Jean de Brosse

Origins limousines

The Viscounts of Brush come from Géraud, Viscount of Limoges (v.900-v.986) (Liste of the Viscounts of Limoges), which had a many descent: GUI, Viscount of Limoges after his father; Aimeri " Ostefranc" (at the origin of the branch of the Viscounts of Rochechouart), and Géraud, lord of Nickle silver (at the origin of the branch of the Viscounts of Brush); among their other brothers and sisters, one will quote Hildegaire and Alduin, which followed one another the head of évêché of Limoges, Geoffroy, abbot of Saint-Martial, and finally Adalmodis, who was to marry Aldebert, count of Walk, then Guillaume, duke of Aquitaine.

The ruins of the feudal castle of the Brush (private property) are always visible not far from Saint-Benoit-of-Sault the, where a priory of the abbey of the Saint-Benoit-on-Loire placed under the supervision of these Viscounts was established. In 1313, the title of Viscount of Brush passes in the family of Chauvigny following the marriage of the only daughter of Hugues II, last Viscount of the name, with André II of Chauvigny.

In second half of XIIIe century, two brothers resulting from the branch junior by the Brush, Hugues and Roger, are combined with two girls Ebbs of Déols, powerful count of Chateauroux, which brings to them in dowry the seigniories berrichones of Holy-Severe Boussac, and Huriel. If one believes of it the genealogist berrichon Thaumas of Thaumassière, the seigniory of Boussac is then set up as a Viscount. Pierre I of Brush (death in 1305), wire of Hugues, heir to his Roger brother, is described as Viscount of Boussac and Huriel.

Louis I, wire of Pierre I of Brush, will find death at the time of the battle of Poitiers (1356). Its two sons will succeed to him, initially Louis II (death in 1398), then Pierre II of Brush (death in 1422), husband of Marguerite de Malval, union from where is resulting Jean de Brosse.

The " marshal of Boussac"

Jean I of Brush (1375 - 1433), that the chroniclers of time will call " the marshal of Boussac" (sometimes " the marshal of Holy-Sévère") of the court of the king Charles VII becomes familiar. Its rise at the court was probably facilitated by its cousinage with the family of Culant, then by its late union (as 1419, it is undoubtedly acted of a second marriage) with Jeanne de Naillac, girl of the Viscount of Bridiers, niece of Philibert de Naillac large Master of Hospital of Rhodos of 1396 with 1421.

One finds for the first time mention of Jean de Brosse in the chronicles at the date of the March 31st 1423, when it fights with the head of one hundred men-at-arms under the orders of the count de Sancerre. It passes then to the service of Arthur of Brittany, constable of Richemont (1395 - 1458). In reward of good and faithful services of Jean de Brosse, the king the pupil with the dignity of Marshal of France the July 14th 1426.

Charles VII is then in prey with all the doubts; the Favori S follow one another and exert on him an influence that powerful Richemont judges sometimes harmful with the interests of the kingdom. Thus one supposes - the doubt remains - that Jean de Brosse, on order of Richemont, was in 1427 the instigator, if not the author of the arrest then of the execution of Camus de Beaulieu, deposed of the favor of the constable. This crime remained unpunished.

In 1428, Jean de Brosse rebels against the royal authority with the count de Clermont and the count de Perdriac; they are locked up in the castle of Bourges, but return soon to better feelings. The king, who needs valiant captains, grants his forgiveness to them. February 12th, 1428, Jean de Brosse takes part in the " battles of the Herrings " , in the area of Pithiviers. English, under the orders of the count John Falstof, governor of Maine and Anjou (the " Falstaff " of Shakespeare), the French push back. The beautiful brother of Jean de Brosse, Jean de Naillac, is killed at the time of the combat. The English hold Beaugency, besiege Orleans, and prepare to enter to shift to the south of the Loire. The situation is not far from being desperate for Charles VII, the " small king de Bourges".

