Rent a Baron…or Me
George Savarin de Marestan (Monsieur le Baron to the obsequious) has found the French & Indian War to be profitable. (Louis XV should have been so lucky.) The Baron has been engaged to participate in all the major reenactments of the 250th anniversary of that 18th century war. Fort William Henry surrendered to him last year. He will win the battle of Fort Carillon (alias Ticonderoga) this summer. Next year, he is going to lose Quebec. In other words, he is impersonating the Marquis de Montcalm.
How did he earn this unique niche? In exactly the same way he became a baron, Monsieur de Marestan was born to the role. He happens to be the great, great, great, great, great, etc. nephew of General Montcalm. I can not vouch whether he is the most talented member of the Montcalm clan or just the most shameless. However, he does seem to be the only one in the Montcalm market. The general had ten children–and some of them must have survived 18th century medicine as well as the French Revolution.
For the reenactment of the battle of Quebec, a great, great, great, etc. nephew of General Wolfe also has been engaged. However distant a nephew, that may be the best that the historical societies could do. James Wolfe had no direct descendants, not for lack of trying, but women kept turning down his marriage proposals. For the victor of Quebec, a date with destiny was easier than a date with women.
I wonder if there are similar reenactments for the 250th anniversary of the Seven Years War. (The American war was just a sideshow for the main event. Did you really think that Frederick the Great was losing sleep over Fort William Henry?) Any number of unemployed princes could be invited to impersonate their ancestors. For an extra Euro, a Hapsburg, Bourbon or Romanov will sign your copy of “The Last of the Mohicans.” The descendants of George II are still employed; so they will either sign it for free or have you arrested.
By the way, if you know of any 70th anniversary commemorations for the film Ninotchka, I am a fourth cousin, twice removed, of Melvyn Douglas–and I am available.