The ‘04 Sociëteit Jean-Baptiste Degoux Society International Congress ‘

An impression of the '04 International Congress

Participants were co-founder and member PS and member and co-founder MC (not on the photograph because taking it), both from Belgium. The location was French. Not participating was JS, still unpending. The Main subject of the congress was ' Jean-Baptiste Degoux and his Impact on Social life and Traditions in the Region Nord-Pas-de-Calais at the Turn of the Nineteenth an Twentieth Century and the Remnants of this in Our Modern Times '. This was also the title of the essay with which PS and MC in the same year got the ' Jean-Baptiste Degoux Society Award '04'.

The Jean-Baptist Degoux Society has a long tradition of congresses, meetings, symposia and informal gatherings of all kind that goes back to the early 19th century, be it not always with the same amount of success.

In 1888 pending member Jean Baton called the ‘ 1888 Sociëteit Jean-Baptiste Degoux Society International Congress ‘ in L, England. Alas, none of the called members showed up and since Mr Baton himself, being a pending member, was not counted to the total amount, this was the first ( and as far as we know only ) congress without participants.

Posted by MaCo

Extensive contribution by pending member JS, Part 1

A picture of the Degoux brothers taken from behind.
This to illustrate to PS to look every way. Also behind him.

In an obvious attempt to force himself a way to a full membership of our Society, pending member JS handled us today an extensive amount of documentation concerning the personal life of Jean-Baptiste Degoux.

Today we would like to present a first part of this, concentrating on his family-life.

As for the rest we prefer to wait a couple of days in order to give our visitors the time to set their browsers parental control to some higher level.

We appreciate Mr JS’s honesty on the fact that the gathered information is second-hand, and also that he gives us his source: Mister Maurice. Can we suppose this is Mr Muylaert, our correspondent?

Let it be clear, once more, that the Jean-Baptiste Degoux Society does not take any responsibility concerning historical value of these contributions (printed in italics).Please feel free to comment on this matter.


The word is now to Mr JS.

Comments to support the documents are by Mister Maurice.



Hello,

Today I had a visit from Mister Maurice, PS's neighbour. He asked me to mail you some information and photographs. For the moment he prefers to avoid personal contact with you.

Mister Maurice says he would appreciate it if the photgraphs could be published. If not, he would be forced to hand them over to the local press.

your very active pending member



JS

Posted by MaCo

Presumed pictures of Eugène Degoux, a cousin of Jean-Baptiste and Aimé.
One front and one picture taken from behind. ( yes PS???)
MM is about 90% sure about the authenticity of these photographs.
MM will reveal later more about the somewhat strange personality of this cousin.


Posted by MaCo

The second portrait of Eugène (back)

Note of the Society: Strange. If it is true what MM says, that this is a portrait of the back of cousin Eugène, we can only conclude that his front is very simular to his back.

Posted by MaCo

A picture of Eugène in action. Later more.

Posted by MaCo

We have a Jubilee!

Pride and joy.

The Sociëteit Jean-Baptiste Degoux Society is proud to bring to the attention of the public that it is today online for no less than two weeks or fourteen days, without one interruption.

Especially we would like to thank the following persons for their unconditional devotion.

Special thanks go out to:

Mr PS

member and co-founder of the Society

Mr MC

co-founder and member

Mr JS

pending member

Mr Didier of Vetter

pending correspondent in the French language

Mr Paul-Henri (dit: 'Maurice') Muylaert

for his scientific contributions

Mrs Julia Greyp

for her kind words in the Ghent idiom

Mr ' Freddy ' D' Hou Maghes Fhuly

for his support and understanding of Mrs Greyp

La Famille Dumoulin

for all the information concerning their family-Menhir

Mr Jean Baton

for his patience

Mr Aimé Degoux

brother of Jean-Baptiste and partner in business

Mr Jean-Baptiste Degoux

without comments

and above all, our visitors from 25 countries all over the world:

België 260 74.5 Verenigde Staten 50 14.3 % Canada 8 2.3 % Singapore 3 0.9 % Filipijnen 2 0.6 % Nederland 2 0.6 % Maleisië 2 0.6 % Spanje 2 0.6 % Verenigd Koninkrijk 2 0.6 % Chili 2 0.6 % Japan 1 0.3 % Zuid-Afrika 1 0.3 % Iran 1 0.3 % Portugal 1 0.3 % Ierland 1 0.3 % Turkije 1 0.3 % Frankrijk 1 0.3 % Taiwan 1 0.3 % Mexico 1

0.3 % Dominicaanse Republiek 1 0.3 % Verenigde Arabische Emiraten 1 0.3 % India 1 0.3 % Australië 1 0.3 %Nieuw-Zeeland 1 0.3 % Argentinië 1 0.3%

for their attention and support.

