French diplomat, spy and soldier (1728–1810) whose first 49 years were spent as a man, and whose last 33 years were spent as a woman. ALS in French, signed “Ch: D'Eon,” one page both sides, 7.25 x 9.25, April 19, 1799. Handwritten letter to her close friend, Colonel John Kemeys-Tynte, relating the Revolution to her financial struggles and disenfranchisement, writing to her friend that she is now a "Child of fortune, I give myself to it entirely since the death of Louis XV and XVI." Though D'Eon had initially shown some support for the Revolution, she denounced the execution of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette and turned away from the movement. D'Eon herself had personal relationships with both Louis XV and Louis XVI, the latter of whom had publicly recognized her as a woman in 1777.
D'Eon entreats Tynte to continue supporting her: "I hope that you will not abandon me in my time of need in the Revolution, which has also infantilized many others who did not deserve it any more than I did. To try to remedy my unfortunate situation, I would be beneficial for you and I to have a small meeting." Tynte had been generous with his fortune in the past, co-signing and ultimately paying for D'Eon's debts. In fine condition.
The Chevaliere did not take Tynte's generosity for granted; she attempted both to recoup her own loans in England and to extricate her inheritance from France to repay him but was unsuccessful. D'Eon would remain impoverished and reliant on her social connections in England for the rest of her life. This was a significant change from her younger years, during which she had enjoyed a flourishing political career and gained a reputation as a spendthrift, and her change of fortune frustrated her immensely as a risk taker who had until this point always been able to land on her feet.
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