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7:46 am
May 7, 2010
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What with the writing competition and THE date getting ever closer I have been thinking about the swordsman. I believe he was known as the swordsman of Calais or the French executioner etc but I just wondered – how steady an employment would that have been back then? Surely this chap was something else too? I can’t imagine there was an execution or two every day to keep him in business. Where then does the title of ‘executioner’ come from? Is it perhaps generic or whatever, any swordsman of France could be called upon to do the deed as it were? I have been trying to find out about executions of the time to see how many there were but not really getting anywhere.
So what do you think?
Was he just some guy who lived in Calais who had a nifty sword and a way with it?
Was he someone who didn’t mind killing people for money?
Was he actually an Englishman who lived in the garrison at Calais and therefore one of Henry’s soldiers or something who could be ordered about or owed the King in some servile way?
Mary Boleyn is supposed to have been living in Calais at the time so could she actually have known the man selected to execute her sister?
I suppose we even have to consider that he, whoever he was, did not necessarily make a trip from France at all and the whole thing was a smokescreen for someone already in the tower or in London.
I know there is little information about him to be found really so we have to yet again – use our imaginations.
Let us show them that they are hares and foxes trying to rule over dogs and wolves - Boudica addressing the tribes Circa AD60
5:05 pm
January 3, 2012
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Ok Maggie I’m not to sure about this but I believe Anne’s executioner was a bloke called Jean Rombaud. I’ll go do a bit of head scratching and googling and see if I can find out some more info for you….
Semper Fidelis, quod sum quod
5:20 pm
May 7, 2010
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Hi Boleyn, yes that is the name given to him by the author of a book but it was a fiction I think. I can’t remember the name but think it was something Humphreys???
There is no actual record that I know of as to who the executioner was.
Let us show them that they are hares and foxes trying to rule over dogs and wolves - Boudica addressing the tribes Circa AD60
5:22 pm
January 3, 2012
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Here you go Maggie, I hope this helps..
Jean Rombaud (Life data unknown) was French Executioner from pc. Omer. He was in former times a mercenary and made, after he had lost his loved wife and his daughter by the plague, as an executioner its money.
Rome Baud controlled those as one of the few executioners in the Continental Europe of its time Execution the upright kneeling death candidate with that Sword. He attained certain celebrity by from him the accomplished Exekution of Anne Boleyn, the second woman of Heinrich VIII. (England) in the year 1536, to which it had been gotten particularly by the king in the country. There beheading in England normally by that Hatchet on one Arranging block were carried out (at members of the aristocracy to up to dukes), no English Henker controlled the necessary technology.
Literature
C. C. Humphreys: The hand of the Anne Boleyn (Novel). Piper, Munich 2004, ISBN 3-492-24445-9
C. C. Humphreys: The curse of the Anne Boleyn. (Novel) Piper, Munich 2005, ISBN 3-492-27108-1
As you can see there are 2 books for you to add to read list.
Semper Fidelis, quod sum quod
5:30 pm
January 3, 2012
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The first name mentioned on the French executioner webpage is a man called Nicolas Levessaur, but as this man was around in 1685, it certainly wouldn’t be him, however executioners generally ran in families and it’s possible that it was one of his relatives was the one who executed Anne.
Semper Fidelis, quod sum quod
5:48 pm
April 11, 2011
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Jean Rombaud is reported by some sources to be listed in the rolls of France as the official executioner of Saint-Omer. However, as this territory belonged to the lowlands at this time why would his name be on the French rolls? To my knowledge Anne’s executioner was known only as “The Sword of Calais” as executioners prefered to be anonymous, there is no concrete evidence (to my knowledge) that this man was in fact Jean Rombaud.
5:56 pm
January 3, 2012
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Neil Kemp said
Jean Rombaud is reported by some sources to be listed in the rolls of France as the official executioner of Saint-Omer. However, as this territory belonged to the lowlands at this time why would his name be on the French rolls? To my knowledge Anne’s executioner was known only as “The Sword of Calais” as executioners prefered to be anonymous, there is no concrete evidence (to my knowledge) that this man was in fact Jean Rombaud.
Being anonymous would make perfect sence, through fear of reprisals. If the executioner was known to the person’s family who he’s just executed they could in turn revenge themselves on his family. Thanks for that Neil.
Semper Fidelis, quod sum quod
6:38 pm
February 24, 2010
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I’ve been thinking about this guy. Was he upset over having to kill a queen? Was he pleased to add a Queen to his list?
All we know is that a swordsman was sent for around the 9th or 10th of May before any trial against Anne occurred. He wasn’t located at Calais. They sent to St Omer for him. He arrived on the 18th of May.
That doesn’t mean he was unknown in Calais. I’m sure he was. I don’t think any old swordsman would do. I believe Henry was advised as to the skill of this swordsman, and he wanted the best. His reputation preceeded him. Another plus was he could get there faster than let’s say a swordsman from Paris. Obviously, he didn’t mind killing people for money, but he probably took great pride in the (supposed) swift, painless death his victims received at his hand. I see this man as being sympathetic to his victims. A man who believes he could execute people in a humane manner.
