Archives Nationales Séries JJ 169 folio 2v number 5 (Himanis p. 22)
Charles etc We make known to all present and to come on the part of the close friends and family of Marie Lamargiere, poor woman prisoner at Bleny lez la Ville de Bar sur Seine in the bailliage of Sens in the prisons of our loved and loyal chancellor the Sire de Saint Bris. We have been humbly told that the Monday the 23rd day of September last past the said Marie went to harvest in one of her vineyards around one measure of wine, the harvest of which wine she had carried on her back and in baskets to her hostel in the said Bleny where she lived in the which hostel was then Symon Brevel her husband who was blind for 18 years before or thereabouts since which time the said Marie had always taken care of him well and honorably by that which she could win and acquire at the pain and sweat of her body. The which Marie on this said day came to her hostel burdened with a large basket of grapes that she carried on her head, the quich hostel she found closed. And for this she banged many times on it and such that it happened that she opened the latch by force and found her said husband who was blind as has been said to whom she said that he was a mean man to have so allowed her to bang on the door and so burdened as she was. And in saying that, she saw the barrel where she had already put the other grapes and harvest carried to the said hostel by her, the which had all gone to perdition around this hostel, on hearing the which thing debate began between the said Marie and her said husband. During which this Marie began to say these words or similar in substance, oh I am unfortunate, cursed be the hour that I was every born, I take pains to gain and maintain my livelihood for this man and he lets everything be lost. To which her said husband responded to her, bloody debauched ribald leave me in peace or I will beat you. And soon enough after these things, they began to again have great words between them and so much that the said Simon thought to hit this Marie but he failed to land his blow on her and this done the said Marie took a wooden tray and threw it at her said husband, with which she hit him or reached his arm in saying to him false traitor blindman, I have cared for you for the space of 25 18 years all blind and at the pain of my body and if I cannot endure you and you do nothing but call me a ribald whore, you lie falsely. Certainly it is not me who does even a little I will hurt you [possibly: I will make you crazy]. And for the time being she left and afterwards around night between nightfall and the hour after compline on this said same day the said Marie went into her said hostel where her said husband was who began to say to her ribald bloody are you returned? Go out of my hostel by the blood of God I will kill you if I get to you and in fact he chased her out of the said hostel, throwing at her a stick that he held and going out after her. And afterwards the said Marie returned to the said hostel where again the said deceased took her by the body and by the clothing and when this Marie saw that he treated her so harshly and that he had many times threatened to beat, violate, and kill her and that she could not endure him for any service or pleasure that she could do for him this Marie by temptation of the enemy took him by the throat and he also took the said Marie by the body and by the clothes and this done they fell one on the other. And without her hitting him other than has been said, but nevertheless soon afterwards he went from life to death. And after he was dead the said Marie said to many of her neighbors that assembled there that he was not at all dead. Because she had not done anything to him by which as it seemed to her, death could have followed and that he was often accustomed to have an illness by which he seemed for the space for the space [sic] of two hours or thereabouts more dead than alive. For the occasion of the said case the said Marie was detained prisoner in the said prisons in the way of miserably finishing her days there if by us is not on this imparted our grace, as the said friends say and have humbly supplicated us that considering that which is said and that this Marie had cared for her said blind husband for the space of 18 years at the pain and sweat of her body as is said, and ten years or thereabouts before he became blind he, who was a very hard man, quarrelsome and riotous who often beat and violated her and always treated her very harshly. And that in other things she has always been a woman