Jean de Montagu or Jean de Montaigu (c.1349/50, Paris – Paris, 17 October 1409), was a royal secretary and pupil to
Charles V Charles V may refer to:
* Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558)
* Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain
* Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise
* Charles V, Duke of Lorraine (1643–1690)
* Infan ...
, and subsequently an administrator and advisor to
Charles VI of France
Charles VI (3 December 136821 October 1422), nicknamed the Beloved (french: le Bien-Aimé) and later the Mad (french: le Fol or ''le Fou''), was King of France from 1380 until his death in 1422. He is known for his mental illness and psychotic ...
, who became a leading figure in France during the early 15th Century.
Biography
Jean was born in 1349/50, and was the son of Gerard de Montaigu and
Biette de Cassinel, called ''la belle Italienne'' ("the beautiful Italian woman"). She was the daughter of François Cassinel (died 1360), a
sergeant
Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...
in the Royal Army, and great-granddaughter of Bettino Cassinelli, who had immigrated from Italy to Paris. It was said that Jean was the illegitimate son of
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 ...
, but Lucien Merlet writes that Charles was 12 or 13 at the time of Jean's birth. Jean de Montagu had two brothers: Gérard de Montagu the Younger (died 1420), who was
bishop of Poitiers
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Poitiers (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Pictaviensis''; French: ''Archidiocèse de Poitiers'') is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church in France. The archepiscopal see is in the city of Poitiers. Th ...
and
bishop of Paris
The Archdiocese of Paris (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Parisiensis''; French: ''Archidiocèse de Paris'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France. It is one of twenty-three archdioceses in France ...
; and Jean de Montagu (killed 25 October 1415 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 ...
), who was
bishop of Chartres
The oldest known list of bishops of Chartres is found in an 11th-century manuscript of Trinity Abbey, Vendôme. It includes 57 names from Adventus (Saint Aventin) to Aguiertus (Agobert) who died in 1060. The most well-known list is included in the ...
, and
archbishop of Sens
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sens and Auxerre (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Senonensis et Antissiodorensis''; French: ''Archidiocèse de Sens et Auxerre'') is a Latin Rite Archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church in France. The Archdiocese compr ...
.
Jean made a career at the
royal court
A royal court, often called simply a court when the royal context is clear, is an extended royal household in a monarchy, including all those who regularly attend on a monarch, or another central figure. Hence, the word "court" may also be appl ...
of
Charles VI of France
Charles VI (3 December 136821 October 1422), nicknamed the Beloved (french: le Bien-Aimé) and later the Mad (french: le Fol or ''le Fou''), was King of France from 1380 until his death in 1422. He is known for his mental illness and psychotic ...
, rising to become Grand Treasurer and
Grand Master of France
The Grand Master of France (french: Grand Maître de France) was, during the and Bourbon Restoration in France, one of the Great Officers of the Crown of France and head of the "", the king's royal household. The position is similar to that of ...
. Through the income derived from his various offices granted to him through the favor of the king, he acquired an immense fortune, and in 1389, Jean bought the lands of Boissy-sous-Saint-Yon and Égly for twelve hundred pounds., and subsequently inherited and acquired several more estates, including the valuable
Château de Montagu.
Being the leading figure of the royal government during the period following the assassination of
Louis Louis may refer to:
* Louis (coin)
* Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name
* Louis (surname)
* Louis (singer), Serbian singer
* HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy
See also
Derived or associated terms
* Lewis ( ...
, the
Duke of Orléans
Duke of Orléans (french: Duc d'Orléans) was a French royal title usually granted by the King of France to one of his close relatives (usually a younger brother or son), or otherwise inherited through the male line. First created in 1344 by King ...
, in the ongoing
Armagnac-Burgundian Civil War, he developed a very bitter rivalry with the
Duke of Burgundy
Duke of Burgundy (french: duc de Bourgogne) was a title used by the rulers of the Duchy of Burgundy, from its establishment in 843 to its annexation by France in 1477, and later by Holy Roman Emperors and Kings of Spain from the House of Habsburg ...
,
John the Fearless
John I (french: Jean sans Peur; nl, Jan zonder Vrees; 28 May 137110 September 1419) was a scion of the French royal family who ruled the Burgundian State from 1404 until his death in 1419. He played a key role in French national affairs during ...
, who sought to hold the Regency (and the income of the
Royal Household) in place of the mentally incapable King
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 ...
