Henri Cleutin
Encyclopedia
Henri Cleutin, seigneur d'Oisel et de Villeparis (1510 – 20 June 1566), was the representative of France in Scotland
from 1546 to 1560, and a Gentleman of the Chamber of the King of France.
to negotiate peace with Henry VIII of England
. The mission was not a success and other ambassadors noticed their bickering. After the defeat at the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh
, d'Oisel and Mary of Guise
rode to Stirling Castle
, d'Oisel, according to Knox, was as scared as a fox being smoked in his hole. When André de Montalembert
sieur d'Esse spoke at the parliament
at Haddington on 7 July 1548, proposing the marriage of Mary, Queen of Scots to the Dauphin
, D'Oisel as ambassador accepted the unanimous approval. D'Oisel, not Châtelherault, was left in charge of Scotland when Mary of Guise the Queen Dowager visited France in 1551. At this height of the Auld Alliance
between France and Scotland the Emperor
's envoy to Edinburgh
, Mathieu Strick, reported that d'Oisel wielded almost sovereign authority in matters of state and justice. Unlike other French administrators employed by the Scottish court, such as Yves de Rubay, contemporary sources point to his popularity amongst the Scottish nobility. Even an English observer, Sir Thomas Wharton
observed of Guise and d'Oisel, 'all in Scotland obey and lyketh them.' Later Scottish Protestant chronicle writers George Buchanan
and Robert Lyndsay of Pitscottie agree on his ability and singular good judgment.
The peace concluded with England, France and Scotland after the war of the Rough Wooing (1543–1551) did not necessarily please Spain and the Empire
. In October 1552, some of d'Oisel's correspondence with Mary of Guise and Henry II of France
was seized by the Queen Dowager Regent of the Low Countries, including a letter about the arrest of an Irishman, George Paris. When Mary of Guise complained, the Dowager Regent replied that she found her letters to d'Oisel were inappropriate by not showing true and sincere friendship to the Emperor
, and in fact expressed joy over the destruction and servitude of her own house (the House of Stewart). When Guise became Regent of Scotland on 12 April 1554, d'Oisel rode with her from Holyroodhouse to the Tolbooth to collect the sword, sceptre and crown from Arran.
rose against the rule of Mary of Guise, d'Oisel commanded the French troops. Pitscottie gives a good account of a stand-off near Coupar, Fife, between the Lords and d'Oisel and Châtelherault in command of a French and Scottish army. D'Oisel signed the Articles of Leith
on behalf of Guise on 25 July 1559, these were the terms made for the withdrawal of the Congregation forces from Edinburgh to Stirling. In November 1559, d'Oisel worked with Jacques de la Brosse
drawing up charges of treason against the Congregation Lords, Châtelherault, and Arran
.
According to John Knox
, in January d'Oisel was marching troops towards St Andrews
when the English fleet was sighted. William Kirkcaldy destroyed the bridge at Tullibody
to cut off their retreat to Edinburgh. To bridge the Devon
, a French engineer in his company dismantled the roof of Tullibody Kirk
. In February 1560 he came from Stirling to Edinburgh and burnt Kinneil House
on the way. On 18 March 1560 he defeated a small Scots force at Glasgow bridge
.
When the Chester Herald
, William Flower
, delivered a message from Norfolk
claiming that the English fleet had arrived in the Firth by accident, d'Oisel replied in defiance,"What got Mary Tudor by her last wars?" After Mary of Guise died in 1560 the Siege of Leith
continued. d'Oisel vowed to defend the poor of the town who were gathering cockles on the shore from the English, and he was still within the town at the end of the siege. When peace was concluded, Sir Francis Leake and Sir Gervase Clifton came to his lodging for a banquet where no meat or fish was served, except one dish of horse. D'Oisel left Scotland on 18 July 1560 in the English ship, the Minion with 40 companions.
