Robert de Baudricourt (ca. 1400-1454), ''

Seigneur ''Seigneur'' is an originally feudal title in France before the Revolution, in New France and British North America until 1854, and in the Channel Islands to this day. A seigneur refers to the person or collective who owned a ''seigneurie'' (or ...

de Baudricourt, Blaise, Buxy and Sorcy'' was a minor figure of 15th century

French nobility The French nobility (french: la noblesse française) was a privileged social class in France from the Middle Ages until its abolition on June 23, 1790 during the French Revolution. From 1808 to 1815 during the First Empire the Emperor Napol ...

. The son of the

Chamberlain Chamberlain may refer to: Profession *Chamberlain (office), the officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign or other noble figure People *Chamberlain (surname) **Houston Stewart Chamberlain (1855–1927), German-British philosop ...

of the

Duke of Bar The County of Bar, later Duchy of Bar, was a principality of the Holy Roman Empire encompassing the '' pays de Barrois'' and centred on the city of Bar-le-Duc. It was held by the House of Montbéliard from the 11th century. Part of the county, ...

, his principal claim to fame is to have been the first stepping stone in the career of

Joan of Arc Joan of Arc (french: link=yes, Jeanne d'Arc, translit= �an daʁk} ; 1412 – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the coronat ...

.Philippe Contamine, Olivier Bouzy et Xavier Hélary, Jeanne d'Arc. Histoire et dictionnaire, Paris, Robert Laffont, coll. ( Bouquins, 2012), p1214 . In 1429, Robert de Baudricourt's only title was captain of the royal garrison at

Vaucouleurs Vaucouleurs () is a commune in the Meuse department, northeastern France. It is situated on the river Meuse, approximately from Toul and Commercy. History Geoffrey de Geneville, 1st Baron Geneville (1225/33 – 21 October 1314) also known as ...

. It was to him that Joan of Arc appealed to provide an escort to the court of Charles Valois, Dauphin of France. Initially, Baudricourt simply did not take the sixteen-year-old peasant girl seriously, but since Vaucouleurs was not a large town, he could hardly avoid her. Having cornered him in a public place, she began to lecture everyone present, holding them spellbound, and putting public pressure on Baudricourt to assist her. Finally, he relented, and provided an escort to visit the Dauphin. Baudricourt advanced during the war against the

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

and over the rest of his career, rising to

squire In the Middle Ages, a squire was the shield- or armour-bearer of a knight. Use of the term evolved over time. Initially, a squire served as a knight's apprentice. Later, a village leader or a lord of the manor might come to be known as a ...

, then

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...

, and finally was made a

lord Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or are ...

In popular culture

He is played by

George Coulouris George Alexander Coulouris (1 October 1903 – 25 April 1989) was an English film and stage actor. Early life Coulouris was born in Manchester, Lancashire, England, the son of Abigail (née Redfern) anNicholas Coulouris a merchant of Greek o ...

in the 1948 film ''

'', and by

Maury Chaykin Maury Alan Chaykin (July 27, 1949 – July 27, 2010) was an American–Canadian actor, best known for his portrayal of detective Nero Wolfe, as well as for his work as a character actor in many films and television programs. Personal lif ...

in the 1999 miniseries ''

''.

Family

He married Arléarde de Chambley and his son Jean de Baudricourt was

Marshal of France Marshal of France (french: Maréchal de France, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished ( ...

References

External links

Joan of Arc and Vaucouleurs
1400 births 1454 deaths 15th-century French people {{France-noble-stub