sir september fourteenth century french knight governed estates normandy vassal served admiral campaigns english forces ottoman_empire infamous medieval france fighting judicial duel permitted french king combat decreed contest charges rape brought neighbour friend behalf wife attended highest french nobility time led king family including number royal attended thousands ordinary ensuing decades chronicled notable medieval historians des described chronicles man fierce brave warrior death battle came year military career served normandy scotland hungary distinction success heavily involved court politics initially seat overlord count later politics royal household paris attached royal bodyguard years following judicial duel life conducted long trail legal financial dealings infuriated contemporaries invited violence family truth events led public mortal combat paris suburbs known legend debated discussed years later early life born late village eldest son knight minor noble sir wife iii influential man lower normandy vassal veteran soldier service iii rewarded long military service years war title rank came command vital hill castle overlooking town role sheriff vicinity post carrying significant financial social rewards grew father domain centred village family maintained hereditary castle followed father armed service served minor campaigns english normandy following majority age given parcel family lands administer interested expanding family holdings family castle village destroyed english soldiers new castle built nearby instructions france early married daughter lord included lands vital ambition expanding family estates shortly wedding gave birth son godfather neighbour close friend inherited brother robert county castle addition gained brother including father son younger soon joined court circle count centered town friendship began deteriorate rapidly favourite count overlooked rewarded service count father castle granted newly purchased estate jealous friend men soon rivals court year entering service tragedy struck wife son died unknown natural causes response left home joined service accompanied force overall command king charles distinguished minor actions english month campaign half killed battle disease returning home successful campaign married daughter highly controversial norman lord twice sided french king territorial conflicts lucky survive albeit reduced circumstances union hoped restore family status wealth hoping heir young contemporaries described young beautiful good sensible modest shortly marriage revealed motive union valuable estate given rival years earlier owned father law bought french immediately began lawsuit recover land based assumed prior claim case dragged months ultimately forced visit cousin king officially confirm ownership land right followers chose despite losing case lawsuit reflected poorly court resulted count circle years lawsuit court facing time dispute lands administered recently deceased father iii death early vacated castle post believed right failed lawsuit years earlier passed gave followers infuriated brought legal action overlord defeated court lasting result action separation count court march effort expand family holdings purchase neighbouring neighbour sir sale required approval overlord consequence previous legal difficulties caused refused permit sale insisted turn properties exchange original price paid choice comply subsequently blamed influence new campaigning scotland late entered society time marriage years earlier attending party celebrate birth neighbour son met celebration agreed end quarrel introducing wife time months meeting march attempted increase family wealth military means joining army expedition sailing edinburgh force soldiers intended unite scottish army raid distracting english forces operations france traveling men arms horses gold equipment entourage rode took ship spring arrival scotland time spent gathering scottish troops campaign england french delayed months collecting supplies army south july villages farms region river besieging burning ground allied army continued south northumberland burnt villages towns farms castles line advance large english responded army led king advanced allied force offered battle french prepared fight scots allies retreated leaving french exposed consequently forced retreat outside edinburgh scottish army dispersed inhabitants city fled north leaving french city realising force outnumbered food help took army south rounding english night august northumberland looting attacking unable break walls franco scottish army returned northwards attacked army destroyed army wagon train took prisoners defeated french returned refused provision french army men died disease starvation late year french army boarded ship returned flanders bankrupt defeated despite expedition failure distinguished campaign lost men arms substantial money awarded battlefield substantially raising social status money received military service despite poor health return scotland business paris january traveled collect wages previous year campaign leaving wife mother law village rape setting paris visited meet announcing intention continuing capital followed sequence events forever remain unclear dramatic effect lives concerned certain encountered rival court words exchanged said unknown contrast bankrupt rival scottish expedition grown absence reputation fierce strong soldier addition notorious reputation played allegations followed morning january dame departed neighbouring town legal business attend journey short apparently took household servants leaving daughter law day testimony alleged man arms named knocked door opened absence servants according loan owed suddenly announcing outside door insisted seeing refusal loves greatly desires protested forced way house offering money remain silent affair refused violently raped aid threatened tell occurred pain death remained silent ordeal days husband return january hearing encounter outraged summoned circle friends including mother family council convened repeated account rape decided immediately begin legal proceedings faced great difficulties favourite act judge case addition case weak witness trial sided affair wife bother attend acquitted charges furthermore accused dreaming attack legal proceedings search fair trial traveled paris appeal king knowing case depended solely wife testimony weak developed plan instead proceeding normal criminal trial challenge judicial duel survivor deemed god rightful trials combat common france rare chance permitted king unlikely saw scheme best option justice wife reputation days arrival paris presented king order official appeal lengthy trial process captured imagination french court later fascinated trial shape schedule watching culminating combat july second stage legal process began followers presented justice issue formal challenge involved reciting accusations throwing signifying intention fight pronounced king brother entire decided initially hear case ordinary criminal