Jean d'Orléans, Count of Dunois (23 November 1402 – 24 November 1468), known as the "Bastard of Orléans" (french: bâtard d'Orléans) or simply Jean de Dunois, was a French military leader during the

Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England and Kingdom of France, France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French Crown, ...

who participated in military campaigns with

Joan of Arc Joan of Arc (french: link=yes, Jeanne d'Arc, translit= �an daʁk} ; 1412 – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the coronat ...

. His nickname, the "Bastard of Orléans", was a mark of his high status, since it acknowledged him as a first cousin to the king and acting head of a

cadet branch In history and heraldry, a cadet branch consists of the male-line descendants of a monarch's or patriarch's younger sons ( cadets). In the ruling dynasties and noble families of much of Europe and Asia, the family's major assets— realm, title ...

of the royal family during his half-brother's captivity. In 1439 he received the

county of Dunois The County of Dunois comprised the old ''pagus Dunensis'', the area surrounding Châteaudun in central France. A county had taken form around Châteaudun (''Castrum Dunense'') in the tenth century. It passed to the counts of Blois, who appointe ...

from his half-brother Charles, Duke of Orléans, and later king Charles VII made him count of Longueville.

Life

Jean was the illegitimate son of

Louis I, Duke of Orléans Louis I of Orléans (13 March 1372 – 23 November 1407) was Duke of Orléans from 1392 to his death. He was also Duke of Touraine (1386–1392), Count of Valois (1386?–1406) Blois (1397–1407), Angoulême (1404–1407 ...

– son of King

Charles V of France Charles V (21 January 1338 – 16 September 1380), called the Wise (french: le Sage; la, Sapiens), was King of France from 1364 to his death in 1380. His reign marked an early high point for France during the Hundred Years' War, with his armi ...

– and his mistress

Mariette d'Enghien Mariette d'Enghien, née ''Yolande d'Enghien'' (floruit, fl. 1402), was a French noble, mistress of the French prince Louis I, Duke of Orléans, Louis d'Orleans, brother of Charles VI of France, King Charles VI. Life Mariette (born Yolande) d'En ...

. In 1407, Jean's father, Louis I, Duke of Orléans was assassinated. Eight years later, his half-brother, Charles, Duke of Orléans was captured at the Battle of Agincourt and remained a prisoner of the English for twenty-five years. This left Jean the only adult male to represent the house of Orléans. He was Knight of the

Order of the Porcupine The Order of the Porcupine ( French: ''Ordre du Porc-Épic'', ''Ordre du Camail'') was established by Louis de France, Duke of Orléans, in 1394, at the occasion of his elder son Charles of Orléans' baptism. Award and history Louis I, Duke ...

. Jean joined the civil war in France in the time of Charles VI on the side of the

Armagnacs The Armagnac faction was prominent in French politics and warfare during the Hundred Years' War. It was allied with the supporters of Charles, Duke of Orléans against John the Fearless after Charles' father Louis of Orléans was killed on a ...

, and was captured by the Burgundians in 1418. Released in 1420, he entered the service of the Dauphin

Charles Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*k ...

, fighting in the

against English forces. In 1427, Jean, along with Arthur of Richemont and Etienne of Vignolles forced the

Earl of Warwick Earl of Warwick is one of the most prestigious titles in the peerages of the United Kingdom. The title has been created four times in English history, and the name refers to Warwick Castle and the town of Warwick. Overview The first creation ...

to raise his

siege of Montargis The siege of Montargis (15 July – 5 September 1427) took place during the Hundred Years War. A French relief army under Jean de Dunois routed an English force led by the Earl of Warwick. Prelude In June 1427, John of Lancaster, Duke of Bedford ...

. He was wounded, the next year, at the

battle of Rouvray The Battle of the Herrings, also called the Battle of Rouvray, was a military action near the town of Rouvray in France, just north of Orléans, which took place on 12 February 1429, during the siege of Orléans in the Hundred Years' War. T ...

