Louis-Jules-René-Marie ("Thibaudin")

Overview

A Black boy of about fifteen, in the Bashkirtseff household for nearly a year by June 1883, «très intelligent, qui me rappelle l'ancien Chocolat-Fortuné Saïd» (100.0078). The parish priest doubted the authenticity of his baptism and, to avoid administering the sacrament to a pagan, rebaptised him on 6 June 1883. Marie insisted on being his godmother; as neither her father nor Bojidar could be found in time, a church employee stood in for the godfather «M. Bashkirtseff», whom she had pompously entered as «maréchal de la noblesse et conseiller d'État». Marie baptised him «Louis-Jules-René-Marie» (100.0080); he made his first communion on 7 June 1883 and the family had him dine with them that evening (100.0094). On 28 July she calls him «mon fils spirituel Louis-Jules-René», who sings café-concert songs in the Pitauchards' apartment; he had once been to the Ambassadeurs (100.0452). The household nicknamed him «Thibaudin», after the minister of war of the day, and Marie writes that the joke will need explaining in fifty years (100.0454). His other name and origin are not given.

References in Diary