Jeanne Hachette | |
---|---|
Born | circa 1454 |
Died | Unknown |
Nationality | French |
Known for | Heroic defence of the town of Beauvais in 1472 |
Honours | Honoured by the French King, Louis XI |
Jeanne Laisné, also known as Jeanne Fourquet in the 16th century and better known as Jeanne Hachette, 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.[1] 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.