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Jeanne Laisné, also known as Jeanne Fourquet in the 16th century and better known as Jeanne Hachette ("Joan the Hatchet"), is an emblematic figure in the history of the French city of Beauvais's resistance to the siege laid by Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy. She is said to have helped to repel a Burgundian attack on the town of Beauvais with a hatchet and, in popular history, has been elevated to the rank of French heroine. She was born in Beauvais, around 1454, and died on an unknown date. The details of her life, and even the fact of her existence, have been the subject of debate among historians, although several contemporaneous documents refer to her existence.
The siege of Beauvais in 1472Lettre patente royale datée en novembre 1483, signé par le roi Charles VIII, fils de Louis XI was a military operation launched by Charles the Bold against the King of France, Louis XI, following the latter's breach of the agreements concluded at Péronne in 1468. Charles had superior financial resources, more soldiers and better artillery than Louis XI, but his troops were harassed by the royal army and exhausted themselves by attacking small strongholds before turning to the much larger town of Beauvais.
Charles laid siege to Beauvais on June 27, 1472.Philippe de Commines, Mémoire, livre III, chapitre X, , GF Flammarion, Paris 2007; « Mais Dieu voulut qu'il feist doubte la ou il n'y en avoit point; car, pour ung petit ruisseau qui estoit a passer, il feist ceste difficulte; et depuys qu'il y eut largement gens d'armes dedans, il le voulut faire, qui eust este mettre tout son ost en peril; et a grand peyne l'en peult l'on desmouvoir. Et fut le jour de juing l'an MCCCCLXXII. » Ce jeune noble bourgignon s'enfuit après ce siège, le 7 août 1472 au soir, afin de servir à Louis XI. During a Burgundian attack on July 22, Jeanne Laisné is said to have wielded an axe in order to push back a Burgundian who had planted a flag upon the battlements. Axe in hand, Jeanne flung herself upon him, hurled him into the moat, tore down the flag, and revived the flagging courage of the defenders.Amable Sablon du Corail, Louis XI ou le joueur inquiet, Belin, Paris 2011, . Emboldened, the women of the city brought gunpowder and weapons to the fighters and may also have fought on the ramparts.Jacques Heers, Louis XI, , Perrin, Paris 2003.Georges Bordonove, Louis XI, , Pygmalion, Paris 1986. Thus the 80,000 Burgundian attackers were repulsed on July 22, and the advance of Charles the Bold was prevented outright.
Louis XI's well-organised army had already succeeded in cutting the Burgundians' supply lines. Nevertheless, the citizens of Beauvais were forced to defend their city for almost a month and, in the end, forced the enemy to retreat.Jean Favier, Louis XI, , Fayard, Paris 2001.Amable Sablon du corail, Louis XI ou le joueur inquiet, , Belin, Paris 2011. This success demonstrated that the bourgeoisie, including women, could organise a defence of a royal city without the support of the royal army.
In gratitude for this heroic deed, Louis XI allowed the city of Beauvais to form a municipal corporation and exempted it from taxes. He also praised the heroic efforts of the women of Beauvais and allowed them to wear whatever clothes and ornaments they liked, regardless of rank (despite the laws that permitted certain attire to be worn only by noble women). He also instituted a procession in Beauvais to celebrate its victory over the Burgundians. On this occasion, women were to precede men in the procession. These authorisations were directly given, first in June 1473, by order of Louis XI. He also authorised the marriage of Jeanne to her chosen lover, Colin Pilon, while also bestowing favours on them. Eusèbe de Laurière (1820). Ordonnances des Rois de France de la 3e Race, recueillies par ordre chronologique... (in French). p. 583.See Georges Vallat, Jeanne Hachette (Abbeville, 1898).
In reality, the name of Jeanne Laisné and descriptions of her exploits are found in several authoritative documents from the 15th century. These include historical accounts written soon after the siege of Beauvais and, in particular, the reliable chronicle by Robert Gaguin, Compendium super Francorum gestis (1497). In addition, several royal proclamations ( lettres patentes) attest to the reality of the military exploits of the women of Beauvais and, indeed, to Jeanne's very existence. The most pertinent of these are the letters patent of Louis XI sent in 1474 that explicitly refer to Jeanne Laisné, laud her exploits and authorize her marriage to Colin Pilon. A decree by Louis XI's financial officials, issued a short time later, gives substance to this royal proclamation by exempting the couple (both of whom are named explicitly) from present or future royal taxes.
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