Archives Nationales de France series JJ 105 folio 282v number 559 (Himanis p. 567)
Charles et cetera We make known to all present and to come. To us has been explained on the part of Robert Brousset called Marquettes that Jehan Brousset, brother of the said exposant had formerly obtained from our very dear Seigneur and Father of whom God has the soul letters of which the tenor was as follows: Charles etc. We make known to all present and to come it has been humbly explained on the part of the close friends and family of Jehan Brousset called Marquettes that as Jehan des Planques, who was a married man, had many times requested and continually pursued for a long time trying to violate in her body by carnality a good, young, virtuous married woman named Marguerite, wife of Pierre le Fevre living in Hagicourt in the Prevôt of Montdidier where the said Jehan des Planques lived, and he the said Jehan des Planques so surveilled and spied on the said Marguerite who was not given a guard that he found the said Marguerite in a vineyard of the said Marguerite and there he assailled her and beat her to the ground against her will and desire and wanted to be with her carnally by force. And when he had beaten her because she wanted to cry out he stopped her mouth with his glove so that she did not cry and he made her suffer much by his force and power and because he could not come to a head there he came that day in the evening where the said Marguerite and her mother were and asked the said mother for this Marguerite in order to do his will in saying with ill will that if he did not have her he would cut one or the other of the most beautiful of their faces. And in order to further defame the said Marguerite because he could not come to a head he vaunted himself in many places and to many people that he had been carnally with this Marguerite and he did it in such a loud voice and renown that the wife of the said Jehan des Planques came to tell the said Pierre le Fevre that her husband maintained the wife of the said Pierre, of which without cause the said Pierre was very badly moved against his said wife and so much that she did not dare to live with him and went with one of her cousins called Robert le Charpentier [carpenter] the which Robert when he heard the complaint and was angered and also the said Marguerite complained about it to the said Jehan Brousset her cousin and to some other close friends and family of the said Marguerite the which in order to extinguish the bad renown that seeded publicly from the words of the said Jehan des Planques against the said Marguerite their cousin without cause, that is to say the said Jehan Brousset two of his brothers and some others, went amiably to the house of the said Jehan des Planques in order to tell him that he should stop doing such things and maintaining such words, the which when he saw them started crying Thieves! Murderers! And said to them many great injuries and villainies and tried to kick them out of his said house while always screaming at them and pursuing them very outrageously and he did so much that by his great outrage and by the great wrong that he had done, one small blow in the head and one in the leg was given to him in hot anger by the said Jehan le Brousset or by one of his friends and it is said that by the said blow to the leg, because he did not get any help which might have helped to stanch it and save him, death followed. For the which deed good peace and satisfaction was made to the close friends and family of the said late Jehan de Planques And nevertheless the said Jehan Brousset was for this called to the law of us and of some other seigneurs and is in peril of being banished if he is not provided by us as his said close friends and family say, supplicating very humbly that on this we would wish to provide to him our said grace as the said Jehan des Planques was accustomed to pursue to violate the bodies of many virtuous married women and to brag without cause and the said Jehan Brousset has been a peaceable man of good life and of good reputation and of honest conversation and pure and innocent of any other offenses or misdeeds ~ We having certainly considered that which is said, wishing grace and mercy to be preferred to the rigor of justice to the said Jehan Brousset in the case abovesaid by our special grace have acquitted, remitted, and pardoned, acquit, remit, and pardon the said deed and appeals and any bans if they were pursued with all pain, corporal, criminal, and civil in which he could for this have incurred how that ceased and we remit and restore him to the country and to his goods. Satisfaction on this deed to the party before all work if it is not done ~ And only the right of seigneurs in the confiscation of his said goods if any right has been acquired ~ So given in commandment to the Bailli of Vermandois and to all our other Justices present and to come or to their lieutenants and to each one as appertains to him that the said Jehan Brousset make, leave, and suffer peaceably to enjoy and use by our present grace and remission and against the tenor of this neither constrain, molest, nor impede him nor suffer him to be constrained, molested, nor impeded in body nor in goods