of good life, reputation, and honest conversation without ever before having been accused nor convicted of any other villainous act or misdeed we wish to extend to her on this our said grace. We considering these things and for reverence of God and of all the saints wish mercy to be preferred to the rigor of justice. To this Marie in the case abovesaid have acquitted, remitted, and pardoned and by these present by special grace, full power, and royal authority, we acquit, remit, and pardon the deed and act abovesaid with all penalty, fine, and offense, corporal, criminal, and civil that for the said act she can have incurred against us or justice And we restore her to her good reputation and renown in the country and to her goods not confiscated And we impose on this perpetual silence to our procureur present and to come As long as the said Marie who has already been imprisoned for one month or thereabouts in the said prisons will be still detained on bread and water in these prisons for the space of another month. And with this that she make a pilgrimage to Notre Dame de Lience for the health of the soul of the said deceased and for this will report with sufficient certification. Satisfaction done to the party before all work if it is not done, civilly only. So given in commandment by these present to the Bailli of Sens and Auxerre and to all our other Justices and officers present and to come or to their lieutenants and to each of them as appertains to him that the said Marie be made to suffer and allowed to enjoy and use fully and peacefully by our said grace and remission without giving her nor suffering her to be done or given any impediment in body nor in goods at all to the contrary but her body thus taken and detained for the act abovesaid placed or made to be placed without delay in full deliverance. And so that this will be a firm and stable thing forever we have had placed our seal to these present. Except in other things our right and the other in everything. Given at Rouen the 29th day of October the year of grace 1415 and of our reign the 36th
By the King the Sire of Preaulx, Messier Sauvage de Villiers Messieur Regn de Folleville and others present J Milet
Charles etc Savoir faisons atous presens et avenir delapartie des amis charnelz de marie lamargiere povre femme prisonnier a Bleny lez la ville de Bar sur Seine ou bailliage de Sens es prisons de notre ame et feal chlr le sire de saint bris. Nous avon este humblement expose comme le lundj xxiije jour de septembre derrenier passe ladite marie feust alee vendenger en une sienne vigne environ un muy de vin la vendange duquel vin elle eust apportee a son col et en paniers en son hostel audit Bleuy ou elle demouroit ouquel hostel estoit lors Symon Brevel son mary qui estoit aveugle des xviij ans a ou environ depuis lequel temps la dite Marie la tousiours bien et honnorablement gouverne de ce quelle apeu gaignier et conquester ala peine et sueur de son corps. laquelle marie ce dit jour vint en son hostel chargee dun gros pennier de Raisins que elle portoit sur sa teste lequel hostel elle trouva ferme Et pour ce y hurta plusieurs foiz et tellement quil convint quelle ouvrist luys aforce et trouva son dit mary qui estoit aveugle comme dit est auquel elle dist quil estoit un meschant homme de ce quil lavoit tant laissiee hurter aluys et si chargee comme elle estoit Et en ce disant elle apperceut la cuve ou elle avoit ja me les autres Raisins et vendaige par elle apportez oudit hostel la quelle sen aloit aperdicion parmy icellui hostel pour la quelle chose oyant debat se meut entre la dite marie et son dit mary. Parquoy icelle marie se print adire teles paroles ou semblables en substance or suis je mal fortunee mal dite soit leure que je fuz oncques nee jay peine de gaignier et amasser ma vie pour cest homme et si laisse tout perdre. Surquoy lui respondy sont dit mary Sanglante paillarde ribaulde laissiez moy en paix ou je vous courrouceray Et assez tost apres ces chose se meurent derechief entre eulx grosses paroles et tellement que ledit simon cuida frapper icelle marie mais il failli a asseoir son cop sur elle et se fait la dite marie print un plateau de boys et le gecta a sondit mary duquel elle le fery ou actaigny sur le bras en lui disant faulx traitre aveugle je te ay gouverne par lespace de xxv xviij ans tout aveugle et ala peine de mon corps et si ne puis durer atoy et ne me faiz que appeller putain ribaulde Tu mens faulsement. Certes ce ne me fust dun pou je te affolasse Et pour lors atant se departy et apres ce environ la nuyt entre