Poisoned 54+ hospital patients as "practice" for
profit-motivated murders of her father, brothers, and lover. From: 1664 – 167,
Arrested, on March 25, 1676. Charged and convicted, she was beheaded and her
body burned in Paris on the 16th of July 1676
Bio:
In 1651 she married the marquis de Brinvilliers, then
serving in the regiment of Normandy. Contemporary evidence describes the
marquise at this time as a pretty and much-courted little woman, with a
fascinating air of childlike innocence. In 1659 her husband introduced her to
his friend Godin de Sainte-Croix, a handsome young cavalry officer of
extravagant tastes and bad reputation, whose mistress she became. Their relations
soon created a public scandal, and as the marquis de Brinvilliers, who had left
France to avoid his creditors, made no effort to terminate them, M. d'Aubray
secured the arrest of Sainte-Croix on a letter de cachet. For a year
Sainte-Croix remained a prisoner in the Bastille, where he is popularly
supposed to have acquired a knowledge of poisons from his fellow-prisoner, the
Italian poisoner Exili. When he left the Bastille, he plotted with his willing
mistress his revenge upon her father. She cheerfully undertook to experiment
with the poisons which Sainte-Croix, possibly with the help of a chemist,
Christopher Glaser, prepared, and found subjects ready to hand in the poor who
sought her charity, and the sick whom she visited in the hospitals.
Meanwhile Sainte-Croix, completely ruined financially,
enlarged his original idea, and determined that not only M. Dreux d'Aubray but
also the latter's two sons and other daughter should be poisoned, so that the
marquise de Brinvilliers and himself might come into possession of the large
family fortune. In February 1666, satisfied with the efficiency of
Sainte-Croix's preparations and with the ease with which they could be
administered without detection, the marquise poisoned her father, and in 1670,
with the connivance of their valet La Chaussée, her two brothers. A post-mortem
examination suggested the real cause of death, but no suspicion was directed to
the murderers. Before any attempt could be made on the life of Mlle Théresè
d'Aubray, Sainte-Croix suddenly died. As he left no heirs the police were
called in, and discovered among his belongings documents seriously
incriminating the marquise and La Chaussée.
The latter was arrested, tortured into a complete
confession, and broken alive on the wheel (1673), but the marquise escaped,
taking refuge first probably in England, then in Germany, and finally in a
convent at Liége, whence she was decoyed by a police emissary disguised as a
priest. A full account of her life and crimes was found among her papers. Her
attempt to commit suicide was frustrated, and she was taken to Paris, where she
was beheaded and her body burned on the 16th of July 1676.
***
Marie-Madeleine-Marguerite d'Aubray, Marquise de
Brinvilliers (22 July 1630 – 17 July 1676) was a French serial killer.
Her Crimes:
Marie-Madeleine-Marguerite d'Aubray conspired with her
lover, army captain Godin de Sainte-Croix to poison her father Antonine Dreux
d'Aubray in 1666 and two of her brothers, Antoine d'Aubray and François
d'Aubray, in 1670, in order to inherit their estates. There were also rumors
that she had poisoned poor people during her visits to hospitals. She appears
to have used Tofana poison, whose recipe she seems to have learned from her
lover, the Chevalier de Sainte Croix, who had learned it from Exili, an Italian
poisoner, who had been his cellmate in the Bastille. Her accomplice
Sainte-Croix had died of natural causes in 1672. In 1675, she fled to England,
Germany, and a convent, but was arrested in Liège. She was forced to confess
and sentenced to death. On 17 July 1676,
she was tortured with the water cure, that is, forced to drink sixteen pints of
water. She was then beheaded and her body was burned at the stake. Her trial
and the attendant scandal launched the Affair of the Poisons, which saw several
French aristocrats charged with poison and witchcraft.
The fictional
portrayals:
Fictional accounts of her life include The Leather Funnel by
Arthur Conan Doyle, The Marquise de Brinvilliers by Alexandre Dumas, père, and
Intrigues of a Poisoner by Émile Gaboriau. Robert Browning's 1846 poem
"The Laboratory" imagines an incident in her life. Her capture and
burning is mentioned in The Oracle Glass by Judith Merkle Riley. The plot of
the novel The Burning Court by John Dickson Carr concerns a murder that appears
to be the work of the ghost of Marie d'Aubray Brinvilliers. There have been two
musical treatments of her life. An opera titled La marquise de Brinvilliers
with music by nine composers—Daniel Auber, Désiré-Alexandre Batton, Henri Montan
Berton, Giuseppe Marco Maria Felice Blangini, François-Adrien Boieldieu,
Michele Carafa, Luigi Cherubini, Ferdinand Hérold, and Ferdinando
Paer—premiered at the Paris Opera comique in 1831. A musical comedy called
"Mimi - A Poisoner's Comedy" written by Allen Cole, Melody A.
