.
His tomb remains there to this day although his body was later exhumed and taken to France. The twelve cypress trees that once surrounded the tomb were planted in 1840 in memory of Napoleon's twelve great victories. The Norfolk pines were planted when France became the owner of the valley, the olive tree was planted by the Prince of Wales in 1925, and the wild olive was planted by Prince Phillip in 1957. In 1921 an olive tree was planted in the name of Marshall Foch to mark the centenary of the death of Napoleon. Three other trees commemorate the visits of the "Jeanne d’Arc" in 1935, 1958 and 1963.
The French possessions on St Helena comprise Longwood House and its gardens, the Valley of the Tomb and The Briars Pavilion. They are managed by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Since 1858, the year when the French acquired two of the properties, namely Longwood House and The Valley of the Tomb, a French representative has always lived on the island.
The third property, The Briars Pavilion, bought back from a British Company in 1959, was offered to France by Dame Mabel Brooks of Melbourne, Australia. She was the great grand-daughter of William Balcombe, an agent of the East India Company who befriended the French Emperor Napoleon during his exile in St Helena.
Napoleon stayed for a short duration at the Briars Pavilion before he was moved to Longwood House. He died on 5 May 1821 and was interred in the Valley of the Tomb on 9 May 1821. Nineteen years later on 15 October his remains were exhumed and taken to France on the ship "La Belle-Poulle". His body was then laid to rest in Les Invalides in Paris.
Longwood House
The Living Room. Napoleon died in this room at sunset on 5 May 1821 on the little campaign bed from Austerlitz. In this room is his death mask, a white marble bust, various engravings and portraits, including some of Josephine and Marie-Louise, some original furniture and some which have been copied.
The Dining Room. The saddest and most sombre room in the house, looking out over the little garden known as "Ali’s Garden". This room contains a mix of original and copied furniture, a bust of Josephine by Bosio and portraits of Napoleon. The sideboard with the marble top served as an altar during the exile.
Napoleon’s Study. Furnished in 1821 with three library tables, two mahogany chairs, a full length mirror, a wing chair and a sofa. After the autopsy on 6 May 1821, the room served as the chapel of rest. There are copies of Napoleon’s frock coat and hat which he wore on the Island. The originals are in Les Invalides in France. There is a little mahogany writing desk inscribed "St Helena 1793.
The Bedroom. The furnishing was simple: a camp bed, a sofa, a mahogany pedestal table, a small table, a chest of drawers, two cane armchairs a sculpted stand and a bedside table. The two chairs are originals from this room but the camp bed is a copy.
The Billiard Room. This room was built within a few weeks by carpenters from the "Northumberland" whilst Napoleon stayed at The Briars. It is painted, as in 1821, in green, decorated with a black Greek key design. It was furnished with two sofas, seven occasional tables, five chairs and three armchairs. The billiard table was installed in 1816.
This room served in turn as a dining room, map room, billiard room and finally as a waiting room. It was in this room that Napoleon's doctor, Dr Antomarchi, carried out the autopsy on 6 May 1821 in the presence of representatives of the Governor and seven British doctors.
There are two display cases in this room. In the first can be seen:
- Dress shoe worn by Napoleon on St Helena;
- The legion of Honour and the Iron Cross of Italy;
- Snuffbox;
- Billiard balls;
- A Sevres medallion showing Napoleon and Marie-Louise;
- Tea caddy from the Imperial service;
- A lock of Napoleon’s hair;
- Fragments of dining-room and sitting-room wallpapers;
- 3 gouaches of St Helena by Le Chinois.
- Miniatures of the King of Rome;
- Miniature of the infant King of Rome;
- Portrait of Napoleon on silk;
- Lithograph of Longwood House;
- Scenes of the exile;
- Calvary sword of year 13 of the French Revolution Calendar;
- A small Empire infantry sword.
The Bathroom. The original large copper tub used by Napoleon is in place.
The Valet's Bedroom. This room contains various objects connected with the Napoleonic legend, 2 letters from Napoleon, a book from Napoleon’s St Helena library, medallions, original drawings, books and a "Diary of St Helena" by General Gourgaud.
The Room of the Return of the Body. In 1821 this room served as a wine cellar. It now contains various documents relating to the removal of Napoleon's body to France in 1840, some water colours, a scale model of Napoleon’s tomb, a fragment of the pall that was used, a photocopied page from the log of the La Belle-Poule and fragments of the canopy used in St Helena in 1840.
The Study. A collection of portraits and souvenirs of Napoleon’s companions, together with various letters and six china plates by Montereau are retained in this room.
The Library. This room contains a copy of one of the original book-cases, samples of some of the books from Napoleon's Library, various objects and souvenirs from the same period.
The Will Room. Used as an office in 1821, this tiny room houses a photographic reproduction of Napoleon’s will written between 16 and 24 April 1821. The original is in the French Archives.
The Gardens. Renovated in 1990 the gardens are still well maintained and the landscape is that of 1821. There still remain the pools, two trees bent by the wind, an evergreen oak in front of the arbour and here and there the everlasting flowers seeded by Napoleon.
The Briars Pavilion
Napoleon resided in this property from 17 October 1815 to 10th December 1815. The Briars estate at that time belonged to the Balcombe family.
By a strange coincidence Arthur Wellesley, later to become the Duke of Wellington, had stayed at this place during a short stop at St Helena.
The property changed hands several times before it was bought in 1959 by Dame Mabel Brooks, great grand-daughter of William Balcombe. She then offered the property to France.The Pavilion has since been restored to its 1821 appearance with reproductions of the period furniture. It houses a unique collection of documents about St Helena, the Balcombe family, the regiment of the East India Company and English witnesses to the exile as well as a collection of English caricatures about the Imperial era.
Over the fireplace there is a plaster bust of "Napoleon" by Mariani, and in a display case there can be seen a square of carpet from the room in 1815 and a cup and saucer from the Balcombe tea service, used by Napoleon.
The Valley of the Tomb
Napoleon died on 5th May 1821. His funeral took place on 9th May and he was laid to rest in this valley. This position was chosen by Napoleon himself during a walk in the cool valley.
His tomb remains there to this day although his body was later exhumed and taken to France. The twelve cypress trees that once surrounded the tomb were planted in 1840 in memory of Napoleon's twelve great victories. The Norfolk pines were planted when France became the owner of the valley, the olive tree was planted by the Prince of Wales in 1925, and the wild olive was planted by Prince Phillip in 1957. In 1921 an olive tree was planted in the name of Marshall Foch to mark the centenary of the death of Napoleon. Three other trees commemorate the visits of the "Jeanne d’Arc" in 1935, 1958 and 1963.