Cheers!!!

Sociëteit Jean-Baptiste Degoux Society

Case De Vetter/Muylaert/JS: results of research

The comparison: no doubt!

Concerning the case De Vetter/Muylaert/JS, the Jean-Baptiste Degoux Society has made some deeper research to the photograph which JS presented to us as being an original portrait of Mr Degoux.

A comparison has been made between the head of a common Homo Sapiens and the one presented on the picture.
Though we can see some resemblances, more striking are the differences between the two.
To put this matter beyond doubt, hereby the Society has definitively decided to consider the portrait as being a falsification.

Hower, in order not to disturb the good functioning of our forum, the Society wishes to keep the full confidence in the persons of De Vetter/Muylaert/JS.

We hope hereby this discussion can be considered as being closed.

Posted by MaCo

Postcard from Paris by Jean-Baptiste-Degoux!

A postcard from Paris, signed by Mr Degoux.

Today the ' Sociëteit Jean-Baptiste Degoux received a postcard from Paris, signed by Jean-Baptiste Degoux himself.

It is an old postcard, showing a vintage photograph. The card was mailed in the Louvre district in Paris town.
Though it is clear it has been written long time ago, there must have been significant delays in the French Postal Services.

There are several trails of Jean-Baptiste Degoux leading us in the direction of the French capital, starting from his childhood.
By the moment the Society is investigating an old ' Paris en poche ' guide that most probably has been used by him during one or more of his visits.

Being one of Europe's cultural centers, Mr Degoux has never really stopped visiting the Town of Light.


Posted by MaCo

The front of Mr Degoux' card

The front of the postcard.

The photograph on the postcard shows us a gargouille on the Cathedral Notre-Dame de Paris .


Posted by MaCo

Second found letter to a pending member

The second letter to a pending member of the Jean-Baptiste Degoux society.

Shortly after the first one, we found a second letter that was sent to a pending member of the Jean-Baptiste Degoux Society.

The letter is written in Dutch. Again unfortunately time made some pieces of the text unclear.
This time we can notice the letter was numbered: Nr. 63259. What means that at least 63257 more letters have been written. Or was the numbering used only to impress the would-be member?

In a post scriptum we can read that the Jean-Baptiste Degoux Society in that time had a vacancy for a French speaking correspondent.


Posted by MaCo

The Second envelope found

.

Second envelope.

This is the envelope in which we found the second letter that the Jean-Baptiste Degoux Society did send to a pending member. On the first sight the letter seems to have been sent in the same period as the first one, be it a little bit later.


Posted by MaCo

PS apologizes

PS, following the track.

Co-founder and member of the Jean-Baptiste Degoux Society, Mr PS, apologizes for not doing the work he ought to do on the Degoux website.

‘There is a good reason for that’, PS says. ‘ Those last few weeks, pending member JS and myself have been doing intensive excavations in Terre-Cochon, on the site of the Dumoulin Menhir.
We digged all the way from the kitchen to the stable in the garden where the famous stone is standing. The results are extremely satisfying. I am still enjoying the full benefits of it!’

Some bystanders asserted that PS has only been using the skill and craftsmanship of pending member JS to do some odd jobs for own advantage, but no serious archeological work at all.

‘ No, no, no! ‘ PS laughed, ‘ this job was 100% De-goux! ‘

Anyway, with this action Mr JS made a big step foreward on his way to a full membership of the Society.

But there is more. This weekend Mr PS left for Rennes for the Degoux symposium. ‘I just have to be there!’, he says. ' But I will be back!'

We’re looking forward to his report.

Posted by MaCo

Letter from Vetter

Today an interesting reaction reached us from Mr Didier of Vetter.

The original French text you can read below, as a comment on the article ' Stamp of Jean-Bapstiste Degoux society.

We asked our ordinateur to make this quick translations into English.


The Jean-Baptiste Degoux Society however wants to accentuate that what follows is the point of view of Mr of Vetter and does not take any responsibility concerning the scientific value of his words.



Letter address to the Founders of l' association 'J'S b Degoux.'

