''For the French musical theorist, see Johannes de Grocheio''
Jean de Grouchy (1354 – 4 November 1435) was a
Norman
Norman or Normans may refer to:
Ethnic and cultural identity
* The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries
** People or things connected with the Norm ...
knight, the
Sieur
Lord of the Manor is a title that, in Anglo-Saxon England, referred to the landholder of a rural estate. The lord enjoyed manorial rights (the rights to establish and occupy a residence, known as the manor house and demesne) as well as seig ...
de Montérolier from 1395. Known as "the bravest of the brave" and "Father of the Cauchois" (the people of the region of the Pays de Caux), he is remembered for fighting against the English in Normandy during 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 may have fought at the
Battle of Agincourt
The Battle of Agincourt ( ; french: Azincourt ) was an English victory in the Hundred Years' War. It took place on 25 October 1415 (Saint Crispin's Day) near Azincourt, in northern France. The unexpected English victory against the numerica ...
, and supported the Dauphin, later King
Charles VII of France
Charles VII (22 February 1403 – 22 July 1461), called the Victorious (french: le Victorieux) or the Well-Served (), was King of France from 1422 to his death in 1461.
In the midst of the Hundred Years' War, Charles VII inherited the throne of F ...
. As a result of their participation in the war against England, Jean and his brother Louis had their lands confiscated by King
Henry V of England
Henry V (16 September 1386 – 31 August 1422), also called Henry of Monmouth, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1413 until his death in 1422. Despite his relatively short reign, Henry's outstanding military successes in the ...
in 1419 and given to an Englishman.
Liberation of Harfleur
Harfleur had been occupied by the English since 1415, but by 1435 it was the last place they still held in Normandy. Having learned that a number of Harfleur residents were ready to support any attempt against the enemy, de Grouchy, along with the Cauchois leaders, Floquet, Carnier and Lahire, developed a plan together with 104 of the inhabitants of Harfleur. On the night of 3/4 November 1435, while John de Rieux diverted the enemy’s attention with 4,000 mounted troops, he approached the town with the Cauchois troops under his banner to enter at the appropriate time and take the city. A fire lit in the suburbs near the Porte d'
Eure
Eure () is a department in Normandy in Northwestern France, named after the river Eure. Its prefecture is Évreux. In 2019, Eure had a population of 599,507.sentries, seeing the high walls of the suburb in flames, gave warning and garrison troops rushed out to extinguish the fire. This was the moment de Grouchy and his men had waited for. They raced up the slope to the breach in the walls where the English had penetrated in 1415 and seized the town, ruthlessly killing their English enemies and anyone else who opposed them. Unfortunately, climbing up a slope at the age of 81 years, Grouchy was one of the 40 attackers that were killed in action. Ten years later, the English returned in Normandy and confiscated the property of the de Grouchy family.
Legacy
In 1875 a bronze statue of de Grouchy was erected at Harfleur. He is depicted in armour, with sword in hand.