![Xaintrailles and La Hire2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/Xaintrailles_and_La_Hire2.jpg)
Jean Poton de Xaintrailles (, 1390? – 7 October 1461), a minor noble of
Gascon origin, was one of the chief lieutenants of
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 coronati ...
. He served as master of the royal stables, as royal
bailiff
A bailiff (from Middle English baillif, Old French ''baillis'', ''bail'' "custody") is a manager, overseer or custodian – a legal officer to whom some degree of authority or jurisdiction is given. Bailiffs are of various kinds and their offi ...
in
Berry
A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit, although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples are strawberries, raspb ...
and as
seneschal
The word ''seneschal'' () can have several different meanings, all of which reflect certain types of supervising or administering in a historic context. Most commonly, a seneschal was a senior position filled by a court appointment within a royal, ...
of
Limousin
Limousin (; oc, Lemosin ) is a former administrative region of southwest-central France. On 1 January 2016, it became part of the new administrative region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It comprised three departments: Corrèze, Creuse, and Haute-Vienn ...
. In 1454 he was appointed a
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 (1 ...
. Jean Poton was a leading figure on the French side in 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 ...
.
![Monvoisin - Jean Poton de Xaintrailles (1390-1461) - MV 964](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/53/Monvoisin_-_Jean_Poton_de_Xaintrailles_%281390-1461%29_-_MV_964.jpg)
He fought at the
battle of Verneuil
The Battle of Verneuil was a battle of the Hundred Years' War, fought on 17 August 1424 near Verneuil-sur-Avre in Normandy between an English army and a combined Franco- Scottish force, augmented by Milanese heavy cavalry. The battle was a sig ...
in 1424. His participation, along with Joan of Arc, in the battle at Orléans in 1429 led to the end of 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 and ...
.
He was badly wounded during this battle. He was captured by the Earl of Warwick in a skirmish at Savignies near Beauvais in 1431. In 1433 he was exchanged for
John Talbot.
[A.J. Pollard, John Talbot and the War in France, 1427-1453 (1983, reprint 2005), p. 18] Jean Poton fought numerous battles alongside Joan of Arc during the Loire Campaign. He remained a lifelong support for Joan of Arc. With
La Hire
Étienne de Vignolles, Sieur de Montmorillon, Chatelain de Longueville (), also known as La Hire (; 1390 – 11 January 1443), was a French military commander during the Hundred Years' War.
Nickname
One explanation for his nickname of La ...
, he even tried, albeit in vain, to rescue Joan after she was captured. Believing Joan was being held captive in
Compiègne
Compiègne (; pcd, Compiène) is a commune in the Oise department in northern France. It is located on the river Oise. Its inhabitants are called ''Compiégnois''.
Administration
Compiègne is the seat of two cantons:
* Compiègne-1 (with 19 c ...
, Jean Poton captured it, only to learn that the prisoner had already been moved to
Rouen
Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine in northern France. It is the prefecture of the Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one of ...
.
He served with Joan of Arc at the Siege of Orléans, and the battles of
Jargeau
Jargeau () is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France.
It lies about south of Paris.
Geography
The town is located in the French natural region of the Loire Valley, the former province of Orleans and the urban area of Orlea ...
,
Meung-sur-Loire
Meung-sur-Loire () is a commune in the Loiret department, north-central France.
It was the site of the Battle of Meung-sur-Loire in 1429.
Geography
Meung-sur-Loire lies 15 km to the west of Orléans on the north bank of the river Loire at ...
,
Beaugency and
Patay. He raised the
siege of Compiègne
The siege of Compiègne (1430) was conducted by Duke Philip III of Burgundy after the town of Compiègne had refused to transfer allegiance to him under the terms of a treaty with Charles VII. The siege is perhaps best known for Joan of Arc's ca ...
.
In the latter phase 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 ...
he was active in the reconquest of
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 ...
and the conquest of
Guyenne
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 ...
, often with Étienne de Vignolles, better known as
La Hire
Étienne de Vignolles, Sieur de Montmorillon, Chatelain de Longueville (), also known as La Hire (; 1390 – 11 January 1443), was a French military commander during the Hundred Years' War.
Nickname
One explanation for his nickname of La ...
, including the action at
Gerbevoy. When the standing army was created in 1445, Xaintrailles was appointed to command one of the twelve companies of the new army.
He died in
Bordeaux
Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefectur ...
without heirs and left his estate to the church.
Popular culture
Xaintrailles is a minor figure in the "Catherine" novels of
Juliette Benzoni
Juliette Benzoni (30 October 1920 – 7 February 2016) was a French author and international bestseller in several genres, including historical romance, historical fiction, mystery and screenwriting. In 1998, at the age of 78, she received th ...
.
See also
*
Military history of France
The military history of France encompasses an immense panorama of conflicts and struggles extending for more than 2,000 years across areas including modern France, Europe, and a variety of regions throughout the world.
According to historian ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Xaintrailles, Poton De
Marshals of France
People of the Hundred Years' War
Noblemen of France
1390 births
1461 deaths
French prisoners of war in the Hundred Years' War
15th-century military history of France