Marie Magdelaine Mouron

Last updated
Marie Magdelaine Mouron
Bornfl.1696
Other namesPicard or La Garonne
OccupationFrench soldier from 1690 until 1696

Marie Magdelaine Mouron, also known as Picard and La Garonne (floruit 1696), was a French soldier.

She served in the French army disguised as a male from 1690 until 1696. [1] She served under the Duke of Noailles in Catalonia and participated in the Siege of Rosas in 1693. Her biological gender was exposed after she was forced to seek medical attention after winning a duel with a male comrade. In March 1696, she was arrested accused of desertion, during which her story was documented.

The documentation of her case is considered to have great historic value for several reasons: it documents a case of a female early modern age soldier without the sensationalism usually surrounding narratives of such occurrences; it also documents the life of a common foot soldier of the French army regardless of gender, as narratives of French foot soldiers of this epoch are quite rare.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louis XIV</span> King of France from 1643 to 1715

Louis XIV, also known as Louis the Great or the Sun King, was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the longest of any sovereign. An emblematic character of the Age of Absolutism in Europe, Louis XIV's legacy is widely characterized by French colonial expansion, the conclusion of Eighty Years' War involving the Hapsburgs, and his architectural bequest, marked by commissioned works of art and buildings. His pageantry, opulent lifestyle and ornate cultivated image earned him enduring admiration. Louis XIV raised France to be the exemplar nation-state of the early modern period, and established a cultural prestige which lasted through the subsequent centuries until today.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Fleurus (1690)</span> Battle in the Nine Years War between France and the Grand Alliance

The Battle of Fleurus, fought on 1 July 1690 near Fleurus, then part of the Spanish Netherlands, now in modern Belgium, was a major engagement of the Nine Years' War. A French army led by Marshall Luxembourg defeated an Allied force under Waldeck.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Beachy Head (1690)</span> 1690 fleet action of the Nine Years War

The Battle of Beachy Head, also known as the Battle of Bévéziers, was a fleet action fought on 10 July 1690 during the Nine Years' War. The battle was the most significant French naval victory over their English and Dutch opponents during the war. The Dutch lost seven ships of the line and three fire ships; their English allies also lost one ship of the line, whereas the French did not lose a single vessel. Control of the English Channel temporarily fell into French hands but French Vice-Admiral Anne Hilarion de Tourville failed to pursue the Anglo-Dutch fleet with sufficient vigour, allowing it to fall back to the Thames.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Camille d'Hostun, duc de Tallard</span> French nobleman, diplomat, and marshal

Camille d'Hostun de la Baume, duc de Tallard was a French nobleman, diplomat and military commander, who became a Marshal of France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1690s in Canada</span>

Events from the 1690s in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Claude Louis Hector de Villars, 1st Duke of Villars</span> Marshal General of France

Claude Louis Hector de Villars, Prince of Martigues, Marquis then (1st) Duke of Villars, Viscount of Melun was a French military commander and an illustrious general of Louis XIV of France. He was one of only six Marshals to have been promoted Marshal General of France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wartime cross-dressers</span>

Many people have engaged in cross-dressing during wartime under various circumstances and for various motives. This has been especially true of women, whether while serving as a soldier in otherwise all-male armies, while protecting themselves or disguising their identity in dangerous circumstances, or for other purposes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maria Anna of Neuburg</span> Queen of Spain from 1689 to 1700

Maria Anna of Neuburg, was a German princess and member of the Wittelsbach family. In 1689, she became Queen consort of Spain as the second wife of Charles II of Spain, last Habsburg ruler of the Spanish Empire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Douglas, 1st Earl of Dumbarton</span> Scottish military officer

Major-General George Douglas, 1st Earl of Dumbarton KT was a Scottish military officer who spent much of his career in the service of King Louis XIV. In 1678, he returned to England; as a Catholic, he was a trusted servant of King James II and went into exile with him after the 1688 Glorious Revolution. He died at the palace of St Germain-en-Laye in March, 1692.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Almenar</span> 1710 battle

The Battle of Almenar also referred to as Almenara was a battle in the Iberian theatre of the War of the Spanish Succession.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">René de Froulay, Count of Tessé</span> French soldier

René de Froulay, Count of Tessé was a French soldier and diplomat during the reign of Louis XIV and the 1715–1723 Regency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">François de Créquy</span> French noble and soldier

François de Blanchefort de Créquy, later Marquis de Marines, 2 October 1629 to 3 February 1687, was a 17th-century French noble and soldier, who served in the wars of Louis XIV of France.

The Battle of Walcourt was fought on 25 August 1689 during the Nine Years' War. The action took place near the ancient walled town of Walcourt near Charleroi in the Spanish Netherlands, and brought to a close a summer of uneventful marching, manoeuvring, and foraging. The battle was a success for the Grand Alliance – the only significant engagement in the theatre during the campaign of 1689.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siege of Namur (1692)</span> 1692 battle of the Nine Years War

The Siege of Namur, 25 May–30 June 1692, was a major engagement of the Nine Years' War, and was part of the French grand plan to defeat the forces of the Grand Alliance and bring a swift conclusion to the war. Namur, sitting on the confluence of the Meuse and Sambre rivers, was a considerable fortress, and was a significant political and military asset. French forces, guided by Vauban, forced the town's surrender on 5 June, but the citadel, staunchly defended by Menno van Coehoorn, managed to hold on until 30 June before capitulating, bringing an end to the 36-day siege. Concerned that King William III planned to recapture the stronghold, King Louis XIV subsequently ordered his commander-in-chief, the duc de Luxembourg, to join battle with the Allies in the field, resulting in the bloody Battle of Steenkerque on 3 August.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siege of Namur (1695)</span> 1695 battle of the Nine Years War

The 1695 Siege of Namur or Second Siege of Namur took place during the Nine Years' War between 2 July and 4 September 1695. Its capture by the French in the 1692 siege and recapture by the Grand Alliance in 1695 are often viewed as the defining events of the war; the second siege is considered to be William III's most significant military success during the war.

Women have played a leading role in active warfare. The following is a list of prominent women in war and their exploits from about 1500 up to about 1699.

Women have contributed to military activities including as combatants. The following list describes women known to have participated in military actions in the 18th century. For women in warfare in the United States at this time, please see Timeline of women in war in the United States, pre-1945.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John A. Lynn</span>

John Albert Lynn is a military historian who has written on a wide variety of topics in his field, with an emphasis on early modern Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Ramsay (military officer)</span>

Lieutenant-General George Ramsay was a younger son of the Earl of Dalhousie and Scottish professional soldier.

Anna Jöransdotter, was a finlandssvenskar soldier. She served in the army of Charles XII of Sweden for two years during the Great Northern War, and married a woman. Her case is the perhaps most researched Swedish case of the phenomena of females impersonating males to serve in the military during the modern age. Her actions were the cause of a suggestion to introduce a law regarding homosexuality in Sweden.

References