The " miracle" occurs then: Jeanne d' Arc reassures the king on his alleged " bâtardise" ; she convinces it to let it go to the help of Orleans. The king agrees to it. Jean de Brosse and Louis de Culant (his cousin, future admiral de France) are designated to escort Jeanne d' Arc with the head of a troop which joined large force royal. The charisma of Jeanne makes the remainder: May 8th, the English raise the seat.

Jean de Brosse takes part then in the engagements for the release of Jargeau, Meung, Beaugency and with the victory of Patay (June 18th, 1429).

When Charles VII is crowned in Rheims, on July 17th, 1429, the " marshal of Boussac" is one of the three lords, with Louis de Culant and Gilles de Rais (this last fact Marshal of France the morning even), which has the honor to carry, since the basilica Saint-Remi to the cathedral, the Sainte Bulb, containing the chrism intended for " oindre" the king.

With the beginning of the year following, Charles VII names Jean de Brosse " general lieutenant for the north of Seine". Undecided combat oppose it to Anglo-Burgundian until in 1432, date on which it misses little removing Rouen, its captains disputing the privilege of the spoils before the catch of the city is final and finally refusing to go, whereas the way was free…

Jean de Brosse dies of disease in 1433. Contrary to his parents, it had not wished to be buried with Huriel, but in the Abbaye of Prébenoît (current commune of Bétête, Creuse). It was buried there at the side of its ancestors Roger de Brosse and Marguerite of Déols, which had largely equipped the abbey.

The maintenance costs of the troops raised by Jean de Brosse had alas obéré its finances at the point to ruin it, the more so as in 1427 it had freed from taxes the fifty middle-class men of Boussac (with the help of however the payment of thousand ecus gold…) Its debts were considerable and its creditors threatened to make it excommunicate the marshal, which would have had as a consequence the exhumation of its skin of the " ground chrétienne" of Prébenoît to make it throw in a ground " not sanctifiée" (such was then the sanction for the late ones died without to have paid their debts). The king wanted to remember the good services of the marshal well. He gave the authorization raising an exceptional tax (!) in the seigniories of Boussac, Huriel and Holy-Severe, which made it possible the skin of Jean de Brosse to remain in the abbey one of Prébenoît…

Jean de Brosse enjoyed a great fame. The famous Rodrigue de Villandrando, chief of the Grandes companies had been committed not making the war with king de France, with the Count de Clermont, the Vicomte of Turenne and " Monseigneur the marshal of Holy-Sévère" " that it would help against all and all, except against Roi".

The succession of Jean de Brosse appeared particularly complex. It was regulated only at the conclusion of dark arguments, lawsuit, and even of an armed conflict between Marguerite of Malval, large mother of the four children of Jean de Brosse, and Louis de Culant, their appointed tutor, who ends up having win against the Marguerite stubborn person. The oldest son, Jean II (future chamberlain of the king in 1449), married, in accordance with the wish of his father and with that of Louis de Culant, Nicole of Blois, which brought to him later on, by heritage, the Comté of Penthièvre in Brittany.

Summary bibliography

Emile Chénon, History of Holy-Severe in Berry , Paris, Larose, 1888
Eugene Hubert, Cartulaire of the lords of Chateauroux (919-1789) , Chateauroux, Badel, 1931
Henri de Lavilatte, Drafts of Boussac , Paris, Emile Paul, 1907
Marc Michon, " Jean de Brosse, marshal of Boussac" , Mém. Plowshare Digs, (series of articles: volume XXXI, 1950-51, volume XXXII, 1954-56). Very disappointing, but a published biography of J. of B. inspired much a few years ago.
Gaspard Thaumas of Thaumassière, History of Berry , Bourges, 1689 (Laffite reprints, 1976)
chronicles of time (Monstrellet in particular), and Jules Quicherat, Lawsuit of judgment and rehabilitation of Jeanne d' Arc , Paris, Renouard, 1841-1849.

External bond

Jean de Brosse, Lord of Boussac, Huriel and Severe Sainte
Saint-Benoit-of-Sault the
Abbey of Prébenoît
Malval
Huriel

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