Stephen Peloquin (c.1665-1730)
c. 1703
Oil on Canvas
Artist Unknown
JJ.1982.90
Stephen Peloquin was originally from La Rochelle, France. In 1703, he married Augustus Jay’s sister, Francoise Jay, and together they had 5 children (including Marianne, whose portrait we also have). As a French Huguenot, he and his family fled to Bristol, England after the Edict of Nantes was revoked in 1685. The Peloquins were able to bring much of their portable wealth with them, including their precious metals, money and fine goods. They were able to set up a trading firm in England, which had previously been the family business back in France. This included Augustus Jay, John Jay’s grandfather, who had a trading partnership with the family’s trading firm. They traded goods in America, England and the Barbados; primarily, they traded tobacco as they had family members in Maryland.
Peter Jay, John Jay’s father, was sent to Bristol, England at the age of 18 to be educated by his aunt and uncle. It was there that he learned the family business and became a merchant, like his father.
Stephen Peloquin was one of the five wealthiest people in Bristol at the beginning of the 18th century. Upon his death in 1730, he left his fortune to his wife and children.
It is believed that Stephen had a birth defect that resulted in an undeveloped right eye. When the painting first came into the collection, it showed Stephen with two normal eyes. X-rays taken during conservation revealed that someone had painted over the original in order to give him the cover up his abnormal eye. Conservation returned the painting to its original condition, which can be seen today, which shows Stephen’s undeveloped eye.
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