Archives Nationales de France series JJ 173 folio 121 number 244 (Himanis p. 243)
Henry by the grace of God King of France and of England. We make known to all present and to come, we have received the humble supplication of Alixson Canenne aged 64 years or thereabouts living in Beauvais containing that eighteen years ago or thereabouts she was living in the said Beauvais during the which period several times she was ill in her body with an illness that is called the mal la marris which afflicts women with feebleness and to have relief or healing of this illness doctors who visited her medicated and healed her in doing the which medication she knew and learned the things that were administered for her. And because afterwards many sick women and who knew that the said supplicant had been sick of the same illness came and sent to her many times for counsel and she did the best that she could and such that the most and the best thanks to God they were healed, sometimes in charity and sometimes she took profit. And because there was not great talk about it in the said town of Beauvais nevertheless she did it without the authority of Justice many times as is said nor that she had been sworn or apprenticed to the said science [knowledge]. Nevertheless in things that she had done she had neither in this case nor in any other any complaint or sorrow that came to be known until around the feast of the Nativity of Our Lady in September last passed when one named Perrenet le Moine living in the said Beauvais came before the said supplicant and said to her that his wife had been feeble for a long time and they did not know what illness she had and that for God she would like to come to see and visit her and that he had heard that this supplicant knew well in these illnesses and that she had known well other times what it was or words to that effect. After the which the said supplicant went towards the wife of the said Perrenet and asked the said woman what she had, the which responded that she had aches in her chest and in her breasts and in her groin which is the form and manner that sick women who have such sickness have and then the said supplicant asked this patient if she was not pregnant the which responded to her that not as far as she knew and asked this supplicant that if she could or knew how to give her any advice that she would give it. And then the said supplicant asked to see the urine of this patient and when she had seen it said that it was exactly like her own had been when she had been sick with the said illness that that she had had. And immediately the said supplicant had her laid on her back and put one of her fingers into the physic of her nature and then the said wife of the said Perrenet said that she was touching where she had pain and this done the said supplicant took the size of a walnut of cumin and wrapped it in a small cloth and placed it in the nature of the said patient to restrain it and the next day following put in there more so that because it seemed to her that the one from before was not big enough and that it did not restrain her enough and the said supplicant advised to bathe the said patient and that one put herbs in her bath as is done sometimes for heavy people. That is to understand herbs of the earth, fennel, a little celery, with a little bit of herb of nannice, spread calendula and also put on her stomach three or four little candles of wax that she should light and sit them on a crust of bread that is on the stomach of the said woman and lean face down a pot of earth on the candles being on the stomach of this patient that was made in the form of a suction cup to help relieve the uterus of the said patient and four days after that this patient threw and had a little germ that had the form of an infant that had never had life and also the said patient did not ever feel it. The which things coming to the knowledge of the people and officers of our beloved and faithful counselor the Bishop of Beauvais had taken, seized, and arrested and put in the hand of our said counselor the goods of the said supplicant and this one called and had called to the law of our said counselor the which supplicant, fearing the rigor of justice, put herself in franchise and fears to be banished and to lose her said goods if our grace is not imparted on her for this as she says in humbly requesting us that, considering that the said supplicant was and is a woman of good reputation and renown without ever before having been accused or convicted of any other villainous act or reproach that to all her power she did everything the best that she could for the said patient and at the request of her said husband and that she did not at all know that she was pregnant nor that what she was doing for her was not for a perishable thing nor from which bad could follow and that the said patient was a sick woman and that this supplicant did not have any ill will or conflict with the said patient nor with her said husband, we would wish to impart to her these. Therefore we, considering these things, wishing mercy to be preferred to the rigor of justice to this supplicant in the case abovesaid have acquitted, remitted, and pardoned and by the tenor of these present acquit, remit, and pardon the deed and act abovesaid with all punishment, offense, and fine corporal, criminal, and civil which for the said act she could have incurred against us and Justice. And we have restored and restore her to her good reputation and renown in the country and to her goods not confiscated. Satisfaction made to the party civilly only if it is not done. In imposing on this perpetual silence on our procurer present and to come. Except that she will be punished civilly and live forever banished from the town of Beauvais and also live two months on bread and water in closed prison. So given in commandment by these present to the Bailli of Senliz and the Prevot of Angi and to all our other officers and subjects or to their lieutenants present and to come and to each one of them as appertains to him that by our present grace, remission, and pardon they make, suffer, and allow the said supplicant to enjoy and use fully and peaceably without doing or giving or suffering to be done or given to her now nor in the time to come in body or in goods any disturbance or impediment in any manner to the contrary for this. But if her body or any of her said goods not confiscated are or were taken, seized, picked up, arrested, or otherwise impeded they give or have given to her without delay to full deliverance. And so that this will be a firm thing and stable forever we have had placed our seal on these present. Except in other things our right and to the other in everything. Given in Paris in the month of October the year of grace 1425. And of our reign the third. So signed by the King at the relation of the counsel.
