Petit Meschin facts for kids
Perin de Sasine, also known as Le Petit Meschin, was a French soldier and mercenary during the Hundred Years War in the 1300s. He was originally from a region in France called Gascony.
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Who Was Le Petit Meschin?
Le Petit Meschin started his career as a soldier. However, after the Treaty of Brétigny in 1360, a peace agreement in the Hundred Years' War, many soldiers like him were left without jobs. These groups of unemployed soldiers were called the "Tard-Venus" or "Free Companies." They often roamed the countryside, taking supplies and money from towns and villages to survive.
A Soldier's Life After War
In early 1362, Le Petit Meschin and his group, the Tard-Venus, moved into an area called Forez. Meschin took control of a religious building, a priory, in a place called Estivareilles.
King John II of France was worried about these groups. He asked Count Jacques de Bourbon and Jean de Tancarville to gather an army. Their mission was to stop the "Free Companies" before they could cause more trouble in the region of Burgundy. This royal army gathered near a town called Brignais.
The Battle of Brignais
The King's army began to surround Brignais, a town that the Free Companies had taken over as their base. The royal soldiers did not expect the Free Companies to attack them directly. Because of this, they were not fully prepared in their camp.
On April 6, 1362, Le Petit Meschin's forces launched a surprise attack. The King's army was completely caught off guard. In the fierce battle that followed, the government army was defeated. Count James Bourbon and his oldest son were badly wounded and later died from their injuries. This battle was a big victory for the Free Companies.
Capture and End
Years later, in 1368, Le Petit Meschin was finally captured. He was taken prisoner by Huart Raincheval, who was the Bailiff of Franche-Comté, on May 11, 1369.
