Raoul de Gaucourt

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Raoul de Gaucourt, also known as the Sieur de Gaucort or Sire de Gaucourt (c. 1370–1461) was a French soldier and statesman. He fought at the Battle of Nicopolis in 1396 and the Siege of Harfleur in 1415, and spent 10 years as a prisoner in England. He was described by Juliet Barker in 2005 as "a medieval chivalric hero whom the modern world has forgotten".

Early life and background[]

Born c. 1370,^[1] Gaucourt came from a noble family from Picardy.^[2] The family was loyal to the House of Armagnac, and Gaucourt had "strong personal connections" with Charles, Duke of Orléans, Charles I d'Albret and Marshal Boucicaut.^[2]

Military career[]

Early career[]

Gaucourt fought at the Battle of Nicopolis in 1396,^[3] and was knighted on that battlefield at the age of 26.^[2] He was captured and ransomed during the battle.^[2]

In 1400 Gaucourt was a founding member of Boucicaut's .^[2]

In 1409 Gaucourt commanded a French army in Genoa, and captured Milan alongside Boucicaut.^[2]

During the Armagnac–Burgundian Civil War, in 1411, he captured the bridge of St Cloud on behalf of Charles, Duke of Orléans.^[4]

In 1412 he served as Chamberlain to Charles, Duke of Orléans.^[5] He then served as captain of a number of Armagnac castles.^[5]

In 1415 he was a founding member of the .^[5]

Siege of Harfleur[]

Gaucourt was chosen by d'Albret and Boucicaut to help defend the town of Harfleur from the army of the English king Henry V in September 1415.^[6] Historian Juliet Barker said that they needed "an experienced and trustworthy knight to take charge of the defences".^[6]

Gaucourt, alongside , refused to surrender the town.^[7] When Henry's troops laid siege to the town, "de Gaucourt and his men fought back with a courage and determination that won the admiration of the English chaplain".^[8] Gaucourt oversaw the repair of defences in the town.^[8]

Gaucourt and members of the town council met with Henry on 17 September 1415.^[9] Gaucourt refused to surrender.^[10] However, the next day the town council offered to surrender on 22 September if the siege had not been broken by then.^[11] Gaucourt was unaware of this offer until he met again with Henry,^[12] but he and his fellow military commanders in the town (d'Estouteville and ) agreed to surrender.^[13]

Gaucourt and his troops had held out for 18 days, rather than the 8 that Henry had planned for; "Henry had underestimated the determination and ingenuity of de Gaucourt and his men".^[14] On 22 September Gaucourt presented the town's keys to Henry.^[15]

Gaucourt and 65 others were taken prisoner.^[16] Gaucourt was later released to carry a message to the Dauphin from Henry, challenging him to one-on-one combat to end the war.^[17] After doing so, Gaucourt "retreat[ed] to his sickbed",^[18] suffering from dysentry.^[19]

Later career and death[]

Following the Battle of Agincourt, Gaucourt surrendered himself to Henry in Calais,^[19] and spent 10 years as a prisoner in England.^[1] He was released on licence in 1416 and again in 1417.^[20] In January 1417 he carried a secret message from Henry to the French king.^[21]

After his final release "he became a major figure in the reconquest of English-held lands in France",^[1] and "fought in every campaign against the English".^[22] This included fighting alongside Joan of Arc, including at the Siege of Orléans.^[22]

Gaucourt died in 1461.^[1] He was in his late 80s or early 90s.^[22]

Legacy[]

He was described by Barker as "a medieval chivalric hero whom the modern world has forgotten",^[2] and "one of the chief architects of the final expulsion of the English from France".^[22]

References[]

Sources[]

• Barker, Juliet (2005). Agincourt : the King, the campaign, the battle. London: Little, Brown. ISBN 978-0-316-72648-1. OCLC 1244223711 – via Internet Archive.