Oger
Henry par la grace de dieu Roy de France et dangleterre Savoir faisons atous presens et advenir Nous avoir Receu lumble supplicacion de Alixson canenne aagee de xliiij an sou environ demourant a Beauves contenant comme des dixhuit ans a ou environ elle soit demourant audit beauves pendant le quell temps par plusieurs fois elle a este malade en son corps dune maladie que lend it estre le mal la marris du quell cheent femmes comme lengourenses et pour avoir alegance et garrison dicellui mal medecins qui lont visitee medicine et gari ten faisant lesquelles medicines elle ait sceu et appris les choses qui pour ce lui furent administrees Et pour ce depuis plusieurs femmes maladies et qui savoient que ladite suppliant avoit este malade de pareille maladie sont venues et envoye devers elle aplusieurs fois conseillees et fait du mieulx quelle a peu et telement que le plus et le mieulx dieu mercy ells on teste garies aucuneffois en charite et aucuneffois en apris prouffit Et pour ce que de ce nestoit pas grant mencion en ladite ville de beauves touteffois a elle ce fait sans auctorite de Justice plusieurs fois comm edit est ne que elle ai teste juree ne apprunte de ladite science. Neantmoins en chose don’t elle ait ouvre enc e cas nae n aucune plainte ne douleance qui soit venue a cognoissance jusques environ la feste la nativite notre dame en septembre derrenierement passee que un nomme Perrenet le moine demourant audit Beauves vint devers ladite suppliant et lui dist que sa femme estoit en langueur long temps avoit et ne savoit quelle maladie elle avoit et que pour dieu elle la voulsist aler veoir et visiter et quil avoit entendu que icelle suppliant se congnoissoit bien en teles maladies et que autreffois avoit bien sceu que cestoit ou paroles en substance Apres lesquelles ladite suppliant ala devers la femme dudit Perrenet et demenda aladite femme quelle avoit laquelle respondit quelle avoit mal en sa forcelle en ses Rains et en ses aisnes qui est la forme et manière que ont femmes maladies de tele maladie et lors ladite suppliant demanda a icelle malade se elle estoit point grosse la quelle lui Rendi que non quelle sceust et pria a icelle suppliant que se elle lui povoit ne savoit donner aucun conseil quelle lui donnast. Et lors ladite suppliant request veoir lorine dicelle malade et quant elle la vit dist quelle estoit aucelle comme estoit la sienne quant elle avoit este malade dicelle maladie et quelle avoit eue Et tantost la fist ladite supplaint couchier en vers et lui bouta un de ses dois en la fisique de sa nature et lors dist ladite femme dudit perrenet quelle touchoit ou elle avoit mal et ce fait ladite suppliant print le gros dune noix de noyer de connin et le enveloppa en J petit drapelet et le mist dedans la nature de ladite malade pour loy Restraindre et lendemeain ensuivant y en mist encores autant pour ce quil lui sembloit que celui de devant nestoit mie assez grant et que il ne restraindroit mie assez et conseilla ladite suppliant abaignier ladite malade et que on mist des herbes en son baing comme on fait aucunes fois a gens grevez Cestassavoir herbe Terrestre fenoul ung petit dache avec un peu derbe nannice esparto gonte et si lui mist sur son ventre iij ou iiij petites chandelles de cire quelle aluma et les assist sur une crouste de pain qui estoit sur le ventre de ladite femme et adenta un pot de terre sur les chandelles estans sur le ventre dicelle malade qui fut fait par forme de ventoise pour aidier a relever la marris dicelle malade et quatre jours apres ce icelle malade gecta et eut une petite germe qui avoit formed enfant qui ne ot onques vie et aussi ladite malade ne lavoit onques sentu lesquelles choses venues ala congnoissance des gens et officiers de notre ame et feal conseillier levesque de beauves ont prins saisis et arrestez et mis en la main de notredit conseillier les biens de ladite suppliant et icelle appellee et fait appeller aux droiz de notredit conseillier laquelle suppliant doubtant rigueur de justice est mise en franchise et doubte estre bannie et perdre sesdis biens se notre grace ne lui est sur ce impartie sicomme elle dit En nous humblement Requerant que actendu que ladite suppliant a este et est femme de bonne fame vie et renommee sans onquesmais avoir este actainte ne convaincue daucun autre villain ca sou Reprouche que de tout son povoir elle a fait tout le mieulx quelle a peu aladite malade et ala requeste de son dit mary et quelle ne savoit point quelle feust grosse ne que ce quelle lui a fait nest pour chose corrompable ne don’t mal se peust ensuir et que ladite malade est femme maladine et que icelle suppliant navoit ne a aucun mal talent ou riote aladite malade ne a sondit mary nous lui vueillons impartir icelle. Pourquoy nous ces choses considerees voulans misericorde preferer a rigueur de justice a icelle suppliant ou cas dessusdit avons quicte Remis et pardonne et par la teneur de ces presents quictons remettons et pardonnons le fait et cas dessusdit