MICHEL DE LAILLIER: The Destiny of Parisians

Born around 1370, Michel was the son of Richard de Laillier, a Parisian bourgeois ennobled in 1376. Raised among the capital’s merchant elite, he established himself as a money changer, like his brother Jacques de Laillier, and appears as early as 1396 in the records of the Burgundian court. An influential parishioner of Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois, he managed the family chapels there and dedicated his entire life to Paris, unaware that he would play a decisive role, almost a destiny, in the capital during the Hundred Years’ War.

His career truly took off under the wing of John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy, whose cupbearer he became in 1407. A high-ranking state official, he attained the prestigious position of Treasurer of France in 1409. His close relationship with the Duke was such that he received the prince at his private table in 1412, a rare honor for an officer. He was, however, viewed unfavorably by his brother, Jacques de Laillier, a fervent supporter of the Armagnac cause in the civil war between the Armagnacs and the Burgundians, but they nevertheless remained in contact despite this conflicting fraternity.

Everything changed abruptly in 1413 with the Cabochian Revolt in Paris, a faction of Parisian butchers supported by the Burgundians who sought to enforce the Cabochian ordinance by force against King Charles VI of France. Michel de Laillier was among those accused of embezzlement by extremists within his own camp. He was dismissed from his post and imprisoned as a “traitor,” threatened with death.

His brother, Jacques de Laillier, upon learning of his brother’s fate, joined the popular uprising to free the princes and drive out the Cabochiens by force. This uprising saved Michel’s life, and the two brothers were reunited, both relieved.

Paradoxically, this disgrace under the radical Burgundians granted him a “political virginity” in the eyes of the Armagnacs who recaptured Paris. Michel regained his offices and even gained the trust of Queen Isabeau of Bavaria, who entrusted him with her personal finances and even received a greyhound as a royal gift.

Everything changed in 1415. The Battle of Agincourt reignited the civil war in France, and he had to be even more vigilant. With the deaths and captures of key figures in the Armagnac faction, Paris was now under the control of the new Constable, Count Bernard VII of Armagnac. Paris descended into tyranny; houses were searched, citizens were deprived of weapons, and any mention of the Duke of Burgundy was forbidden under penalty of arrest or even execution.

Yet, Michel de Laillier maintained secret contact with the Burgundian agents of John the Fearless in the capital, discreetly lending them money, remaining solely within the realm of espionage. A very risky request was made of him in April 1416 that went beyond mere espionage: a conspiracy among the bourgeois to open the gates to a Burgundian army. He reflected for a long time, overwhelmed by the situation and the heavy responsibility placed upon him.
Out of fear, he decided to denounce the conspiracy led by Canon Nicolas d’Orgemont. All the conspirators were executed at Les Halles.

During the conquest of Normandy in 1417, he helplessly witnessed the exile of tens of thousands of people, some seeking refuge in Paris, where they suffered under the tyranny of the Armagnacs.

On the night of May 28, 1418, the Burgundians returned and took Paris by surprise. His brother, Jacques de Laillier, chose exile to continue the monetary struggle alongside the future Charles VII, but Michel chose to remain despite the chaotic situation. After falling out of favor, he became indispensable to the Burgundians thanks to his technical expertise in finance and currency.

Under the Franco-English “Dual Monarchy,” his vigilance was at its highest, and repression was harsh, as established by the Bedford regent, John of Lancaster. In June 1422, a baker, an armorer, and his wife were drowned in the Seine for conspiring to deliver the city to the Dauphin, but he still refused to leave Paris despite the warning signs. In December 1422, a new manhunt was launched in Paris, targeting bourgeois for the same conspiracy by Charles VII. Many were arrested, but others were never found, including Michel de Laillier. Upon learning this news from a friend, he had time to pack his belongings and begin his escape.
The English searched his office and his house, and all of Paris was on high alert. Searches and patrols were everywhere for a month. A woman was burned alive, several bourgeois were beheaded, and the others fled. Having fled Paris, Michel went to Lille anonymously, and thanks to the diplomatic protection of Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, he was reinstated and resumed his position as Master of Accounts in Paris in April 1423 after receiving a letter of pardon.

His brother, Jacques de Laillier, having placed all his hope in the French cause of Charles VII, resigned himself in 1424 and returned to Paris to join his brother Michel. The growing disappointment following the defeat at Cravant in 1423 and the loss of Le Crotoy had convinced him otherwise. The defeat at Verneuil shattered all his hopes, and the two brothers were reunited after six years. Michel then intervened to have his brother’s confiscated townhouse on Rue de Béthisy returned to him. All trace of his brother Jacques disappeared afterward.

