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In the section about 9 Thermidor, Charles-Henri Sanson the executioner's memoirs are cited seven times (as citation #472). These memoirs were published by his grandson Henry-Clément Sanson in the mid 1800s. While they may contain material from Charles-Henri Sanson's diary and have many facts found in other sources, they were romanticized and "extensively rewritten by a journalist", and should not be trusted in preference to actual accounts.[citation needed] I tagged these with [unreliable source?] and [better source needed].
On page 264 of Memoirs of the Sansons: From Private Notes and Documents (1688-1847) his grandson wrote: I will soon give up the pen to Charles Henri Sanson, my grand-father, and quote his diary exactly as he wrote it.[1]
I see no reason to doubt this but have to figure out of it was the grandfather or his father who was involved in the execution of Robespierre. I doubt if there any better sources, as Sanson was an eyewitness. On the next page (p. 265) it is states: Written as it is, Currente calamo ("with a running pen"), it is the most accurate diary of the scaffold which, I believe, can be found. Taksen (talk) 11:34, 28 December 2024 (UTC) The article on Henri-Clément says Seven Generations is considered reasonably reliable. I am not sure if Chisholm's 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica is still/always a reliable source.[reply]
Hopefully we can find actual sources with the same information. Some of the facts they support, at least Robespierre being taken to the Conciergerie, are probably covered in historical sources. Curuwen (talk) 00:01, 9 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
You exaggerate, very typical. I could only find two other sources in the bibliography:
Michelet, Jules (1847) The History of the French Revolution (Charles Cocks, trans.) online
Mignet, François (1826) History of the French Revolution, from 1789 to 1814: Volume 1. Hunt and Clarke, Tavistock Street, Covent Garden.[3]
39 references are from the 19th century, which is less than 7 %. Yes, I used sources from the 19th century because they are available for free on internet, which is often not the case with books from the 20th century. Yes, there is a bias, if I had to pay, I did not use that source. I did go in the Amsterdam university library to check some but the number of recent published books is limited. I also ordered a book which is online but as Wikipedian with many interests, I have to limit myself. If you want to see more contemporary sources, buy those books or articles and add them. It is also possible you can check sources, which I couldn't as a citizen of the EU. (As a matter of fact I do not understand why I cannot check certain sources which were put online by Google Books.) Perhaps you mean it is possible to leave out all the sources in French as many readers do not understand it?Taksen (talk) 11:41, 6 January 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Some of these French authors were eyewitness, at least closer to the events than you or me. For a couple of years I checked facts, not opinions; that is why it took me so long. Taksen (talk) 11:34, 28 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
To reply to this and your earlier point,
Translating embellished memoirs doesn't make them more "historical" or "accurate", just means they were taken seriously in the past. I read part of the English version and there is actual truth interspersed with anecdotes that we would not be able to verify from other sources.
For example, the memoirs state that Hanriot hid in the sewers for several hours to avoid arrest on 9 Thermidor, and also states that Robespierre picked flowers for Sanson's little nieces in the countryside. Compare this with other contemporary accounts such as Fréron's stating that Robespierre practiced shooting pistols—which contrasts with ANOTHER story saying that he misfired and shot his jaw off because he had never fired a gun before. Or even the rumors that circulated before Thermidor claiming that he had declared himself king and planned to marry Louis XVI's 16-year-old daughter. There are many many stories about Robespierre of varying accuracy, and we have reason to doubt this one at the very least. Fact and opinion have indeed become mixed in many sources about the French Revolution. Curuwen (talk) 01:59, 29 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
I did not know Honere de Balzac was accused of having written the text but this author is not mentioned on the French Wikipedia at all, which made me suspicious of the article on the English Wikipedia. I am studying this topic which says Balzac rewrote a certain account and it was published in his complete works.[2]
I was not translating the embellished memoirs, it is in English. I do not think it is bad to mention a few 19th century French sources when the article is about a Frenchman. It gives a wider view or different perspective on Robespierre.Taksen (talk) 19:11, 29 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]
level-4 vital article is rated B-class on Wikipedia's content assessment scale.
