Albéric Clément (c. 1165 – 3 July 1191) was the first

Marshal of France Marshal of France (french: Maréchal de France, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished ( ...

(''Marescallus Franciae''), a position created for him by

Philip Augustus Philip II (21 August 1165 – 14 July 1223), byname Philip Augustus (french: Philippe Auguste), was King of France from 1180 to 1223. His predecessors had been known as kings of the Franks, but from 1190 onward, Philip became the first French m ...

in 1185. He also inherited the ''seigneurie'' of Mez (later Mez-le-Maréchal) in

Gâtinais Gâtinais () or Gâtine () was a province of France, containing the area around the valley of the Loing, corresponding roughly to the northeastern part of the département of Loiret, and the south of the present department of Seine-et-Marne. Unde ...

after his father's death in 1182. Albéric was born sometime in the mid-1160s to Robert III Clément and Hersende de Mez, and thus came from a knightly family- the Cléments of Mez. He accompanied Philip on the

Third Crusade The Third Crusade (1189–1192) was an attempt by three European monarchs of Western Christianity ( Philip II of France, Richard I of England and Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor) to reconquer the Holy Land following the capture of Jerusalem by ...

as Marshal, and distinguished himself at the Siege of Acre in particular, frequently leading the advanced guard into battle. Albéric is said to have died on 3 July 1191, during an attempted breach of the city's walls, with accounts by those such as contemporary poet

Ambroise Ambroise, sometimes Ambroise of Normandy,This form appeared first in (flourished ) was a Norman poet and chronicler of the Third Crusade, author of a work called ', which describes in rhyming Old French verse the adventures of as a crusader. T ...

suggesting the Marshal led the charge himself and died on- or close to the Accursed Tower, after swearing that he would either die that day or enter

Acre The acre is a unit of land area used in the imperial and US customary systems. It is traditionally defined as the area of one chain by one furlong (66 by 660 feet), which is exactly equal to 10 square chains, of a square mile, 4,840 square ...

. Some accounts describe Albéric charging the walls with Philip's standard in hand and a number of men with him, attempting to scale the walls with a ladder, being pulled up with a grappling hook by the

Saracen upright 1.5, Late 15th-century German woodcut depicting Saracens Saracen ( ) was a term used in the early centuries, both in Greek and Latin writings, to refer to the people who lived in and near what was designated by the Romans as Arabia ...

defenders and isolated from his men by rocks thrown onto the climbing assault party. Other accounts describe the ladder breaking under the weight of the Marshal's followers, leaving him alone on the wall. Accounts also go on to describe a defending soldier parading the walls wearing Albéric's armour after his death, stopping only when

Richard I of England Richard I (8 September 1157 – 6 April 1199) was King of England from 1189 until his death in 1199. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Aquitaine and Duchy of Gascony, Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, and Count of Poitiers, Co ...

shot the man down. Albéric had two siblings, one of whom- Henry I Clément- would go on to become Marshal of France himself.

Duties as Marshal of France

The title of Marshal of France as awarded to Albéric Clément and his successors did not involve command responsibilities of large armies- Albéric held no official command even at Acre. While military in nature, the position was more concerned with management of the king's horses and stables. It was not until the 15th century that the position would move away from managing stables to one with battlefield authority second only to the French sovereign.

Gallery

Image:Blason fam fr Clément.svg, Image:Acre1291 made by samsam.JPG, Image:Siège de Ptolémaïs (1191).jpg,

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Clement, Alberic 1160s births 1191 deaths 12th-century French people Marshals of France Christians of the Third Crusade