Noble Anecdotes
Stories, legends, and curious tales from Europe's noble families
Although every family featured on this website - through its seal and coat of arms - possesses a long and often fascinating history, this section focuses on anecdotes rather than broad genealogies. Here you will find tales of unusual or eccentric relatives, dramatic inheritances and succession disputes, acts of bravery, scandals, curious family legends, ghost stories, and remarkable acts of generosity or cruelty.
The anecdotes are classified following the family names' alphabetic order.
Spaun (von Spaun). Ref 3
The Noble Family That Quietly Saved Schubert.
One of the most charming stories associated with the Spauns concerns Joseph von Spaun. When Schubert was a poor student in Vienna, he often lacked even the money to buy manuscript paper on which to write his music. Joseph von Spaun, who came from a comfortable noble family, noticed the young composer's situation and began quietly supplying him with paper and financial help. He also introduced Schubert to influential friends, invited him into aristocratic salons, and remained loyal throughout the composer's life. A later recollection noted that much of Schubert's early music was written on paper provided by Spaun. Without this seemingly modest assistance, some of Schubert's masterpieces might never have been composed at all.
What makes the story memorable is its simplicity: the Spauns did not gain titles, lands, or political influence from this act. Instead, a noble family's generosity helped sustain a struggling musician who would later become one of Austria's greatest composers.
Tréton (Tréton de Vaujuas). Ref 34
The Nobleman Who Vanished with La Pérouse.
François René Charles Tréton de Vaujuas was a promising naval officer from the family. He had already distinguished himself in the navy and earned the confidence of the famous explorer Jean-François de Galaup, comte de La Pérouse. La Pérouse thought so highly of him that he reportedly described him as "the most accomplished naval officer I have encountered since I entered the service". In 1785, Vaujuas joined the celebrated La Pérouse expedition, which was sent by Louis XVI to explore the Pacific and rival the discoveries of James Cook. The expedition sailed around the world, sending reports back to France from distant ports. Then, suddenly, all contact ceased. For decades nobody knew what had happened. Families of the officers, including the Tréton de Vaujuas family, were left in uncertainty. The disappearance became so famous that, according to a well-known tradition, even Louis XVI reportedly asked about La Pérouse's fate shortly before his own execution. Only many years later was it discovered that the expedition's ships had been wrecked near Vanikoro in the South Pacific. Vaujuas had perished there with many of his companions.
Why it is memorable: Unlike many noble officers who died in battle, François René Charles Tréton de Vaujuas simply vanished from the known world. For years his family had no explanation, only silence. His fate became part of one of the greatest maritime mysteries in French history, a story that captivated Europe long after the ships disappeared beyond the horizon.
To be completed
Gerry's Collection of Antique Seal Stamps.