- Étienne Marcel
Étienne Marcel (died
July 31 ,1358 ) was provost of themerchant s ofParis under King John II.Étienne Marcel belonged by birth to the wealthy Parisian
bourgeoisie , being the son of a clothier named Simon Marcel and of Isabelle Barbou. He is mentioned as provost of the "Grande-Confrérie of Notre Dame" in 1350, and in 1354 he succeededJean de Pacy as provost of the Parisian merchants representing the mercantile leaders of theThird Estate .Cite book|title=A Distant Mirror |author=Barbara Tuchman |publisher=Alfred A. Knopf, NY (1978)|page=155ff|]His political career began in 1356, when John was made prisoner after the battle of Poitiers. In conjunction with
Robert le Coq ,bishop of Laon , he played a leading part in the states general called together by the dauphin Charles onOctober 17 . A committee of eighty members, constituted on their initiative, pressed their demands with such insistence that the dauphin prorogued the states-general; but financial straits obliged him to summon them once more onFebruary 3 ,1357 , and the promulgation of a great edict of reform was the consequence.John the Good forbade its being put into effect, whereupon a conflict began between Marcel and the dauphin, Marcel endeavouring to set up Charles the Bad,king of Navarre , in opposition to him. The states general assembled again onJanuary 13 ,1358 , and onFebruary 22 the populace of Paris, led by Marcel, invaded the palace and murdered the marshals of Champagne andNormandy before the prince's eyes. However, the murder of the nobles undermined Marcel's further support by the aristocracy.Thenceforward Marcel was now in open hostility to the throne. After vainly hoping that the insurrection of the
Jacquerie might turn to his advantage, he next supported the king of Navarre, whose armed bands infested the neighborhood of Paris. On the night ofJuly 31 Marcel was about to open the gates of the capital to them, butJean Maillart prevented the execution of this design. He was killed by the guards at thePorte Saint-Antoine . During the following days his adherents were likewise put to death, and the dauphin was enabled to re-enter Paris.Étienne Marcel married first
Jeanne de Dammartin , and secondlyMarguerite des Essars , who survived him.References
*1911
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