Jacques le Gris
14th-century French squire and knight / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Sir Jacques le Gris (lit. "the Gray") (c. 1330s – 29 December 1386) was a French squire and knight who gained fame and infamy, and was ultimately killed when he engaged in one of the last judicial duels permitted by the Parlement of Paris after he was accused of rape by Marguerite de Carrouges, the wife of his neighbour and rival, Sir Jean de Carrouges. Carrouges brought legal proceedings against Le Gris before King Charles VI who, after hearing the evidence, authorised a trial by combat to determine the question. The duel attracted thousands of spectators and has been discussed by many notable French writers, from the contemporary Jean Froissart to Voltaire.
Sir Jacques le Gris | |
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Born | c. 1330s Normandy, France |
Died | 29 December 1386 (aged c. 56) Paris, France |
Allegiance | Kingdom of France |
Years of service | 1370–1386 |
Rank | Captain of Exmes[2] |
Battles/wars | Hundred Years' War |
Awards | Lord of Aunou-le-Faucon[3] |
Described as a large and physically imposing man, and rumoured to be a womaniser, Le Gris was a liegeman (feudal retainer) of Count Pierre d'Alençon and a favourite at his court, governing a large swathe of his liege lord's territory, in addition to his own ancestral holdings. Le Gris' insistence on defending his case by chivalric trial by combat, rather than opting for the safer church trial (to which, as a cleric in minor orders, he was entitled), attracted widespread support for his cause amongst the French nobility.