Dear Sirs,

Big was my astonishment while finding your 'site' has' l' internet. I am delighted to note that the world n' did not again forget l' illustrious personality that was John Baptist Degoux. A big one thank-you for your initiative. There is nonetheless a thing that renders sad me. The character and the dominance ANGLOSAXONNE of your 'site' has me stupefait. How is this possible qu' one talks about mister Degoux uniquely in English. Can be you do not know it, but this charming personality was a big francophile one. C' true east qu' it spoke almost toujour a type d' Flemish idiome. But for the big occasions it liked s' to address to its admirers in French. A rather special French often enriched with Flemish words. C' almost certain east that l' expression: " Ah yes it is sure, potatoes and veirkensuure." comes from him. J's b Degoux was to trust d' to be a bilingual Belgian. It liked his king, his fatherland and his beer. Occasionellement it spoke some words in English, qu' it had learned by a Scottish marain. The expessions "sjite, jou bastarde and wattezefukkeizgoigueonne" only was emploied por to entertain the crowd that had come to see it. Here the alone truth. J's' hopes that you will take account of its historic facts in the future and that seen done dorenavant the all possible one to put in value the wonderful French language.

Your historic expert


Didier Of Vetter
(Svp. Of Vetter is pronounced as of vetteire.)


PS. The said person paul-henri Muylaert s' calls in reality Maurice Muylaert. I know it. It converts his name into paul-henri to do chic. This is a big comical one that claims to know a lot on J'S b Degoux, but that some done n' in not big connait thing. PPSS. Know you that the favorite music of J'S b Degoux was the French song. It is said qu' it sang very often

" comes poupoulleke
comes poupoulleke
vieeeeeeens
taratatatataa
taratataaaa "

Important document concerning ' Le Menhir Dumoulin '

The shipment note of le Menhir Dumoulin.

The Jean-Baptiste Degoux Society is in posession of the shipment note of the only object that the ' Frères Degoux Dolmens et Menhirs ' ever traded. That is: ' Le Menhir Dumoulin ' sold to the Dumoulin family.

Being a big family the Dumoulins got a reduction of 10%, what left the sum of 1,80 old Belgian Francs for them to pay. Unfortunately they never got even with the Degoux brothers, with the results we know now : a dramatic bankruptcy and one of the hardest episodes in the life of Jean-Baptiste Degoux.

The note we see above is signed by Degoux A. ( Aimé, the older brother ), who was responsible for the firms' administration, a task that did not take too much of his time and so left him enough space to visit the town's pubs, where he was well known for his late night interventions.

On the left we can see a rough drawing of the standing stone, most probably made by Jean-Baptiste Degoux himself, accompanied with detailed guide-lines of how to place the stone on its location and the precise measures of the object.

One thing is sure: the stone is still standing and the Jean-Baptiste Degoux Society will soon be proud to show to the public recent pictures as a prove of its existence.


posted by MaCo

Fréres Degoux Dolmens et Menhirs

Jean-Baptiste Degoux on the Koornmarkt, Town of Ghent.

A photograph showing Jean-Baptiste Degoux (on the left, trying to hide his face from the camera but identified by the shoes he wore in that time) dripping off from the Koornmarkt, centre of Gent.

Behind him we can see his furniture being sold public after a bankruptcy, which was one of the darkest facts in his life.
On the right hand side we can still notice his older brother Aimé Degoux just before he disappears from the picture and also from the life of Jean-Baptiste.
The brothers lived together for two years and in that time they founded the ' Frères Degoux Dolmens et Menhirs ' company, a commercial adventure that , unfortunately, did not result in a huge success.
Our Society has proof of the order of only one menhir on a scale of 1:10 ( that is still standing in a suburb of the town, Terre-Cochon ) by the Dumoulin family. The standing stone was never paid for.

But later on, after being experienced more on his journeys through Ireland, Scotland, Brittany and Wales, Jean-Baptiste Degoux moved to the south of Belgium and started the business again without his brother Aimé, this time with more success.


posted by MaCo

Interesting contribution from pending member

Today this sending reached us.

It is a somewhat blurry picture of an elderly man in a devout pose.
The person looks uncertain. In the background we can see a tropical plant.

Pending member of the Jean-Baptiste Degoux Society Mr JS claims the photograph to be an original portrait of Mr Degoux. Time and location is uncertain.

This interesting contribution will be further investigated. The results can be very important to the process of becoming a full member of our Sociëteit.

posted by MaCo

Call for information concerning Jean-Baptiste Degoux

Original official letterhead of the Sociëteit Jean-Baptiste Degoux Society.

Though the society was founded more than 150 years ago, the postal address is still the same.

