Very interesting and looks fabulous on the photos.
Do you have experience with the same clone grafted to a different rootstock, or grown as own root? Would it repeat just as readily that way?

Thank you,
Peter

The story of the origins of ‘Maréchal Niel’ raises a number of questions in my mind, especially as there are discrepancies in the statements of M. Peujade in the Journal des Roses of June 1895. There is a need to check facts and research the original published information prior to 1865, from when on the rose was attributed to Pradel jeune.
Fact is that MN was introduced by Eugène Verdier in 1864. There is (yet) no record that Pradel introduced this rose into commerce in 1863 as claimed by Peujade. This is strange, as we have many records of New Rose introductions from French breeders in many magazines.
Pradel introduced a Maréchale Niel in 1861 (meaning Mrs Maréchal Niel), but this was a pink HP. This ties in with the story by G.T. in JdR June 1895 that Pradel went in 1862 to Toulouse to unsuccessfully present a rose bush to Mme Niel.
On May 22-26, 1861, M. Rupin, Directeur d’enregistrement (tax office) of Montauban, exhibited a collection of roses from Montauban at the Horticultural Exhibition of the town. The report says: This exceptional collection, which could not be part of the competition because the roses belonged to no one in particular, but to everyone, included two Roses which caught the attention of the jury by the beauty of their form and richness of their coloring; one yellow in tone resembled Chromatella, but its form was noticeably different, could not be definitively identified by the jury and has to remain until a further informed one [judges it], which will take place in another exhibition”. Why did this rose not belong to anyone in particular?
At the meeting of June 13, 1861 of the Société Impériale et Centrale d’Horticulture in Paris, a letter was presented by Léonce Bergis, Secretary of the Société d’Horticulture et d’Acclimatation de Tarn-et-Garonne (located in Montauban), with three seedlings by Pradel jeune, one of which was a yellow Tea. Unfortunately, the roses arrived too late for the meeting and could not be judged.
In a report of the Society in Toulouse on the 1862 horticultural exhibition in Montauban, it is reported that Pradel jeune again submitted three seedlings, one yellow tea named after Maréchal Niel, the honorary president of the society in Montauban. Strangely enough, the presentation of MN seems to have consisted of a bloom only, without foliage or canes. As a result, Pradel jeune received only a bronze medal. This is quite unusual, as breeders present whole plants of their new seedlings for judging. Why did Pradel not have a plant accessible? Was it because the only plant existing was in the garden of M. Chateau?
M. Peujade in 1895 states that M. Rupin saw the rose in the garden of M. Chateau in 1862 and asked permission from Pradel to propagate it. Pradel is said to have planted it the previous year (1861) in that garden. We know, however, that Rupin actually exhibited the rose already in May 1861 and that the origin was at the time unknown.
Eugène Verdier writes in 1882 to the Journal des Roses 1882 that he first saw MN in an exhibition in Montauban in 1858, that he then received four plants from Castel in 1861. These flowered in 1862 and 1863 (so were ready for distribution in 1864 after propagation). Verdier doesn’t mention Pradel, but that Castel was the exhibitor in Montauban. The timing of 2 years to prepare sufficient roses for introduction is realistic.
Some further facts: Both Pradel père et fils and Castel fils were horticulturists in Montauban in the late 1850s and 1860s. We have several mentions of both nurseries. There were indeed horticultural exhibitions in Montauban from 1858 onwards. In 1858 and 1862 Castel received awards for his roses in pots. No Pradel exhibits are mentioned in 1858 and 1862. In later years, Pradel never commented on MN, but Castel did. Pradel père et fils mainly bred Bourbons and Hybrid Perpetuals. Few of their cultivars have survived to date, not their 2 Noisettes from 1860/61, and only one Tea from 1874.
If MN was indeed a seedling of Pradel jeune, it was a freak success. But maybe it was an open pollinated seedling in a garden in Montauban. It seems to have been in several gardens already before the introduction by Verdier.
The full reports of the exhibitions in Montauban is probably in the “Annuaire de la Société d’horticulture et d’acclimatation de Tarn-et-Garonne” (1861-1869), which seem unfortunately not to be available digitally.