Avec toute peine offense et amende corporelle criminelle et civile en quoy pour ledit cas elle puet estre encourue envers nous et Justice. Et lavons restitue et restituons asa bonne fame et renommee au pays et ases biens non confisquez Satifacion faite a partie civilement tant seulement se faite nest. En imposant sur ce scilence perpetual a notre procureur present et advenir Parmi ce quelle sera pugnie civilement et demoura a tousiours bannie de la ville de beauves et si demourra deux mois au pain et aleaue en prison fermee. Si donnons en mandement par ces presents au bailli de senliz et prevost dangi et atous noz autres officiers et subgiez ou aleurs lieuxtenans presens et advenir et achacun deulx sicomme alui appartendra que de notre presente grace remission et pardon facent seuffrent et laissent ladite suppliant joir et user plainement et paisiblement Sans pour ce lui faire ne donner ne souffrir estre fait ne donne ores ne ou temps avenir en corps ne en biens aucun destourbier ou empeschement en aucune manière au contraire Mais se son corps ou aucuns de sesdis biens non confisquez sont ou estoient pour ce prins saisez levez arrestez ou aucunement empeschiez lui mectent ou facent mectre sans delay aplaine deliverance. Et afin que ce soit ferme chose et estable atousiours nous avons fait mettre notre scel a ces presents. Sau fen autres choses notre droit et lautruy en toutes. Donne a Paris ou mois doctobre lan de grace mil iiijc xxv. Et de notre Regne le tiers Ainsi signe par le Roy ala relacion du conseil
Oger
Summary
In October of 1425, in Paris, King Henry II of France and England pardoned a sixty-four-year-old woman from Beauvais, named Alixson Canenne. During her time living in Beauvais, around 18 years prior, Alixson became ill several times, with an illness they called the mal la marris, that afflicted only women. She was treated by several doctors, and from these doctors she learned how to treat this illness. After this, other women afflicted with the mal la marris started to come to her for treatment, though she was not licensed as a nurse or a midwife, and she did her best to treat and heal them. Sometimes the patients paid her and sometimes she did not take payment. Around the feast of the Nativity of Our Lady in early September of 1424, a man, named Perrenet le Moine, came to Alixson and asked her if she would treat his wife, who remains unnamed. Alixson agreed, so the wife came to Alixson, and she examined the woman and asked her of all her symptoms and eventually asked her if she was pregnant. The woman described her symptoms as aches of the chest area and groin and the woman told Alixson that she was not pregnant. Alixson physically examined the woman and also examined the woman’s urine and said that it was just like hers when she had the mal la marris. So, Alixson deduced that she also had the mal la marris and treated her with various herbs and spices, such as herb of nannice, calendula, fennel, celery, and cumin. With the cumin, Alixson wrapped a ball of it in some cloth and placed it in the woman’s groin. The next day, the woman had continued pains, so Alixson gave her a larger piece of cumin and also advised the woman how to make a suction cup like device made of candle wax and a piece of bread to put on the woman’s stomach and relieve her of the pain in her uterus. She also told the woman to lay in a bath with some herbs in it. Four days later, the woman suffered a miscarriage, not even knowing she had been pregnant beforehand. When the townspeople found out, Alixson was arrested by the Bishop of Beauvais and questioned by him, so she presented her case, explaining that she treated the patient to the best of her ability at the request of the woman’s husband and was completely unaware that she was pregnant. Alixson was eventually pardoned for her crime, but as punishment she was permanently banished from Beauvais and imprisoned for two months. Her reputation was restored, and all of her goods were returned to her.
Essays
Medieval Medical Practices
Physicians in the 15th century used a variety of methods for diagnosing various illnesses. The most common practice among these was urine analysis, which consisted of taking a sample of urine from the patient, and examining its color, smell, and viscosity. One of the first things Alixson did was examine the woman’s urine, as well as performing a physical examination. Some other typical methods used for diagnosis included blood analysis and taking the patient’s pulse. After the initial examination and diagnosis, the physician would go on to prescribe a treatment for whatever ailment the patient was facing. Most physicians of the time believed that illness stemmed from an imbalance in the humoral equilibrium, so their treatments aimed to restore that balance. Some common treatments were change in diet, medication (such as herbs and other medicinal plants), and purging the body of bad liquids through diuretics, laxatives, or bloodletting.
