Medieval France
. During the late Middle Ages, the admiral had central command of the royal navy of France as well as serving in the military council with the constable, marshals, master of crossbowmen, and, in the 15th century, master of artillery. While the Byzantines, Spanish Muslims, and Sicilian Normans had an admiral as part of their military command earlier in the Middle Ages, the French did not establish such a position until 1244, with the temporary assignment of an admiral over the fleet of the Levant. Only at the end of the century did the post of admiral become permanent.
The earliest appointees were foreigners, generally Genoese or Monagesque sea captains, such as Benedetto Zaccharia, Henri Marchese, and Renier Grimaldi. By the reign of Philip VI, with the admiral now a member of the military hierarchy, the king began to appoint Frenchmen. Philip’s first such admiral, the inexperienced Hugues Quieret, was a failure who lost his life when the French fleet met disaster at Sluis in 1340. During the course of the Hundred Years’ War, however, the French did produce some able admirals, notably Jean de Vienne, Braquet de Braquemont, Prigent de Coetivy, Jean de Montaubary, and Louis Malet de Graville.
The responsiblities of the French admirals, who were paid extremely well for their services, included overseeing the fleets in the Mediterranean and Atlantic, installing police and judicial officials in the port towns, organizing pay for naval troops, and sitting in judgment over naval illegalities. Lieutenants or vice-admirals frequently assisted them in these duties.
Admirals also sat in the Grand’ Chambre of Parlement and at the Table de Marbre, a special tribunal for cases involving military, naval, and forestry affairs.
Kelly DeVries
[See also: NAVAL POWER]
Contamine, Philippe. Guerre, état et société à la fin du moyen âge: études sur les armées des rois de France, 1337–1494. Paris: Mouton, 1972.
Lot, Ferdinand, and Robert Fawtier. Histoire des institutions françaises au moyen âge. 3 vols. Paris: Presses Universitaires de France, 1957–62, Vol. 2.
Luchaire, Achille. Manuel des institutions françaises. Paris: Hachette, 1892.
Rosenzweig, Louis. L’office de l’amiral de France du XIIIe au XVIIIe siècle. Vannes: Galles, 1856.
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