, as his
father
A father is the male parent of a child. Besides the paternal bonds of a father to his children, the father may have a parental, legal, and social relationship with the child that carries with it certain rights and obligations. An adoptive fathe ...
had done.
In 1409, John the Fearless had him arrested with the help of the
Provost of Paris
The Mayor of Paris (french: Maire de Paris) is the chief executive of Paris, the capital and largest city in France. The officeholder is responsible for the administration and management of the city, submits proposals and recommendations to the C ...
during one of King Charles' mad spells. The
Queen
Queen or QUEEN may refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom
** List of queens regnant
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
and the
Duke of Berry
Duke of Berry (french: Duc de Berry) or Duchess of Berry (french: Duchesse de Berry) was a title in the Peerage of France. The Duchy of Berry, centred on Bourges, was originally created as an appanage for junior members of the French royal family ...
, among several others, pleaded for his release to no avail.
After an expedited
summary trial Summary, in law, forms many compounds as an adjective meaning "short, concise":
*Summary abatement, the abatement of a nuisance without judicial proceeding, even without notice or hearing, often by a destruction of the offending thing or structure. ...
where he unsuccessfully appealed to the then Burgundian-controlled Parliament a forced confession of treason and other charges upon being subjected to torture, Montagu was
behead
Decapitation or beheading is the total separation of the head from the body. Such an injury is invariably fatal to humans and most other animals, since it deprives the brain of oxygenated blood, while all other organs are deprived of the i ...
ed on 17 October 1409 in front of a large crowd in Paris, at the
Gibbet of Montfaucon
The Gibbet of Montfaucon (french: Gibet de Montfaucon) was the main gallows and gibbet of the Kings of France until the time of Louis XIII of France. It was used to execute criminals, often traitors, by hanging and to display their dead bodies as ...
.
Jean's name was rehabilitated several years later, obtained by his son Charles, and his remains were interred in a lavishly built tomb at the Monastery of the Celestines of
Marcoussis
Marcoussis () is a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.
Marcoussis is the location of the CNR (National Centre of Rugby) where the French national rugby union team prepare for international ...
, which Jean de Montagu had greatly expanded between 1402 and 1408.
Children
Jean married Jacqueline de La Grange, c. 1380, daughter of Étienne de La Grange, President of the
Parliament of Paris
The Parliament of Paris (french: Parlement de Paris) was the oldest ''parlement'' in the Kingdom of France, formed in the 14th century. It was fixed in Paris by Philip IV of France in 1302. The Parliament of Paris would hold sessions inside the ...
, and Marie Dubois. They had:
* Charles (killed 25 October 1415, 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 ...
), married Jeanne d'Albret, daughter of
Charles I d'Albret
Charles I d'Albret (December 1368 – 25 October 1415) was the Lord of Albret and the Constable of France from 1402 until 1411, and again from 1413 until 1415. He was also the co-commander of the French army at the Battle of Agincourt where he ...
,
Constable of France
The Constable of France (french: Connétable de France, from Latin for 'count of the stables') was lieutenant to the King of France, the first of the original five Great Officers of the Crown (along with seneschal, chamberlain, butler, and ...
.
* Bonne-Elisabeth, married John VI,
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 ...
(also killed 25 October 1415, at the Battle of Agincourt) and had issue, later married Pierre de Bourbon-Préaux.
* Jacqueline, married firstly John of Craon, Viscount of
Châteaudun
Châteaudun () is a commune in the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. It was the site of the Battle of Châteaudun during the Franco-Prussian War.
Geography
Châteaudun is located about 45& ...
, then John Malet de Graville and had issue.
* Joan (died September 1420, Valère-en-Touraine), married to Jacques II de Bourbon-Préaulx (1391 – 19 October 1429,
Piacenza
Piacenza (; egl, label= Piacentino, Piaṡëinsa ; ) is a city and in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy, and the capital of the eponymous province. As of 2022, Piacenza is the ninth largest city in the region by population, with over ...
), brother of the above.
See also
* The
marmousets
The marmousets (referred to as ''les petites gens'') is a nickname, first recorded in the chronicles of Jean Froissart, for a group of counselors to Charles VI of France. Although they were neither princes nor civil servants, they were very clos ...
, a group of counsellors to Charles VI
Notes
References
Sources
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Montagu, Jean de
1363 births
1409 deaths
15th-century executions by France
French people of Italian descent
House of Valois
Illegitimate children of French monarchs
Executed French people
People executed by France by decapitation
Sons of kings