Further Reading Sources for the History of Medicine in Late Medieval England. New edition ed., Kalamazoo: Medieval Institute Publications, 1996. https://muse.jhu.edu/book/98669.
Women in Medicine
In the Middle Ages, women practicing medicine was for the most part restricted to either nursing or midwifery, following the idea that “women’s health was women’s business”. Though women were often recognized as healers, they were not normally allowed to be licensed as doctors or surgeons as males were. Nurses were allowed to perform simple first aid procedures, such as cleaning and dressing wounds and giving the patients medicinal herbs. But mostly they just looked after the patient; changing their bed linens, feeding them, and calling for a doctor or priest whenever they were needed. While there is some evidence that supports that male medical practitioners were interested in gynecology and obstetrics in from a theoretical perspective, but in reality, women were typically charged with any care related to women’s reproductive health and childbirth. Their main roles as midwifes consisted of examining the patient, providing any necessary treatment, and helping deliver the child. In France, the professional standards upheld by society were not based both on skill and morality. For it was very important to the Church that in the case that a child was stillborn or extremely ill, that the midwife could baptize the baby without a priest there. Meaning that the midwifes would have to be approved by the church and taught how to perform a baptism ahead of time.
Further Reading
Sources for the History of Medicine in Late Medieval England. New edition ed., Kalamazoo: Medieval Institute Publications, 1996. https://muse.jhu.edu/book/98669.
Green, Monica. “Women’s Medical Practice and Health Care in Medieval Europe.” Signs 14, no. 2 (1989): 434–73. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3174557.
Green, Monica H. The Trotula: A Medieval Compendium of Women's Medicine. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2013. https://muse.jhu.edu/book/24644.
Abortion and Infanticide
In this case, it seems that the treatments Alixson provided the patient with resulted in an accidental abortion. While it is not made clear in the letter whether Alixson was arrested for performing the abortion or for practicing without a license, it seems likely that both offenses played a role in her arrest. And though the result from her actions was not purposeful, the justice system likely treated them as such until she was able to state her case. While it doesn’t quite relate to this story, infanticide and abortion were closely related in the Middle Ages, though infanticide was punished more harshly than abortion. The murder of an infant was considered one of the most deplorable crimes of the time. The killing of an innocent child, in the eyes of the church and society, was punishable by death in some cases. In other cases, though, the murderer, often the mother of the child, was pardoned in Medieval France. It is thought that the justice system may have been more lenient with women offenders, due to the fact that women were less often criminals than men. But because abortions and infanticide could be easily concealed, the true prevalence of these crimes in Medieval France is not actually known.
Further Reading
Billingham, Josephine. Infanticide in Tudor and Stuart England. Amsterdam University Press, 2019. https://muse.jhu.edu/book/68875.
Stuard, Susan Mosher. Women in Medieval Society. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2012. https://muse.jhu.edu/book/14064.
Cochrane, Lydia G., and Robert Fossier. “2. The Ages of Life” in The Axe and the Oath: Ordinary Life in the Middle Ages. Course Book ed., Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2010. https://muse.jhu.edu/book/31182.
McDougall, Sara. “Pardoning Infanticide in Late Medieval France.” Law and History Review 39, no. 2 (2021): 229–53. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0738248020000267.
Banishment and Exile
Permanent banishment from a town in the Middle Ages, as seen in Alixson’s case, was actually quite rare. Temporary banishment followed by a pardon was much more common. A person could be exiled or banished or exiled from a town for a number of different reasons. Like we see from Alixson’s pardon letter, it could be for performing an illegal abortion or for practicing without a license (it’s unclear which offense she was being punished for, or if it was for both). In Honor, Vengeance, and Social Trouble, there are several examples of banishment. Such as, banishment for murder, offending a guild official in public, committing adultery, and various forms of violence. But, unlike Alixson’s banishment, only the murder case resulted in a permanent banishment. For the other cases, the banishment lasted one to two years.
Further Reading
Jordan, William Chester. From England to France: Felony and Exile in the High Middle Ages. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2015. https://muse.jhu.edu/book/47723.
Prevenier, Walter, and Peter Arnade. Honor, Vengeance, and Social Trouble: Pardon Letters in the Burgundian Low Countries. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2015. https://muse.jhu.edu/book/57708.