7.2 Marie Antoinette’s Cats and an American Rescue Attempt

Did you know that Marie Antoinette almost escaped the guillotine and almost ended up in Maine, USA? Of course, we all know she didn’t make it – but some say her cats might have. Could that be the origin of the breed called Maine Coon?

The Maine Coon
An unusual breed of large, long-haired cat from the American state of Maine.

Because of its big size and long bushy tail, it resembles a raccoon and is called a Maine coon. Its origins are unknown but several legends try to explain where this big cat came from. One of the most intriguing tales says they came from France – from the palace of Versailles to be exact. Supposedly, some of Marie Antoinette’s cats were put on a ship along with her belongings and sailed across the sea to Maine.

But let’s go back to 1792, when this story begins…

During the time of the French Revolution, there was a shipping company in Wiscasset Maine that had contracts for trading in Paris. The company belonged to Coronel James Swan. Captain Stephen Clough worked for him, sailing his ship called “the Sally”, back and forth between Maine and France.

1792 – The Royals were Arrested
The Sally was at the port of Le Havre in the summer of 1792 when King Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette and their children were arrested. The royalist friends immediately started planning to rescue the King and his family. They soon came up with the idea of putting them on a ship sailing for America. Since the Sally was there, Captain Clough was asked to help. Now they had to come up with a plan to get them out of prison.

1793 – A Very Bad Year for the Royals
In December 1792, Louis XVI was brought to trial, and in January 1793 the guillotine claimed his royal head. His supporters tried to save the Queen and her two children.

In August, a plot was formed and they gave money to the prison guards. A note was sent to the Queen on paper wrapped around the stem of a carnation. She replied by pricking a message in the paper with a pin, but the guard, decided his head was worth more than the money, so he showed the note to his superiors.

The Queen was immediately moved to a more secure prison. In October, she was tried and, of course, found guilty of treason. With no further hope of saving the queen, Captain Clough sailed back to Maine with his boat load of French finery (and, who knows, maybe even some royal cats).

Meanwhile Back in Maine…
Before it had all gone wrong, Captain Clough had sent a letter to his wife. He knew that if he arrived home with an unexpected house guest – especially one who was a queen, he would be in big trouble.

Of course, everyone did their best to decorate the place and all the ladies were given new dresses.

Unfortunately, the Sally arrived in the Wiscasset harbor without the Queen. What About Those Cats?

So, were there big, long-haired cats on board Captain Clough’s ship? It’s hard to say.

Is it possible that some of these cats were on Captain Clough’s boat and ended up in Maine? Could they have bred with the local cats to become the large furry cat we know today as the Maine Coon? Well, we may never know, but it sure makes a good story!