chieu et leu apres complies cedit jour mesmes la dite marie se trahy en son dit hostel ouquel estoit son dit mary qui lui print a dire Ribaulde sanglante estez vous revenue sailliez hors de mon hostel par le sang dieu je vous tueray se je vous actains et de fait la chassa hors dudit hostel lui gecta un baston quil tenoit et yssi hors apres elle Et depuis retourna la dite marie oudit hostel ouquel derechief ledit deffunct la print aucorps et aux draps et quant icelle marie vit quil la traictoit si durement et quil lavoit par plusieurs foiz menassee debatre villener et tuer et que elle ne povoit durer a lui pour quelz conques service ou plaisir quelle lui peust faire icelle marie par temptacion de lennemy le print par la gorge et lui mesmes print ladite marie au corps et aux draps et ce fait churent lun sur lautre. Et sans ce quelle le frapast autrement que dit est mais ce non obstant assez tost apres il ala de vie atrespassement. Et depuis quil fu mort dist la dite marie a plusieurs voisins qui illecques se assemblerent que il nestoit point mort. Pour ce que elle ne lui avoit fait chose sicomme il lui sembloit dont mort sen peust ensuivre et quil estoit souventeffoiz coustumier davoir une maladie par laquelle il sembloit par lespace par lespace [sic] de deux heures ou environ mieulx mort que vif. Pour occasion duquel cas la dite marie est detenue prisonnier es dites prisons en voye dy finer miserablement ses jours. Se par nous ne lui estoit sur ce impartie notre grace Sicomme les diz amis dient et nous ont humblement supplie que actendu ce que dit est et que icelle marie agouverne son dit mary aveugle par lespace de xviij ans ala peine et sueur de son corps comme dit est. et dix ans ou environ par avant quil fust aveugle il qui estoit moult dure homme noiseux et rioteux qui souventeffoiz la batoit et villenoit et tousiours la traictoit moult durement Et que en autres cas elle a tousiours este femme de bonne vie renommee et honneste conversacion sans oncques mais avoir este reprinse actaincte ou convaincue daucun autre villain cas ou meffait nous lui vueillons sur ce extendre notre dite grace Nous ce considerer et pour reverence de dieu et de toussains voulans misericorde estre preferee a Rigueur de justice. A Icelle marie ou cas dessus dit avons quicte Remis et pardonne et par ces presentes de grace especial pleine puissance et auctorite Royal quictons remectons et pardonnons le fait et cas dessusdit Avecques toute peine amende et offense corporele criminele et civile que pour ledit cas elle peut avoir encouru environ nous et Justice Et la restituer a sa bonne fame et renommee au pays et a ses biens non confisquez Et imposons sur ce silence perpetuel a notre procureur present et avenir Parmj ce que la dite marie qui desia aeste prisonnier un moys ou environ es dites prisons sera encores detenue au pain et a leaue en icelles prisons par lespace dun autre moys. Et avecques ce fera un pellerinage a notre dame de lience pour le salut de lame dudit deffunct et de ce rapportera certiffier souffisant Sattiffacion faite a partie avant toute euvre se faite nest civilement tant seulement Si donnons en mandement par ces presentes Au baillj de Sens et daucerre et a tous noz autres Justices et officiers presens et avenir ou aleurs lieuxtenans et a chacun deulx sicomme alui appartenir que la dite marie facent seuffrent et laisser joir et user plainment and paisiblement de notre dite grace et remission sans lui donner ne souffrent estre fait ou donne empeschement en corps ne en biens aucunement au contraire maiz son corps ainsi prins et detenu pour le cas dessusdit lui mectent ou facent mectre sanz delay a pleine deliverance. Et pour ce que cesoit ferme chose et estable atousiours nous avons fait mectre notre seel a ces presentes Sauf en autres choses notre droit et lautruy en toutes. donne a Rouen le xxixe jour doctobre lan de grace mil cccc et quinze et de notre Regne le xxxvje /
Par le Roy le sire de preaulx messieur sauvage de villiers messieur Regn de folleville et autres presens
J Milet
Summary