in any manner. And so that it will be a firm thing and stable forever, we have had placed our seal to these present letters. Except in other things our right and the others in everything ~ Given at Senliz in the month of October the year of grace 1375 and of our reign the 12th. The which letters and the contents of these before the Bailli of Vermandois in his assises of Montdidier were by process verified and by the said Bailli to the said Jehan Brousset were his goods and other things given in full deliverance and of the deed contained in these letters the said Jehan Brousset was and remains acquitted and absolved as by the letters on this made in the month of June the year of Grace 1376, sealed with the seal of the Bailliage of Vermandois can be seen, but the said exposant who for the occasion of the deed of the death of the said Jehan des Planques had been called to the law of us and of others had not by his simplicity or ignorance of this any Remission to the contrary was banished from our Realm even though the said exposant had not hit or wounded and did not consent to hit or wound or put to death the said Jehan des Planques by the manner contained in the letters above transcribed nor otherwise to the contrary it is true that the said Jehan Brousset to the said exposant and to others before the deed of this death asked that they go with him to talk to the said Jehan des Planques for the reasons contained in the letters above transcribed or for some of them and to the father of the said Jehan Brousset this exposant went with the said Jehan Brousset to the home of the said Jehan des Planques who as he saw the said exposant said to them Thieves! Murderers! Saying to them many injuries and kicking them out of his said home and in pursuing them made and said that which is contained in these letters as has heard the said exposant who without pausing at any outrage to do nor consent to the said Jehan des Planques went away and in the presence of the said exposant this Jehan des Planques was hit such that death followed in his person as is said without the said exposant having hit nor aided or consented to hit nor injure nor that was done to the said death he had been consenting nor otherwise culpable and could not impede the said battery or injury that he was very displeased by. And also before the said exposant had not and since has not had any hatred for the said Jehan des Planques as he says, in humbly supplicating us that because he who has been and is a man of good life, reputation, and honest conversation without ever having been convicted, condemned, nor accused of any other misdeed, has patiently suffered the said banishment and with this he has made accord and peace and satisfaction to the injured party, we would wish to extend to him on this our grace. We having certainly in consideration of that which is said, to the said exposant in the said case have remitted, acquitted, and pardoned by special grace, remit, acquit, and pardon the deed, appeals, banishment above said with all punishment and fine corporal, criminal, and civil that he could have incurred against us for this. And satisfaction first and before every work to the injured party if it is not done, we restore him to the country and to his good reputation if for this it is lessened, the right of confiscation of goods and things of the said exposant for reason of the said banishment remains except to the one or to those to whom they belong. So given in commandment to the Bailli of Vermandois and to all our other justices or to their lieutenants and to each of them as appertains to him that the said exposant made and suffered to enjoy by our present grace without molesting nor impeding him to the contrary in any manner to the contrary [sic]. And so that this will be a firm thing and stable forever, we have had placed our seal to these present. Except in other things our right and to the other in everything. Given in Paris in the month of January the year of grace 1384 and the 4 of our reign. ~
By the counsel Henry breau
Charles et cetera Savoir faisons atouz presens et avenir Anous avoir este expose de la Partie de Robert Brousset dit marquettes Que Jehan brousset frere dudit exposant Ja pieca de notre treschier seigneur et pere dont dieux ait lame obtint lettres desquelles la teneur sensuit Charles etc Savoir faisons atouz presens et avenir de la partie des amis charnelz de Jehan brousset dit marquettes nous a humblement este expose Que comme Jehan des planques qui estoit homme marie eust plusieurs foiz Requis et continuelment poursuy par longc temps pour vilener de son corps par charnalite une bonne Jeune preudefemme mariee appellee marguerite femme de Pierre le fevre demourant a hagicourt en la prevoste de montdidier lan demouroit ledit Jehan dees planques et tant guetta et espia ledit Jehan des plangques la dite marguerite qui garde ne sen donnoit que il trouva ladite marguerite en une vigne dicelle marguerite et illeuc laissailli et abati aterre contre son gre et sa voulente et voult estre charnelment avec elle par force Et quant il lot abatue pour ce quelle vouloit crier il lui estoupa la bouche de se ganz afain quelle ne criast et lui fist moult asouffrir par sa force et puissance et