Mary, Queen of Scots, then living in France, sent him to Elizabeth a year later to obtain a passport and safe-conduct for her voyage to Scotland. Elizabeth did not oblige, wishing Mary to ratify the Treaty of Edinburgh
which d'Oisel had helped draft, and kept d'Oisel waiting. William Maitland approved of this, but learnt that Mary would sail anyway. Cleutin returned to France and continued to serve Mary. In March 1565, Thomas Randolph
heard he was in Rome trying to arrange for Mary to marry the French king
.
Henri firstly married Jeanne de Thouars in 1553; they had three children in Scotland, James, Henri and Mary. His second wife was Jeanne de Chasteigner.
Kingdom of Scotland
The Kingdom of Scotland was a Sovereign state in North-West Europe that existed from 843 until 1707. It occupied the northern third of the island of Great Britain and shared a land border to the south with the Kingdom of England...
from 1546 to 1560, and a Gentleman of the Chamber of the King of France.
Rough Wooing to Reformation
Cleutin was usually known as Monsieur d'Oisel, or d'Oysel, ambassador resident and the King's lieutenant-general in Scotland. In November 1546 d'Oisel teamed up with Adam OtterburnAdam Otterburn
Adam Otterburn of Auldhame and Reidhall was a Scottish lawyer and diplomat. He was king's advocate to James V of Scotland and secretary to Mary of Guise and Regent Arran.-Servant to James V:...
to negotiate peace with Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
. The mission was not a success and other ambassadors noticed their bickering. After the defeat at the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh
Battle of Pinkie Cleugh
The Battle of Pinkie Cleugh, on the banks of the River Esk near Musselburgh, Scotland on 10 September 1547, was part of the War of the Rough Wooing. It was the last pitched battle between Scottish and English armies, and is seen as the first modern battle in the British Isles...
, d'Oisel and Mary of Guise
Mary of Guise
Mary of Guise was a queen consort of Scotland as the second spouse of King James V. She was the mother of Mary, Queen of Scots, and served as regent of Scotland in her daughter's name from 1554 to 1560...
rode to Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most important castles, both historically and architecturally, in Scotland. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an intrusive crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological formation. It is surrounded on three sides by steep...
, d'Oisel, according to Knox, was as scared as a fox being smoked in his hole. When André de Montalembert
André de Montalembert
André de Montalembert , Seigneur d'Essé, was a French noble man and officer of the 16th century. As a young boy he fought in the Italian Wars...
sieur d'Esse spoke at the parliament
Parliament of Scotland
The Parliament of Scotland, officially the Estates of Parliament, was the legislature of the Kingdom of Scotland. The unicameral parliament of Scotland is first found on record during the early 13th century, with the first meeting for which a primary source survives at...
at Haddington on 7 July 1548, proposing the marriage of Mary, Queen of Scots to the Dauphin
Francis II of France
Francis II was aged 15 when he succeeded to the throne of France after the accidental death of his father, King Henry II, in 1559. He reigned for 18 months before he died in December 1560...
, D'Oisel as ambassador accepted the unanimous approval. D'Oisel, not Châtelherault, was left in charge of Scotland when Mary of Guise the Queen Dowager visited France in 1551. At this height of the Auld Alliance
Auld Alliance
The Auld Alliance was an alliance between the kingdoms of Scotland and France. It played a significant role in the relations between Scotland, France and England from its beginning in 1295 until the 1560 Treaty of Edinburgh. The alliance was renewed by all the French and Scottish monarchs of that...
between France and Scotland the Emperor
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
's envoy to Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Mathieu Strick, reported that d'Oisel wielded almost sovereign authority in matters of state and justice. Unlike other French administrators employed by the Scottish court, such as Yves de Rubay, contemporary sources point to his popularity amongst the Scottish nobility. Even an English observer, Sir Thomas Wharton
Thomas Wharton, 1st Baron Wharton
Thomas Wharton, 1st Baron Wharton was an English nobleman and a follower of King Henry VIII of England. He is best known for his victory at Solway Moss on 24 November 1542 for which he was given a barony.-Early life:...
observed of Guise and d'Oisel, 'all in Scotland obey and lyketh them.' Later Scottish Protestant chronicle writers George Buchanan
George Buchanan
George Buchanan may refer to:*George Buchanan , Scottish humanist*Sir George Buchanan , Scottish soldier during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms*Sir George Buchanan , Chief Medical Officer...
and Robert Lyndsay of Pitscottie agree on his ability and singular good judgment.
