Social Victorians/People/Bischoffsheim

Also Known As

 * Family name: Bischoffsheim
 * William Cuffe, 4th Earl of Desart

Henri Louis Bischoffsheim

 * Founder Deutsche Bank, Paribas Bank, Society Generale (SocGen).
 * Director, Bischoffsheim, Goldschmidt & Cie

Timeline
1878, William Ulick O'Connor Cuffe, 4th Earl of Desart and Maria Emma Georgina Preston were divorced.

1881 April 29, Ellen Odette Bischoffsheim and William Cuffe, 4th Earl of Desart, married at Christ Church in Down Street, Mayfair.

1882 October 4, Amelia Catherine Bischoffsheim and Sir Maurice FitzGerald, 2nd Bt. married.

1897 July 2, Friday, Mr. and Mrs. Bischoffsheim attended the Duchess of Devonshire's fancy-dress ball at Devonshire House.

Costume at the Duchess of Devonshire's 2 July 1897 Fancy-dress Ball
At the Duchess of Devonshire's fancy-dress ball, Mrs. Clarissa Bischoffsheim (at 429) "was magnificent as Anne of Austria, and men came over from Paris to do her hair and bring her jewels to wear."

Lafayette's portrait of "Clarisse Bischoffsheim (née Biedermann) as Anne of Austria, wife of Louis XIII of France" in costume is photogravure #244 in the album presented to the Duchess of Devonshire and now in the National Portrait Gallery. The printing on the portrait says, "Clarisse Bischoffsheim as Anne of Austria wife of Louis XIII of France," with a Long S in Clarisse.

A number of portraits of Anne of Austria, Queen of France (22 September 1601 – 20 January 1666) exist, and several of them have features in common with Mrs. Bischoffsheim's costume, which may not have a single original source. The portrait (upper right) of Anne of Austria was painted by the workshop of Peter-Paul Reubens after negotiations with Louis XIII and is now in the Louvre, Paris. It is actually not the original but a copy painted after around 1620–1625 of a lost original portrait. The portrait (lower right) of Anne of Austria or Anna of Tyrol (1585-1618), consort of Emperor Mathias, now in the national museum of Sweden and attributed to Gaspar de Crayer, has some similarities to Mrs. Bischoffsheim's costume as well, including lace that is more similar, and a handkerchief in her right and a fan in her left hand.

Henri Louis Bischoffsheim (at 428) also attended, as did their daughter Amelia FitzGerald and her husband Maurice FitzGerald, 2nd Bt.; her portrait is in the Album, as well, and they are treated on the FitzGerald page. Daughter Ellen, who had married William Cuffe, Earl of Desart, does not seem to have attended.

Demographics

 * Nationality: German-Belgian, then naturalized as British; Henri Louis Bischoffsheim was Dutch.
 * Religion: Jews, at least the parents had come from Jewish families, perhaps converted to Church of England? the daughters were married in churches.

Residences

 * Bute House, South Audley Street, Mayfair

Family

 * Henri Louis Bischoffsheim (17 February 1829 – 11 March 1908)
 * Clarissa Biedermann (1837–1922)
 * 1) Ellen Odette Bischoffsheim (1 September 1857 – 29 June 1933)
 * 2) Amélie or Amelia Catherine Bischoffsheim (1858 – 12 November 1947)


 * William Ulick O'Connor Cuffe, 4th Earl of Desart (10 July 1845 – 15 September 1898)
 * Maria Emma Georgina Preston
 * 1) Lady Kathleen Mary Alexina Cuffe (1872 – 5 October 1938)


 * Ellen Odette Bischoffsheim (1 September 1857 – 29 June 1933)


 * Amelia Catherine Bischoffsheim (1858 – 12 November 1947)
 * Sir Maurice FitzGerald, 2nd Bt. (5 February 1844 – 22 October 1916)
 * 1) Arthur Maurice FitzGerald (5 June 1883 – 21 June 1883)
 * 2) Sir John Peter Gerald Maurice FitzGerald, 3rd Bt. (4 May 1884 – 19 February 1957)
 * 3) Sir Arthur Henry Brinsley FitzGerald, 4th Bt. ( 6 July 1885 – 30 November 1967)
 * 4) Louise Nesta Pamela FitzGerald (8 January 1889 – 21 February 1946)

Relations

 * Clarissa Biedermann's father was Josef Biedermann (1809–1867), Habsburg court jeweler.