pour ce quil nen pot ileuc venir achief il vint ce jour au soir lau estoit laditte marguerite et sa mere et demanda a la dite mere ycelle marguerite pour en faire sa voulente en disant de mauvais couraige que sil ne lavoit que il coperoit alune et alautre le plus beau de leurs visaiges Et pour plus diffamer la dite marguerite pour ce quil nen pooit venir achief il se venta en plusieurs lieux et a plusieurs personnes que il avoit este charnelment avec ycelle marguerite et en fu si grant voix et renommee que la femme dudit Jehan des planques ala dire audit Pierre le fevre que son mary maintenoit la femme dudit Pierre don’t sanz cause ledit Pierre fu moult mal meu contre sa dite femme et tellement quelle nosa demourer avec lui et sen ala avec un sien cousin germain appelle Robert le charpentier lequel Robert quant il oy la complainte en fu couroucie et aussi ladite marguerite sen complaint audit Jehan brousset son cousin et a aucuns autres amis charnelz dicelle marguerite lesquelz pour estaindre la male renommee que semoit publequement de paroles ledit Jehan des planques contre ladite marguerite leur cousine sanz cause Cestassavoir ledit Jehan brousset deux de ses freres et aucuns autres alerent aimablement ala maison dudit Jehan des planques pour lui dire quil se deportast de telz faiz et de telles paroles maintenir lesquelz quant il les vit les escria larrons murtriers et leur dist moult de granz Iniures et vilenies et de fait les bouta hors de sa dite maison en glatissant tousiours aeulz et en les poursuyant moult oultrageusement et fit tant que par son grant oultrage et par le grant tort que il avoit un petit cop en la teste et un en la Jambe de chaude cole lui fu fait par le dit Jehan le brousset ou par aucuns de se amis et dit len que dudit cop de la Jambe pource quil not point de aide qui li aidast aescanchier de saver mort sen ensuy Duquel fait bonne paix et satiffacion est faite aus amis charnelz dudit feu Jehan de planques Et neantmoins ledit Jehan brousset a pour ce este appellez aux drois de nous et daucuns autres seigneurs et est en peril den estre banny se par nous ne lui est surce pourveu sicomme se diz amis charnelz dient Supplians treshumblement que sur ce lui vueillons pourveoir de notre grace comme ledit Jehan des planques feust coustumier de poursuyr de villenie de corprs plusieurs preudefemmes mariees et de sen venter sanz cause et ledit Jehan brousset soit homme paisible de bonne vie et de bonne renommee et de honneste conversacion et pur et Innocent de touz autres deliz ou meffaiz ~ Nous adecertes consderer ce que dit est voulans grace et misericorde preferer a Rigueur de Justice audit Jehan brousset ou cas dessus dit de notre grace especial avons quictie remis et pardonne quictons remettons et pardonnons ledit fait et appeaulx et aucuns vans se ilz sont ensuyz avec toute peine corporele criminele et civile en quoy il pourvoit pour ce estre encouru comment que cesoit et le remettons et restituons au pays et a ses biens. Satiffacion sur ce faite a partie avant toute euvre se faite nest ~ Et sauf le droit des seigneurs en la confiscacion de ses diz biens se aucun droit y ont acquis ~ Sidonnons en mandement au bailli de vermandois et a touz noz autres justices presens et avenir ou a leurs lieuxtenans et a chascun deulx sicomme alui appartendra que le dit Jehan brousset facent laissent et suffrent paisiblement joir et user de notre presente grace et remission et contre la teneur dicelle ne le contraignent molsetent ne empeschent neseuffrent estre contraint moleste ne empeschie en corps ne en biens en aucune maniere Et que ce soit ferme chose et estable atousiours nous avons fait mettre notre scel aces presentes lettres. Sauf en autres chose notre droit et lautruy en toutes ~ Donne a Senliz ou mois doctobre lan de grace mil ccc Soyxantequinze Et de notre Regne le xije lesquelles lettres et le contenu en ycelles par devant le bailli de vermandois en ses assises de montdidier furent par proces verifiees et par le dit bailli au dit Jehan brousset furent se biens et autres choses vises a plaine delivrance et du fait contenu en icelles lettres ledit Jehan brousset fu et demoura quittes et absoulz si comme par lettres sur ce faites ou moys de Juing lan de grace mccc lxvj lxxvj scellees du seel du bailliage de bermendois peut apperoir mais ledit exposant qui pour occasion du fait de la mort du dit Jehan des planques a este appellez aux drois de nous et dautres na par simplesce ou ignorance de ce aucune Remission aincois par ses contumaces a este banniz de notre Royaume combien que ledit exposant nait feru ou navre et nait consenty ferir ne navrer ne mettre a mort le dit Jehan des planques par la maniere contenue es lettres dessus transcriptes ne autrement aincors est vray que ledit Jehan brousset au dit exposant et a autres paravant le fait dicelle mort pria que ilz alassent avec lui parler a icelluy Jehan des planques pour les causes contenant es lettres dessus transcript ou pour aucuns dicelles et a la pere dudit Jehan brousset ycellui exposant ala avec ledit Jehan brousset en la maison dudit Jehan des planques qui sicomme il est advis audit exposant les esta larrons murtriers leur dist plusieurs Iniures et les bouta hors de sa dite maison et en