decision permit judicial duel sides given testimony attempts persuade insist church trial proved unsuccessful wished counter accusation lawsuit opponent claiming following number high ranking stepped forward act seconds duel men including saint count criminal trial continued summer called evidence time visibly pregnant medieval medical knowledge claimed children conceived result rape condition determined bearing case gave evidence custom day people low birth tortured test testimony process produced evidence subsequently challenged duel cousin evidence statement primarily repeated supported wife testimony accused charges beating wife making accusations statement painted picture man driven wild anger jealousy sought restore family fortune false accusations significant rival offered whereabouts entire week crime supposed committed attempted explain possible ridden miles supposedly separated morning question emphasised shame trial brought family reason invention offered counter demonstration indicating suggested mile round trip impossible true compromised days later man providing named arrested committing rape paris trial progressed september king flanders preparing invasion england handed verdict unable determine guilt case men fight duel death november trial combat months following verdict ones great activity parties citizens paris judicial rare established set aside arena abbey saint martin des north city agreed host combat endured bouts illness weeks following verdict recovered aid families supporters joined hundreds people city nearby regions witness fight event popular king believed return paris time combat held flanders bad roads sent fast messenger paris delaying duel month order present witness royal intervention set date combat december months trial duel french queen bavaria given birth sons son robert strong healthy boy child december died descend mourning king ordered parties celebrations pinnacle intended duel morning combat saw thousands arriving abbey dawn long appointed hour spectators king entourage including john duke philip bold duke brother duke present dressed black sitting carriage overlooking field husband lose battle burnt stake immediately following duel having proven guilty outcome combatants took field early afternoon mounted dressed plate armour carried lance heavy battle axe known long dagger called appeared reciting charges king crowd followed order equal standing fight knights gave god virgin mary god judgment duel outcome finally approached wife pledged honour kissing promising return field cleared silence descended arena following king instructions anybody interfered duel executed shouted verbally interrupted combat lose hand knights squared marshal signal charged struck failed penetrate thick hides covering shields combatants wheeled charged time striking rounding knights charged time striking shields time shattering impact warriors drew axes charged fourth time kicking centre field traded blows stronger man able drive axe neck horse beheaded beast ground jumped clear weapon turn foot knights drew swords returned battle proving stronger opponent slowly gaining upper hand minutes engagement slipped able stab rival right thigh crowd stepped view opponent injury desperately counter attacked wrestling ground heavy armour prevented regaining feet repeatedly stabbed opponent blows thick plate steel realising sword inadequate handle dagger smash lock holding position opponent struggled beneath tore plate demanded admit guilt refused cried god soul innocent infuriated drove dagger neck killing instantly standing opponent remained field crowd pages rushed wound king presented prize thousand addition royal income year greet wife emotional scene thousands spectators crowd following great procession rode abbey cathedral notre dame paris thanks victory weeks duel thousand gold position rewards enabled begin legal action attempting exert earlier claim land remained reach held land death favourite held estates court years children settled paris normandy celebrity gifts investments promoted bodyguard king title came substantial financial position important social standing following year dispatched hungary mission investigate severity threat ottoman_empire boundaries steadily spreading mission second command marshal france famous soldier indicating elevated social position enjoyed following duel present notorious occurrences fourteenth century france descent madness king accompanied king campaign present entered brittany hunt noble fled paris following failed attempt murder constable france army passed august loud noise entourage french king believing attack nearest person man happened brother turned fled brother sword killing pages attempted calm temper king set pursuit louis leaving army countryside pursuit continued hours exhausted king eventually subdued bodyguard including crusade early following peace treaty england french army pressing threat turks east new crusade leader original party investigate events hungary natural return followers service old commander admiral army crossed united hungarians marched south burning city inhabitants following course danube southeast cutting destruction ottoman territory september army arrived city repulsed walls settled siege weeks later arrived large army south town took strong defensive position challenging meet army moved confront september poor discipline fractured leadership national factions resulted premature assault french force controlled ottoman troops allied army reserves defeated furious engagement fell allied army thousands captured executed battle victorious turkish troops exact fate sir midst melee unknown probable fell close commander forces trapped turkish cavalry following death estates passed year old son robert mural jean painted celebrate memory time family mural faded obscurity legacy controversy celebrity surrounding case judicial duel permitted french government attended infamous event soon attracted near legendary status france memory duel far participants primarily result recorded soon contemporary chronicler following century vivid imaginative accounts carried chronicles des story imaginative twists factual details case unusually recorded medieval trial records survived intact lawyer kept meticulous notes case exist addition clear view proceedings notes contain concerns client innocence deemed highly suspect despite records event entered historical texts example great justice brought tradition trial combat end chronicles including saint chronicles jean des tell deathbed confession rape man story basis fact subsequently repeated later sources notably years contained version tale entry duel information eventually removed edition printed 1970s sources discussed story varying degrees detail including section number books written nineteenth century including work 1880s descendant author attempted prove ancestor innocence twentieth century authors studied case recent duel professor english ucla books duel century isbn cross crescent bbc isbn
Jean de Carrouges