Joseph Octave Delepierre

Joseph Octave Delepierre (12 March 1802 – 18 August 1879) was a Belgian lawyer, archivist, diplomat, writer and antiquary. He spent his later life in the United Kingdom, and is best known for his studies of macaronic language and literature.

Life He was born at Bruges in France (now in Belgium), 12 March 1802. His father was Joseph Delepierre, for many years receveur-général of the province of West Flanders; his mother was of the Penaranda family. Illiterate at age 12, he qualified for the University of Ghent. Having obtained the degree of doctor of laws, he became an avocat, and was appointed archivist of West Flanders, in Bruges.

A collector of books and works of art, Delepierre's reputation as a local antiquary attracted visitors from abroad. When Albert, Prince Consort was in Bruges in 1839, Delepierre was his guide. But he became dissatisfied with his official position, after an application for promotion was disregarded. He had made the acquaintance of Sylvain Van de Weyer, who induced him in 1843 to come to London, in August 1849 appointed him a secretary of legation, and obtained for him the post of Belgian consul. He made his way in society, and held Sunday evening receptions. the first volume, in 1863, of a collection (completed in 1876) of his friend Van de Weyer's writings. He also contributed to the Annales de la Société d'Emulation de Bruges (1839–43), Messager des Sciences Historiques (1833–79), Le Bibliophile Belge (1845–65), St. James's Magazine, and other journals. Analyse des Travaux de la Société des Philobiblon de Londres, London, 1862, (description of the first six volumes of the journal). Macaronéana andra, overum nouveaux mélanges de littérature macaronique, London, 1862 (250 copies reprinted from vol. vii. of the ‘Miscellanies’ of the Philobiblon Society; vol. ii. contains a paper by him on the same subject of which a few copies were reprinted in 1856). Les anciens peintres flamands, leur vie et leurs œuvres, par J. A. Crowe et G. B. Cavalcaselle, traduit de l'Anglais par O. D., annoté et augmenté par A. Pinchart et Ch. Ruelens, Brussels, 1862–5, 2 vols. Choix d'opuscules philosophiques, historiques, politiques et littéraires de Sylvain Van de Weyer, précédés d'avant-propos, sér. i.–iv., London, 1863–76, 4 vols. Machine intéressante à mouvement rotatoire, par M. Forsey, Lusarte, 1864, (facétie). Historical Doubts and contested Events, London, 1868, (reprinted from Miscellanies of the Philobiblon Society, the St. James's Magazine, etc., with bibliographical index). Revue analytique des ouvrages écrits en centon depuis les temps anciens jusqu' au XIXe siècle, London, 1868, (reprinted from vols. x. and xi. of the Philobiblon Society). La Parodie chez les Grecs, chez les Romains et chez les modernes, London, 1870, (from vol. xii. of the Philobiblon Society). Essai historique et bibliographique sur les Rébus, London, 1870 (with woodcuts of old French and Italian rebuses, and bibliography). Supercheries littéraires, pastiches, suppositions d'auteur, dans les lettres et dans les arts, London, 1872. A supplement to Joseph Marie Quérard's Supercheries Littéraires, but on a different plan. Tableau de la littérature du centon, chez les anciens et chez les modernes, London, 1874–5, 2 vols. (enlarged edition of the Revue analytique). L'Enfer, essai philosophique et historique sur les légendes de la vie future, London, 1876, (enlarged edition of L'Enfer décrit par ceux qui l'ont vu in Philobiblon Society, vols. viii. and ix., with bibliography; some copies have four photographs).

Family Delepierre was twice married, first to Emily, the sister of Robert Napier, 1st Baron Napier of Magdala, by whom he had two daughters. One of these died young, the other married Nicholas Trübner. His second wife, who survived him, was the widow of Captain Jasper Trowce.