The peace concluded with England, France and Scotland after the war of the Rough Wooing (1543–1551) did not necessarily please Spain and the Empire
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire comprised territories and colonies administered directly by Spain in Europe, in America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. It originated during the Age of Exploration and was therefore one of the first global empires. At the time of Habsburgs, Spain reached the peak of its world power....
. In October 1552, some of d'Oisel's correspondence with Mary of Guise and Henry II of France
Henry II of France
Henry II was King of France from 31 March 1547 until his death in 1559.-Early years:Henry was born in the royal Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, near Paris, the son of Francis I and Claude, Duchess of Brittany .His father was captured at the Battle of Pavia in 1525 by his sworn enemy,...
was seized by the Queen Dowager Regent of the Low Countries, including a letter about the arrest of an Irishman, George Paris. When Mary of Guise complained, the Dowager Regent replied that she found her letters to d'Oisel were inappropriate by not showing true and sincere friendship to the Emperor
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
, and in fact expressed joy over the destruction and servitude of her own house (the House of Stewart). When Guise became Regent of Scotland on 12 April 1554, d'Oisel rode with her from Holyroodhouse to the Tolbooth to collect the sword, sceptre and crown from Arran.
The Reformation Crisis
When the Lords of the CongregationLords of the Congregation
The Lords of the Congregation were a group of Protestant Scottish nobles who in the mid-16th century favoured reformation of the church along Protestant principles and a Scottish-English alliance.- Historical events :...
rose against the rule of Mary of Guise, d'Oisel commanded the French troops. Pitscottie gives a good account of a stand-off near Coupar, Fife, between the Lords and d'Oisel and Châtelherault in command of a French and Scottish army. D'Oisel signed the Articles of Leith
Articles of Leith
The Articles of Leith were the terms of truce drawn up between the Protestant Lords of the Congregation and Mary of Guise, Regent of Scotland and signed on 25 July 1559. This negotiation was a step in the conflict that led to the Scottish Reformation...
on behalf of Guise on 25 July 1559, these were the terms made for the withdrawal of the Congregation forces from Edinburgh to Stirling. In November 1559, d'Oisel worked with Jacques de la Brosse
Jacques de la Brosse
Jacques de la Brosse, , cupbearer to the king, was a sixteenth century French soldier and diplomat. He is remembered in Scotland for his missions in 1543 and 1560 in support of the Auld Alliance.-Mission of 1543:...
drawing up charges of treason against the Congregation Lords, Châtelherault, and Arran
James Hamilton, 3rd Earl of Arran
James Hamilton, 3rd Earl of Arran was a Scottish nobleman and soldier who fought against French troops during the Scottish Reformation....
.
According to John Knox
John Knox
John Knox was a Scottish clergyman and a leader of the Protestant Reformation who brought reformation to the church in Scotland. He was educated at the University of St Andrews or possibly the University of Glasgow and was ordained to the Catholic priesthood in 1536...
, in January d'Oisel was marching troops towards St Andrews
St Andrews
St Andrews is a university town and former royal burgh on the east coast of Fife in Scotland. The town is named after Saint Andrew the Apostle.St Andrews has a population of 16,680, making this the fifth largest settlement in Fife....
when the English fleet was sighted. William Kirkcaldy destroyed the bridge at Tullibody
Tullibody
Tullibody is a town set in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies north of the River Forth near to the foot of the Ochil Hills within the Forth Valley. The town is south-west of Alva, north-west of Alloa and east-northeast of Stirling...
to cut off their retreat to Edinburgh. To bridge the Devon
River Devon, Clackmannanshire
The River Devon is a tributary of the River Forth in Clackmannanshire, Scotland.-Geography:The source of the river is Blairdenon Hill in the Ochils at an altitude of ....