The Jean-Baptiste Degoux Society will gladly accept all postal mail or objects concerning, one way or another, the person of Jean-Baptiste Degoux. All mail received on the address above will be published, investigated and discussed on this weblog.

Also, the Society is looking foreward to receive vintage postcards or letters signed by the person of Jean-Baptiste Degoux himself, sent from whatever place on earth.


posted by MaCo

Jean-Baptiste Degoux and Bryn-Celli-Ddu

Co-founder PS at Bryn-Celli-Ddu

A picture showing member and co-founder of the Jean-Baptiste Degoux society Mr PS during his investigations of the Bryn-Celli-Ddu burial chamber in Anglesey, Cymru.

Through intensive research PS had to come to the conclusion that Mr Degoux made a stop here on his way to Ireland, about 1900 (?).
Mr Degoux left us some albumine prints he took on the site, but the article he should have written on Bryn-Celli-Ddu was never found.

In the past PS was one of the most active members of the Sociëteit Jean-Baptiste Degoux, doing the bulk of prehistorical research.
But at the moment he is being stimulated to start the good work again.


posted by MaCo

Invitation to a pending member of the Sociëteit Jean-Baptiste Degoux

This letter was found in the envelope

The letter that was inside the envelope seems to be a writing to a pending member of the Jean-Baptiste Degoux Society. That person is invited for an interview in the near future. The language used is a rather square kind of Flemish Dutch. Unfortunately due to age, parts of the text are hard to read, especially the names. The year too is unclear, due to problems the writer seems to have had using the typewriter.
But in the letterhead we still can read the address of the society.

Also mark the use of the web-address in the letterhead, which was rather uncommon in those times.
In order to lower costs the Society ordered huge amounts of paper and therefor already asked to print the information that would only be useful from the the year 2005 on, when this site was made. So the paper can still be used today.


posted by MaCo

The envelope

The evelope in which the letter was found

This envelope with letter inside was found on the St- Jacobs flea market in the town of Ghent.
The postal stamp insinuates the letter was posted somewhere in the 19th century. The destination was the town of Ghent but age has made the address somehow unclear.

posted by MaCo

Stamp of Jean-Baptiste Degoux Society

Vintage stamp of ' Societeit Jean-Baptiste Degoux '. Approx. 1850 (?).


Please note the using of a zip-code, more than a century before its introduction in Belgium. This gives us an indication of how much the ' Sociëteit ' was ahead of time.

Also uncommon in the young Belgian state was the use of the English ' Belgium ' instead of ' België / Belgique '.


posted by MaCo

De sociëteit Jean-Baptiste Degoux

The ' Sociëteit Jean-Baptiste Degoux ' back round 1855.

Since Mr Degoux was not born yet, members spent their time waiting drinking home-brewn beer and gigging in local pubs in Eastern Flanders or even outdoors, after they were thrown out.

An outsider should realise that it was not clear yet whether Mr Degoux was ever to be born or not, so the date of his birth was an even bigger mystery in those times.

Anno 2005 the Society has been reduced to only two members. Only half of them is active, the other half is currently being stimulated.


posted by MaCo

Jean-Baptiste Degoux Society, pending members

Pending members of ' De Sociëteit Jean-Baptiste Degoux '.

Though not for everyone, for lots of village people it was a great honour to become a member the ' Sociëteit Jean-Baptiste Degoux '.

So, great efforts were spent, be it not always with the success that was hoped for.

Not everyone could be accepted as a member of the Society, so numerous groups of pending members appeared, like these ' De Jean Baptiste Degoux Toeterkens '.


posted by MaCo

Birth and death of Jean-Baptiste Degoux

We know that Jean-Baptiste Degoux was born in 1859. But it could have been another year too. Anyway, we can be pretty sure about his date of birth: that was May 12. Or it could be another day.

A day earlier. Or one day later. Or another day in may, or in another month.
Fact is that Jean-Baptiste Degoux was born in 1859, on May 12th.
Say, until today this is a fact.


On the other hand, the day of his death remains a mystery.

Mr Degoux in Swalem

Vintage photograph of Mr Degoux in the doorway of his farmhouse

It is said this photograph shows Jean-Baptiste Degoux in front of the farmhouse where he spent some years of his younger life.
If this is right, it should be dated around 1890. The region was the former ' Swalem ', Flanders, which has now disappeared, one way or another.

The name of the village is still unclear.

Mr Degoux seems to be working hard on a weather forecast, which was one of his minor qualities.



posted by MaCo