For years, Michel de Laillier continued his work in finance in occupied Paris. In 1429, he was part of a consortium of merchants who loaned money to the Duke of Bedford and his wife to finance the siege of Orléans.
In 1432, concerned about public health, he even won a lawsuit against a mint whose chimney emitted “foul smoke, very dangerous to the human body.”

The decisive turning point came in 1435 at the Congress of Arras, when the Burgundians reconciled with Charles VII, ending the French civil war. With Paris besieged by the French army, united with the Burgundians, in March 1436, the English demanded a new oath of allegiance; Michel swore it verbally but not in his heart. After years of hesitation, it was time for him to turn the tide of the war and finally do what his brother always wanted to fight for.

Following this peace treaty, King Charles VII issued an ultimatum to the entire population of Paris: letters guaranteeing all Parisians that none of them would be punished for their conduct between 1418 and 1436 and that it was time to expel the English.

The French army, led by Constable Richemont, the Bastard of Orléans, and the Burgundian knight Jean Villiers de L’Isle-Adam, entered the active phase and secured the suburbs around the capital. However, their army was currently too small, numbering only 500 men, and their only hope of entering the capital lay in a popular uprising against the English.

An agent of Constable Richemont made contact with Parisian burghers, including Michel de Laillier. They all declared themselves ready to mount an insurrection and open the gates of the capital, but first they needed to ensure they could bring in as many French troops as possible.

In just a few days, the French army, drawn from all the surrounding regions, had assembled over 5,000 men, and April 13, 1436, was the day of reckoning. Richemont and his lieutenants, along with the entire French army, marched on the Saint-Jacques gate, but he learned that the plot had been uncovered. Indeed, Michel de Laillier and the burghers had all their keys confiscated by the pro-English chancellor. This changed nothing, and Richemont wanted to test the Parisians.

At 7:00 a.m., the Burgundian knight Jean de Villiers was sent to meet the defenders in front of the gate, where he confronted them, promising them no harm. Michel de Laillier and his fellow burghers had already gathered a group of armed citizens in the street leading to the Saint-Jacques gate. The defenders, seized by panic, allowed Michel de Laillier and the citizens to climb onto the rampart and lowered a ladder. Jean de Villiers planted the banner of the Kingdom of France on the rampart and, already shouting in advance “City won !”, encouraged by the Parisians.

The gate was breached, and Constable Richemont and thousands of French soldiers, archers, squires, and knights entered Paris, greeted by the bourgeois, Michel de Laillier, and a group of Parisians. At the same moment, the signal was given for the French troops to arrive by way of the Seine, led by the knight Ambroise de Loré.

The news that Michel de Laillier and some bourgeois had opened the gates to the French army spread rapidly through the streets without bloodshed. Hundreds of Parisians poured out of their homes, brandishing the white cross of Saint Michael or the cross of Saint Andrew of Burgundy, and shouting, “Peace! Long live the King and the Duke of Burgundy!” Michel de Laillier had become the leader of the Parisian uprising, and all the Parisians rallied to him, arms in hand and cheering.

To rally the Parisian people, Michel de Laillier and his group began shouting “Saint Denis!” and it was no longer hundreds of Parisians who joined his insurrection, but thousands. Between 3,000 and 4,000 Parisians participated in Michel de Laillier’s uprising.

The battle for Paris had begun in the streets. All English lieutenants and French collaborators were put on alert, and the entire English garrison deployed. Violent clashes erupted in the streets, but it was already too late; all of Paris was against them.

The French army drove the English towards the Bastille, and the Parisian people confronted them to the north at the Saint-Denis gate. Heavy chains, traditionally piled at street corners, were stretched across streets and alleyways a first since 1418. Men, women, and children hurled stones and logs from their windows at the English to prevent them from escaping through the Saint-Denis gate, pursued by the insurrection led by Michel de Laillier.

After 18 years of occupation, Paris was retaken. The remaining English army, who had taken refuge in the Bastille with their lieutenant, including Joan of Arc’s judge, Pierre Cauchon, were allowed to leave the capital.

At the end of the day, Constable Richemont rode down Rue Saint-Jacques to the Seine. On the small bridge, he spotted a man holding a banner bearing the heraldic emblem of the Kingdom of France: Michel de Laillier. The two greeted each other.

The very next day, Michel de Laillier was appointed Provost of the Merchants of Paris, acclaimed by the Parisians. He died in 1440 of illness in Saint-Omer.

He left behind the image of a man who, far from being a mere “weather vane,” knew how to survive in a capital under various military occupations, making difficult decisions in the face of horror. From spy to leader of an insurrection, he had never anticipated this action, remaining simply a financial officer but looks like the destiny prepared something for him. If Paris was retaken by the French, it was thanks to his help and his bourgeois friends who had roused the population to revolt.

Today, no commemorative plaque in Paris mentions Michel de Laillier’s act of courage. He is only represented there as a statue at the Paris City Hall.