, a French engineer in his company dismantled the roof of Tullibody Kirk
Tullibody Old Kirk
Tullibody Old Kirk is a ruined 12th-century church in Tullibody, Clackmannanshire, Scotland. It was rebuilt in the 16th century, and restored again in 1760. The roofless building is protected as a Category A listed building, and a Scheduled Ancient Monument. In 1904, St Serf's Parish Church was...
. In February 1560 he came from Stirling to Edinburgh and burnt Kinneil House
Kinneil House
Kinneil House is a historic house to the west of Bo'ness in east-central Scotland. It was once the principal seat of the Hamilton family in the east of Scotland. The house was saved from demolition in 1936 when 16th-century mural paintings were discovered, and it is now in the care of Historic...
on the way. On 18 March 1560 he defeated a small Scots force at Glasgow bridge
Battle of Glasgow (1560)
The Battle of Glasgow, 18 March 1560, was fought by supporters of the Scottish Reformation against French troops.-Background:The rule of Mary of Guise as Regent of Scotland was challenged by the Protestant Lords of the Congregation. Guise obtained French military support, and the Lords invited an...
.
When the Chester Herald
Chester Herald
Chester Herald of Arms in Ordinary is an officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. The office of Chester Herald dates from the 14th century, and it is reputed that the holder was herald to Edward, Prince of Wales, the Black Prince. In the reign of King Richard II the officer was attached...
, William Flower
William Flower (officer of arms)
William Flower was an English Officer of Arms in the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I. He rose to the rank of Norroy King of Arms, serving in that capacity from 1562 until his death in 1588.-Life and work:...
, delivered a message from Norfolk
Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk
Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk, KG, Earl Marshal was an English nobleman.Norfolk was the son of the poet Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey. He was taught as a child by John Foxe, the Protestant martyrologist, who remained a lifelong recipient of Norfolk's patronage...
claiming that the English fleet had arrived in the Firth by accident, d'Oisel replied in defiance,"What got Mary Tudor by her last wars?" After Mary of Guise died in 1560 the Siege of Leith
Siege of Leith
The Siege of Leith ended a twelve year encampment of French troops at Leith, the port near Edinburgh, Scotland. The French troops arrived by invitation in 1548 and left in 1560 after the English arrived to assist in removing them from Scotland...
continued. d'Oisel vowed to defend the poor of the town who were gathering cockles on the shore from the English, and he was still within the town at the end of the siege. When peace was concluded, Sir Francis Leake and Sir Gervase Clifton came to his lodging for a banquet where no meat or fish was served, except one dish of horse. D'Oisel left Scotland on 18 July 1560 in the English ship, the Minion with 40 companions.
Mary, Queen of Scots, then living in France, sent him to Elizabeth a year later to obtain a passport and safe-conduct for her voyage to Scotland. Elizabeth did not oblige, wishing Mary to ratify the Treaty of Edinburgh
Treaty of Edinburgh
The Treaty of Edinburgh was a treaty drawn up on 5 July 1560 between the Commissioners of Queen Elizabeth I with the assent of the Scottish Lords of the Congregation, and French representatives in Scotland to formally conclude the Siege of Leith and replace the Auld Alliance with France with a new...
which d'Oisel had helped draft, and kept d'Oisel waiting. William Maitland approved of this, but learnt that Mary would sail anyway. Cleutin returned to France and continued to serve Mary. In March 1565, Thomas Randolph
Thomas Randolph (diplomat)
Thomas Randolph was an English ambassador serving Elizabeth I of England. Most of his professional life he spent in Scotland at the courts of Mary, Queen of Scots, and her son James VI. While in Scotland, he was embroiled in marriage projects and several upheavals...
heard he was in Rome trying to arrange for Mary to marry the French king
Charles IX of France
Charles IX was King of France, ruling from 1560 until his death. His reign was dominated by the Wars of Religion. He is best known as king at the time of the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre.-Childhood:...
.
Henri firstly married Jeanne de Thouars in 1553; they had three children in Scotland, James, Henri and Mary. His second wife was Jeanne de Chasteigner.