Gaspard Bureau (died 1469) was a French ballistics expert and inventor, as well as lord of Montfermeil, Nogent-sur-Marne, Villemomble and other places. He was a brother of the artillery commander

Jean Bureau Jean Bureau (c. 1390 – 1463) was a French artillery commander active primarily during the later years of the Hundred Years' War. Along with his brother, Gaspard, he is credited with making French artillery the most effective in the world.Jef ...

Life

Gaspard was the third son of Simon Bureau the Younger (''Le Jeune''), a merchant from Paris, and his wife Hélène. Jean and Gaspard joined Charles VII of France's army together in 1436. Gaspard was part of its financial administration as master of accounts, later becoming clerk of the artillery then temporary master of artillery in 1442. On 27 December 1444 he succeeded Pierre Bessonneau as grand-master of the king's artillery. He was ennobled by royal letters patent in October 1447. Gaspard and John developed France's field artillery, standardising its calibre and switching it from wrought iron to cast iron. This gave the French army a decisive advantage over the English and helped bring an end to the Hundred Years' War. Gaspard took part in the 1450 siege of Bayeux and the

battle of Castillon The Battle of Castillon between the forces of England and France took place on 17 July 1453 in Gascony near the town of Castillon-sur-Dordogne (later Castillon-la-Bataille). Historians regard this decisive French victory as marking the end o ...

in 1453. On 21 March 1445 he bought the lordship of Villemomble from

Francis I, Duke of Brittany Francis I (in Breton Fransez I, in French François I) (11 May 1414 – 17 July 1450), was Duke of Brittany, Count of Montfort and titular Earl of Richmond, from 29 August 1442 to his death. He was born in Vannes, the son of John V, Duke of ...

for 9,000

livres tournois The (; ; abbreviation: ₶.) was one of numerous currencies used in medieval France, and a unit of account (i.e., a monetary unit used in accounting) used in Early Modern France. The 1262 monetary reform established the as 20 , or 80.88 gr ...

. He was made marquis of Castillon then a knight in 1464. He finally became captain of Beauté, Le Louvre and Poissy between 1463 and 1465.

Marriage and issue

He first married around 1440, to Guarix Burelle, with whom he had no children. His second marriage was around 1450, to Richarde de Vérines, with whom he had three daughters: *Jeanne Bureau, married Jean de Marcirion, lord of La Tombe *Marguerite Bureau, married twice 1)Yves de Carnazet; 2) Charles de Buz. *Gérarde (alias Gasparde) Bureau, lady of Douy and of La Ramée, married twice 1) Robert de Châtillon, lord of Bry-sur-Marne; 2) Pierre de Meaux.

Sources

Genealogy of the Bureau family
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bureau, Gaspard 15th-century French inventors 1469 deaths People of the Hundred Years' War Artillery of France Year of birth unknown