les poursuyant fist et dist ce que contenu est en ycelles lettres sicomme aoy dire ledit exposant qui sanz pauser a aucun oultrage faire ne consentir audit Jehan des planques yestoit alez et en la presence dudit exposant ycellui Jehan des planques fu feru telement que mort sen ensuy en sa personne sicomme on dit Sance ce que ledit exposant le ferist ne aydast ou consentist ferir ne Iniurier ne que du fait de la dite mort il ait este consentant ne autrement coulpable et ne pot empeschir la dite bateure ou navreure quil moult lui desplut Et aussi paravant ledit exposant navoit en et adont navoit aucune hayne audit Jehan des planques sicomme il dit En nous humblement supplie comme il qui aeste et est homme de bonne vie Renommee et honneste conversacion sanz avoir este convancu condempnez ne actaint daucun autre meffait ait paciement souffert ledit ban et avec ce il soit a acord et ait fait paix et satiffacion apartie bleciee nous sur ce lui vueillons eslargir notre grace Nous ade certes pour consideracion de ce que dit est au dit exposant oudit cas avons Remis quittie et pardonne de grace especial Remettons quittons et pardonnons le fait appeaulxz ban dessus diz avec toute paine et amende corporele criminele et civile qui pour ce il peut avoir encouru envers nous Et satiffait premierement et avant toute euvre apartie bleciee se fait nest li Restituons au pays et a sa bonne renommee se pour ce est ameurie le droit de confiscacion des biens et choses dudit exposant pour raison dudit ban demourant sauf aceluj ou ceulz aqui ce appartient Sidonnons en mandement au Bailli de Vermandois et atouz noz autres justices ou aleurs lieuxtenans et a chascun deulz sicomme a luj appartendra que le dit exposant facent et seuffrent joir de notre presente grace sanz le molester ne empeschir au contraire en aucune maniere au contraire. Et pour ce que ce soit ferme chose et estable atouz Jours nous avons fait mettre notre scel a ces presentes. Sauf en autres choses notre droit et lautruy en toutes. Donne a Paris ou mois de Janvier lan de grace mil ccc iiijxx et quatre Et le quint de notre Regne ~
Par le conseil Henry breau
Summary
Jehan des Planques, a married man, was continually and persistently pursuing a married woman by the name of Marguerite. She was the wife of Pierre le Fevre and was living in Hagicourt in the Prevôt of Montdidier (include map). According to the letter, Jehan des Planques had surveilled and spied on Marguerite to find she was not given a guard. He then found her alone in a vineyard and proceeded to sexually assault her while putting a glove in her mouth to keep her from yelling out for help; importantly, the letter notes that he was not successful in raping her. Jehan des Planques then later that same day came to where Marguerite and her mother were, stating that if he could not have Marguerite then he would cut one of their faces. As if this wasn’t enough to satisfy Jehan des Planques he then went to various places and people bragging about his sexual conquest. Jehan des Planques did this so openly and loudly that Jehan des Planques’ wife told Pierre le Fevre (Marguerite’s husband) about the situation. Pierre le Fevre was unhappy with Marguerite after finding out about the assault, unhappy to the point where Marguerite did not feel safe to continue living with her husband (gives us some insights on how women were treated regarding sex crimes). Marguerite then went to live with one of her cousins, Robert le Charpentier, because she was no longer able to safely stay with her husband after Jehan des Planques defamed her. Marguerite recounted the story of her assault and the following defamation to Robert le Charpentier, another cousin Jehan Brousset, and various close friends and family. Upon hearing the story Jehan Brousset was so angered that he gathered two of his brother as well as some others to confront Jehan des Planques about his actions at his residence. Upon arriving Jehan des Planques was calling Jehan Brousset and the others there thieves and murders as well as other insults. Jehan Brousset (cousin) in a moment of rage hit Jehan des Planques once on the head and once on the leg. Jehan des Planques did not seek medical attention for his injuries and as a result death followed. Following his death Jehan Brousset was called to the law and faced banishment for his crime. It was said that Jehan des Planques was accustomed to the pursuit and violation of many virtuous married women and that Jehan Brousset was a peaceable man with a good reputation and did not have a history of another offenses. It was then decided that Jehan Brousset should be acquitted and pardoned of his crime since peace was made through Jehan des Planques’ passing. A pardon was then given to Jehan Brousset at Senliz in October 1375. However his brother, Robert Brousset was still banished regardless. The acquittal was finalized in June of 1376 during his banishment. The banishment likely had something to do with the inconsistencies between the letters and the stories they gave during their trial. Robin Brousset in actuality did not hit Jehan des Planques it was his brother, but he was still blamed for it. Robin Brousset was retrospectively acquitted and remained so in January of 1384.