On the 23rd of September, 1415, Marie Lamargiere harvested grapes from her vineyard, bringing them home in large baskets she carried on her back and head. She carried them back to the house she shared with her blind husband Symon Brevel. Though she had taken care of him for the 18 years he’d been blind, on that day she arrived home to find the door locked, and he refused to open it, so she had to open it with force. Upon entering the house, she found other baskets of grapes from the harvest had been ruined by her husband. This begins a heated argument, beginning with Marie cursing her own existence and how much work she puts into maintaining their livelihood only for her husband to destroy it. He responds by calling her a whore, and telling her to leave him alone or he’ll beat her. This escalated to the point of Symon throwing a punch at her, but missing wildly, and Marie throwing a wooden tray at him. She then yells that she has cared for him for 18 years and for him to call her a whore is a disrespectful lie. She then leaves the house until nightfall. When she returns her husband shouts at her again, calling her a whore and threatening her life. He continues to shout while chasing her out of the house, throwing his walking stick as he makes her leave. She returns again soon after and things escalate further. Overcome with anger from how her husband treats her, Marie grabs him by the throat. He responds by grabbing at her clothes and body, resulting in them both falling over. Without any other physical exchanges, Symon dies. After his death Marie runs to her neighbors, explaining that nothing she did really should have resulted in his death. She is then imprisoned, and thus begins the process for requesting a pardon. Due to her good reputation, good life she led, and the life of abuse she withstood from her husband, . She will spend another month in prison, and then make a pilgrimage to Notre Dame de Liesse
Essays
Blindness
In the medieval period, blindness had quite a lot of connotations. Blindness was viewed religiously as both a punishment for a person’s sins and as a direct connection to the divine. By being unable to see, someone could experience part of purgatory before death, and that would mean less waiting to experience heaven after you died. In the case of Marie Lamargiere, blindness also seems to have a double meaning. It isn’t particularly focused on as a direct reason for her husband’s foul nature, and it isn’t seen as uncommon for a woman to provide for her blind husband. In addition, despite his blindness, her husband clearly manages to physically assault her, proving that his blindness isn’t preventing him from operating decently well by himself.
Further readings:
Wheatley, Edward. Stumbling Blocks Before the Blind: Medieval Constructions of a Disability. University of Michigan Press, 2010. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.3998/mpub.915892.
Jonathan Hsy, The George Washington University https://medievaldisabilityglossary.hcommons.org/blindness/
Andreas, and John Jay Parry. The Art of Courtly Love. Columbia University Press, 1990.
Vineyards
Vineyards Natalya Hart - Contextual Essay In the middle ages, most vineyards were sponsored by the church in the efforts of making sure wine was always available for the sacrament. Therefore the focus on winemaking ebbed and flowed directly with the power of the church in any one area. Vineyards themselves employed a very large number of workers, because it took an incredible amount of work to find the best plants for a given soil, prune every plant for quality as it grew, and then harvest every grape into giant hand woven baskets. In the town of Marie Lamargiere, work in the fields would have been highly valued due to their support for the church. So it would be especially vile for her husband to ruin an entire basket of grapes from the communal harvest.
Further Readings: Ruas, Marie-Pierre. “Aspects of Early Medieval Farming from Sites in Mediterranean France.” Vegetation History and Archaeobotany, vol. 14, no. 4, 2005, pp. 400–15. JSTOR
Working Women
In the medieval period basically no distinction was made between men and women as agricultural laborers. A vast majority of people worked to make sure towns had enough food, so women being in the fields wasn’t looked down upon in the slightest. Like men, women were expected to do vast amounts of work outside and inside the home to support their families livelihood. Even in more exclusionary fields, we have historical examples of illustrations and published works by women in the medieval era. In the remission letter of Marie Lamargiere, absolutely no judgment is placed on how much work Marie is doing in the vineyards or in supporting her blind husband. In fact, instead of it seeming absurd for a woman to do that kind of work, the letter places a lot of pride in the fact that she supports her husband and her household in these ways.
Further Readings: Ribordy, Geneviève. “Women’s Names, Women’s Lives: The Designation of Women in Late Medieval France.” Medieval Prosopography, vol. 27, 2012, pp. 118–29. JSTOR.