. Jean led the French defenses at the

siege of Orléans The siege of Orléans (12 October 1428 – 8 May 1429) was the watershed of the Hundred Years' War between France and England. The siege took place at the pinnacle of English power during the later stages of the war. The city held strategic an ...

, and together with

relieved the siege. He joined her on the campaigns of 1429 and remained active after her death. Jean took part in the coronation of Charles VII and in 1436 aided in the recapture of

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, and in 1439 he was created

Count of Dunois The County of Dunois comprised the old ''pagus Dunensis'', the area surrounding Châteaudun in central France. A county had taken form around Châteaudun (''Castrum Dunense'') in the tenth century. It passed to the counts of Blois, who appointe ...

. He was prominent in the conquest of

Guienne Guyenne or Guienne (, ; oc, Guiana ) was an old French province which corresponded roughly to the Roman province of '' Aquitania Secunda'' and the archdiocese of Bordeaux. The name "Guyenne" comes from ''Aguyenne'', a popular transformation o ...

and

Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...

in the final years of the

Hundred Years War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of England and France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French throne between the English House of Plantagen ...

. Jean participated in the

Praguerie The Praguerie was a revolt of the French nobility against King Charles VII from February to July 1440. It was so named because a similar rising had recently taken place in Prague, Bohemia, at that time closely associated with France through the ...

against Charles VII and was a leader of the

League of the Public Weal The War of the Public Weal (French: ''La guerre du Bien public'') was a conflict between the king of France and an alliance of feudal nobles, organized in 1465 in defiance of the centralized authority of King Louis XI of France. It was masterminded ...

against King

Louis XI Louis XI (3 July 1423 – 30 August 1483), called "Louis the Prudent" (french: le Prudent), was King of France from 1461 to 1483. He succeeded his father, Charles VII. Louis entered into open rebellion against his father in a short-lived revol ...

in 1465, but each time he regained favor at court.

Marriages and progeny

He married Marie Louvet (d. 1426) in April 1422 at Bourges, by whom he had no children. He married a second time to Marie of Harcourt (d. 1464), Lady of Parthenay 26 October 1439 and had four children: *Jean (1443-1453) * François Ι d'Orléans-Longueville (1447–1491), Count of Dunois, Tancarville, Longueville, and Montgomery, married 2 July 1466 to Agnès of Savoy (1445–1508) **

Louis I d'Orléans, duc de Longueville Louis I d'Orléans, Duke of Longueville (1480 – Beaugency, 1 August 1516), was a French aristocrat and general, Grand Chamberlain of France and governor of Provence. Louis was the second son of François I, Duke of Longueville, and Agnes of Savo ...

*Marie (1440-?), married 1466 to Louis de la Haye, Lord of Passavant and Mortagne. * Catherine d'Orléans (1449–1501), married 14 May 1468 to Johann VII of Saarbrücken-Commercy (1430–1492),

Count of Roucy This article is a list of the counts of Roucy. In medieval France, Roucy was a county held by a succession of noble families. By the Late Middle Ages, it was one of seven titles that was made a peer within the provincial peerage of the greater Co ...

Titles

* Lord of Valbonais (1421–1468) *

Count of Mortain The County of Mortain was a medieval county in France centered on the town of Mortain. A choice landholding, usually either kept within the family of the duke of Normandy (or the king of France) or granted to a noble in return for service and fa ...

(1424–1425) * Viscount of Saint-Sauveur *

Count of Périgord Count of Périgord ( Fr.: ''comte de Périgord'') is a noble title in the peerage of France. Originally known as "The sovereign house of the Counts of Périgord, princes by the grace of God" The first recorded sovereign Count was Emenon, who was ...

(1430–1439) *

(1439–1468) * Count of Longueville (1443–1468)

References

Sources

* * * * * *

Life

Marriages and progeny

Titles

References

Sources

Further reading