Essays
Adultery/women & crime
Adultery during the medieval period is often misconstrued in how punishments for this crime were carried out. The general misconception that husbands whose wives were guilty of adultery had a “right to kill” their wives and that this was often the course of punishment taken. There are instances of murderous vengeance happening, however the process of convicting someone for adultery was extensive and required substantial evidence and witnesses to definitively prove that an act of infidelity had occurred; “In Ruprecht von Freising's Rechtsbuch of 1328, for instance, the "right to kill" was so hedged about with multiple conditions of proof- the husband was required to serve the lover a prior warning, then to catch the couple in flagrante delicto with a required number of witnesses-as to be almost impossible to fulfill” (Otis-Cour 355). Usually, other courses of punishment were more common such as facial scarring. Through this process it would mark the offenders as adulteress publicly and for life. It is also important to note that there were little to no protections for these women during the time as well. They would often become social outcast or worse with no kind of assistance from family or the state. Instances of divorce and exile happing during this period shows that recourse for this kind of crime was varied depending on who committed the crime, severity of offense, available evidence, and which specific time period the crime was committed.
Further reading: (Otis-Cour) (Emily J. Hutchison)
Countryside/vineyards
Vineyards in this period were significantly smaller in acreage compared to the vineyards of today. They were planted throughout most parts of France, especially throughout the countryside. French countryside during the medieval period was sparsely populated and when grapes were not in season vineyards were generally empty as people would be occupied with other work. These vineyards were planted so expansively largely in order to supply wine for church services. Although these vineyards were smaller in size, they required intense labor to maintain and harvest since there was automation or complex tools that could help in the process. Grapes would be harvested individually by hand in a field filled with laborers in a grueling labor-intensive day. Harvesting techniques also differ based on region and types of grapes being grown which only serves to add to the complexity of the harvesting process. The end of summer would mark the start of communal harvesting in which children would often help harvest as well. The production of the wine was equally intensive. Grapes would be smashed by pressing and foot stomping to produce the grape juice that would later be fermented.
Personal Experience in France and how that contextualized crime.
Through traveling to the spaces which these crimes occurred, even if it is roughly 350 years later, added considerable insight into the logistics of how crime would’ve been committed. Traveling abroad also showed the places and processes that these letters would have had to go through to be formally recognized and completed which added another layer to the way that these letters should be understood/interpreted. Being in France also brought with it a greater appreciation and understanding of the culture. obviously contemporary French culture is very different than what it would have been during the medieval era but there are still components of it that remain such as aspects of wine culture. A vineyard tour in a rural part of France was an especially enlightening experience which helped to guide the way that I understood how the crime I interpreted was would have happened. Vineyards in the medieval ages were smaller than those of today but the system and structure of them remain similar, because of this it became easier to see how a crime like the one the letter describes would have happened and how it could have gone unnoticed. Traveling between locations in which letters were initially written and then the castles/châteaus they were reviewed in presents a logistical nightmare to deal with I had not thoroughly considered when reading. Being surrounded by medieval architecture was another helpful part of really being able to immerse myself in the timeframe of when our research was based.