Dussek, Jan Ladislav

Submitted by edpope on

see Poland Street 19 to 44 in London Addresses dataset

World 23.4.1792 tickets for Mr Dusseck's night from him at 30 Poland St / Jan Dussek DNB 1760-1812 pianist & composer. He had been in England since 1789 and married in August 1792 so probably moved from Poland St then. His landlady in Poland St was presumably Mary Wood (see my entry Wood, John & Mary)

Amendments to Oxford DNB (Sophia Justina Dussek 1775-1847)

Baptised St James 1.4.1803 Olivia Justinia born 20.9.1800 and Lucy Georgiana born 21.2.1803, both of John Louis and Sophia Justinia Dussek. In Highfill Burnim & Langhans it is suggested that Dussek's wife was unfaithful to him. This idea may have been based partly on the birth dates of her daughters and the fact that there is no evidence of Dussek's return to England after he fled to Hamburg from his creditors before 16.5.1800. His father in law and partner Domenico Corri went bankrupt May 1800 and got his certificate by November 1800, their colleague Lorenzo da Ponte went bankrupt Feb 1800 and got his certificate by May 1800. There is clear evidence from Dussek's letters that he intended to return to England (or pretended so) towards November 1800, and again in the spring of 1802. He was in Hamburg on 2.2.1802 and 5.5.1802 but if he had been in England in late April he may have fathered his daughter Lucy then, if she was born late. And see his letter to his wife of 1804 where he stated his intention to return to England because there could be a charge of outlawry against him. All the letters are transcribed and translated in Howard Allen Craw's Ph D thesis 1964 (Bodleian Mus F Dus 2). Of course the baptism record could have been knowingly false on his wife's part but I think it more probable that Dussek did return to England