Baltazar by Arnoult, colored by AI
Chevalier Baltazar in History
What we know of Geneviève Prémoy, aka Chevalier Baltazar comes from two sources: her published autobiography, and a smattering of historical documents. We know from the affair of La Fille Capitaine that the publisher of her autobiograhy hired Chevalier de Mailly to “punch up” the story, and did not remove all of the scandalous fiction that he added to the book. Therefore, primary-source research is just as important when dealing with Baltazar as it is with Maupin. So, what do we know about the historical Baltazar?
Death and burial of Baltazar
In genealogist Charles Guiblet de Boisbissey’s extracts from Parisian parish records (via BnF), we find in the October 1704 records for Saint-Sulpice the following entry:
Annotated interment record from Saint-Sulpice parish
This translates as follows:
26 inh. de Gennevieve Premoya, ditte le chev Baltazard honorée de la qualité de commandeur de l’ordre de S. Louis et cid. Capne dans le Regimt de Turbilly femme de jean Gouvier dit du Pont Lnànt dans la meme Compagnie morte le 25e
26 buried: Geneviève Premoya, called the Chevalier Baltazard, honored with the rank of Commander of the Order of Saint Louis, and formerly Captain in the Regiment of Turbilly; wife of Jean Gouvier, called du Pont, Lieutenant in the same company, who died on the 25th.
It is worth noting that Jean’s surname could readily be read as “Gounier” as well as “Gouvier”, and that the final letter could plausibly be either an S or just a swash rather than an R. Other transcribers have read the name as “Gounie”, but given how common the various possible readings are, “Gouvier” seems the most likely, followed by “Gounier”, with a final R. The original appears above, though, so if you have a better reading, please let us know by email at LaMaupin@eldacur.com.
Still, this register entry confirms a lot about Baltazar or as she is listed here, “Baltazard”. It confirms that she was a commander in the order of Saint-Louis—the first woman to hold that honor. It identifies her husband and gives a bit of their backstory and at least suggests that they lived in Saint-Sulpice parish.
L’Intermédiaire
I first encountered the interment record in a question that archivist G. Saint-Joanny (Probably Gustave Saint-Joanny) asked in the 1870-1873 volume of L’Intermédiaire, the same journal in which Louÿs published his discovery that the La Fille Capitaine incident involved Baltazar, not la Maupin.
Saint-Joanny adds a detail that I did not find in Guiblet de Boisbissey’s extract: the place where Baltazar died, which I take to be her residence.
From “L’Intermédiaire des chercheurs et des curieux”, “Notes and Quéries français”, Année 6 Volume 6, 8 Z 94 1870-1873”, p. 457 (via the BnF):
Geneviève Premoya. dite le chevalier Baltazard. — Au registre des décès de la paroisse Saint-Sulpice, année 1704, à la date du 26 octobre, on trouve cette mention :
« A esté fait le convoy et enterrement de Geneviève Prémoya, ditte le Chevalier Baltazard, honorée de la qualité de commandeur de l’ordre de Saint-Louis, et cy-devant capitaine dans le régiment de Turbilly, femme de Jean Gounie dit Dupont, lieutenant dans la même compagnie, décédée le jour précédent, rue Illerimbertin, chez Madame Rousseau, marchande limonadière. »
Pourrais-je obtenir des lecteurs de l’Intermédiaire quelques renseignements biographiques sur CETTE personne qui fut presque un personnage? Merci d’avance.
G. Saint-Joanny.
Geneviève Prémoy, called the Chevalier Balthazar. — In the death register of the parish of Saint-Sulpice, 1704, as of October 26, we find this statement:
“Has been made the funeral convoy and interment of Genevieve Prémoya, aka Chevalier Baltazard, honored as the Commander of the Order of Saint-Louis, and heretofore captain in the regiment Turbilly, wife of John Gounie called Dupont, Lieutenant in the same company, died the day before, Illerimbertin Street, home of Madame Rousseau, lemonade merchant. “
Could I obtain from the readers of l’Intermédiaire some biographical information on THIS person who was almost a personage? Thank you in advance.
G. Saint-Joanny.
It appears that “rue Illerimbertin” is actually rue Hillerin-Bertin, which became rue de Belle Chasse by 1710. It runs south from the Seine to rue Sainct Dominique a block or so west of Hôtel Chevreuse/Luynes. The neighborhood seems more suited to the actual home of a lemonade merchant than her shop, which is in keeping with the most likely reading of the passage. In my novel, I chose to make Mme. Rousseau Baltazar and du Pont’s landlady, having them renting rooms above her small lemonade shop on rue Hillerin-Bertin.
Portrait by Nicolas Arnoult
The final contemporaneous source we have regarding Baltazar is the caption of a portrait of her by Nicolas Arnoult (seen in the earlier “Chevalier Baltazar” article.) A colorized version of the central figure of Arnoult’s portrait appears at the top of this page. Given that it was published at Arnoult's establisment on rue de la Fromagerie, it was published no later than 1696. Closer to October 1692 seems likely.
Voici le Portrait du Capitaine de Carabiniers, qui fut présenté au Roy au mois d’octobre 1692 habillé en femme et qui, en effet, a esté reconnu pour telle par une blessure qu’elle a reçue au sein. Elle servoit le Roy dans ses Armées depuis dix-huit à vingt ans. Sa Majesté luy a accordé un brevet de Chevalier de l’Ordre Militaire de St. Louis dont elle porte la Croix avec une Pension Annuelle de Neuf Cents livres. Elle étoit connue sous le nom du Chevalier Baltazard et à présent elle aprît par ordre du Roy une jupe, mais elle porte un Justaucorps, avec le Chapeau, la Perruque et l’épée au côté.
—A Paris Chez N. Arnoult, rue de la Fromagerie aux Halles avec Pr. du Roy.
Here is the portrait of the Captain of Carabiniers, who was presented to the King in October 1692 dressed as a woman and who, in fact, was recognized as such due to a wound she received in her breast. She had been serving the King in his armies for eighteen to twenty years. His Majesty granted her a brevet as a Knight of the Military Order of Saint Louis, of which she wears the Cross, along with an annual pension of nine hundred livres. She was known by the name Chevalier Baltazard, and now, by order of the King, she wears a skirt, but she also wears a justaucorps, along with a hat, a wig, and a sword at her side.
—In Paris, at N. Arnoult’s, rue de la Fromagerie, at Les Halles, with the King’s privilege.