Marie de Brimeu facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marie de Brimeu
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Marie de Brimeu
Princesse de Chimay |
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| Born | 1550 Megen, imperially immediate county within the Duchy of Brabant, Habsburg Netherlands
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| Died | 18 April 1605 (aged 54–55) |
| Resting place | Megen Church |
| Nationality | Netherlandish |
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| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Botany, Horticulture |
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Marie de Brimeu (born around 1550 in Megen, died April 18, 1605, in Liège) was a noblewoman from Flanders. She was famous for her deep knowledge of plants (called botany) and gardening (called horticulture). She became the Countess of Meghem in 1572 after her uncle, Charles de Brimeu, passed away. Later, in 1580, she married Charles III, Prince of Chimay, which made her a Princess.
Contents
Her Life Story
Family and Early Years
Princess Marie de Brimeu of Chimay was the niece of Charles de Brimeu, who was the Count of Meghem. When her uncle died in 1572 without children, Marie inherited his titles, becoming the Countess of Meghem. She was born in 1550 in Megen, a small town in what was then the Habsburg Netherlands (today it's in the North Brabant province of the Netherlands).
Marie was the younger daughter of George de Brimeu, Lord of Quierieu. Her older sister was Marguerite de Brimeu. Marie spent much of her early life in Mechelen, where her family had a large house. From a young age, she loved gardens and plants. In 1571, she sent a letter and plant samples from Antwerp to the famous plant scientist Carolus Clusius in Mechelen. This shows she already had a garden in Antwerp. Another botanist, Matthaeus Lobelius, also mentioned her Antwerp garden.
Her Marriages
Marie's first marriage was in 1572 to Lancelot de Berlaymont, Lord of Beauraing. He was the son of Charles de Berlaymont, an important person in the Netherlands government. Lancelot fought as a captain and became governor of a fortress. Sadly, both he and his father died in 1578 during a battle. Marie had two children with Lancelot, but they both passed away when they were very young.
After her first husband died, Marie became a follower of Calvinism, a type of Protestantism. However, she married again in 1580 to Charles III de Croÿ, Prince of Chimay. He was ten years younger than her. Marie convinced Charles to also become a Protestant.
In 1582, Marie and Charles had to leave Liège because Protestants were being treated badly. They found safety in Sedan, a Protestant stronghold. There, Charles officially became a Protestant. They later moved to other cities like Calais and Antwerp.
Marie de Brimeu separated from her husband in 1584 when he decided to become Catholic again. Even though they separated, a court ruled that Marie could keep all her possessions. She lived an independent life as a wealthy woman. She even faced threats to her life in 1586. Marie was well-liked by important leaders, including the Earl of Leicester, who was the Governor General of the Dutch Republic.
Her Independent Life
Marie spent a lot of her time hunting and taking care of her gardens and special plants. Even though her family was from the southern Netherlands, she lived much of her life in the northern parts. In 1593, the government asked her to move to The Hague to be closer to the court.
People tried to help Marie and her husband make up, and they reached an agreement in 1600. Marie moved back to the south, settling in Liège, where she also created a new garden. Her last years were spent dealing with poor health. She died in Liège in 1605 at the age of 55 and was buried in the church in Megen.
Her Times
Marie de Brimeu was born into a French-speaking, Catholic noble family. Her life happened during a very busy and difficult time in the Low Countries, known as the Eighty Years' War (1568–1648). This was a long war where the northern provinces fought for independence from Spanish rule.
During this time, Calvinism was growing, and the authorities were very strict, even having a special court called the Inquisition to deal with religious differences. The Duchy of Brabant, where Marie was born, was split between the fighting sides.
Despite the war, it was also a time of great learning and discovery in botany. Botany was one of the few areas where both men and women could be recognized as experts.
Her Work in Botany
Marie de Brimeu was known for her important work in botany and horticulture. She was part of a scientific group led by Carolus Clusius, whom she met in the 1570s. They wrote many letters to each other (27 of her letters to him still exist). These letters are a valuable source of information about plant knowledge at that time.
Even though Marie was a noblewoman and Clusius was a scholar, they were very close friends for most of their lives. Marie reminded him that another scholar had called him "the father of all the beautiful gardens in this country." Marie became an expert in gardening and creating gardens that were admired throughout the Netherlands. She showed how people at that time appreciated beauty and learning for its own sake.
In 1590, when Marie moved to Leiden, she lived next to the Hortus Botanicus, which was the botanical garden of Leiden University. Clusius later became a professor there in 1593. Besides Clusius, Marie also became friends with other scholars and many noblewomen who shared her interests. Many of these women also wrote to Clusius, showing that their love for plants brought them together, no matter their religious differences.
Marie used her influence at court and at Leiden University to help Clusius get his job in Leiden. In her own garden in Leiden, she grew different kinds of tulips and other rare plants. Even after she moved away from Leiden, she kept writing to Clusius and they exchanged plants. Other botanists, like Matthaeus Lobelius, noticed her work. Lobelius mentioned her in his book Cruydtboeck (1581) as one of the most important tulip growers in Flanders. He even gave her a catalog so she could order plants from Britain.
Her Legacy
A type of flower, the plant genus Brimeura, was named after her by Richard Anthony Salisbury in 1866.