Johnson, and Rick Roberts premiered in Toronto, Canada in September 2009. The
Sailor Moon musical Kessen / Transylvania no Mori (Kaiteiban), included a
character known as De Brinvilliers-sensei. She was a vampire who posed as a
chemistry teacher who tested her students about various poisons.
***
The Affair of the Poisons (L'affaire des poisons) was a
major murder scandal in France which took place in 1677–1682, during the reign
of King Louis XIV. During it, a number of prominent members of the aristocracy
were implicated and sentenced on charges of poisoning and witchcraft. The
scandal reached into the inner circle of the king. It led to execution of 36
people.
Context and Origin:
The origin of the case began in 1675 after the trial of
Madame de Brinvilliers, who had conspired with her lover, army captain Godin de
Sainte-Croix, to poison her father Antonine Dreux d'Aubray in 1666 and two of
her brothers, Antoine d'Aubray and François d'Aubray, in 1670, in order to
inherit their estates. There were also rumors that she had poisoned poor people
during her visits in hospitals. She fled but was arrested in Liège. She was
forced to confess, sentenced to death and on 17 July was tortured with the
water cure (forced to drink sixteen pints of water), beheaded and burned at the
stake. Her accomplice Sainte-Croix had died of natural causes in 1672. The
sensational trial drew attention to a number of other mysterious deaths,
starting a number of rumors. Prominent people, including Louis XIV, became
alarmed that they also might be poisoned. The King forced some of his servants
to become his fore tasters.
The Implications
and Investigation:
The affair proper opened in February 1677 after the arrest
of Magdelaine de La Grange on charges of forgery and murder. La Grange appealed
to François Michel le Tellier, Marquis of Louvois claiming that she had
information about other crimes of high importance. Louvois reported to the
King, who told Gabriel Nicolas de la Reynie, who, among other things, was the
chief of the Paris police, to root out the poisoners. La Reynie sought to calm
the King. The subsequent investigation of potential poisoners was to lead to
accusations of witchcraft, murder and more. Authorities rounded up a number of
fortune-tellers and alchemists that were suspected of selling not only
divinations, séances and aphrodisiacs, but also "inheritance powders"
(a euphemism for poison). Some of them under torture confessed and gave the
authorities lists of their clients, who had allegedly bought poison to either
get rid of their spouses or rivals in the royal court. The most famous case was
of the midwife Catherine Deshayes Monvoisin or La Voisin, who was arrested in
1679 after she was pointed out by the poisoner Marie Bosse. La Voisin
implicated a number of important individuals in the French court. These
included Olympia Mancini, the Comtesse de Soissons, her sister Marie Anne
Mancini Duchesse de Bouillon, François Henri de Montmorency, Duke of Luxembourg
and, most importantly, the King's mistress, Athénaïs de Montespan.
Questioned while she was kept intoxicated, La Voisin claimed
that de Montespan had bought aphrodisiacs and performed Black Masses with her
in order to gain and keep the King's favor over other rival lovers. She had
worked with a priest named Étienne Guibourg. There was no evidence beyond her
confessions, but the bad reputation followed these people afterwards. Eleanor
Herman, on page 113 in her book Sex With Kings, records "Given"
claimed the remains of 2,500 infants were found in La Voisin's garden. But Anne
Somerset disputes this in her book The Affair of the Poisons and states there
is no mention of the garden being searched for human remains. Also involved in
the scandal was Eustache Dauger de Cavoye, the eldest living son of a prominent
noble family. De Cavoye was disinherited by his family when, in an act of
debauchery he chose to celebrate Good Friday with a black mass. Upon
disinheritance he opened a lucrative trade in "inheritance powders"
and aphrodisiacs. He mysteriously disappeared after the abrupt ending to Louis'
official investigation in 1678. Because of this and his name, he was once
suspected of being the Man in the Iron Mask. However this theory has fallen out
of favor because it is known that he was imprisoned by his family in 1679 in
the Prison Saint-Lazare.
The end of the
trial:
La Voisin was sentenced to death for witchcraft and
poisoning, and burned at the stake on 22 February 1680. Marshal
Montmorency-Bouteville was briefly jailed in 1680, but was later released and
became a captain of the guard. Minister Jean-Baptiste Colbert helped to hush
things up. De La Reynie re-established the special court, the Chambre Ardente
("burning court") to judge cases of poisoning and witchcraft. It
investigated a number of cases, including many connected to nobles and
courtiers in the King's court. Over the years the court sentenced 34 people to
death for poisoning or witchcraft. Two died under torture and several courtiers
were exiled. The court was abolished in 1682, because the King could not risk
publicity of such scandal. To this, Police Chief Reynie said, "the
enormity of their crimes proved their safeguard.
The Aftermath:
Perhaps the most important effect of the scandal, and
subsequent persecutions, was the expulsion from France of the aforementioned
Comtesse de Soissons. Her son remained in France only to find that his mother's
high-profile disgrace prevented him from realizing his personal ambitions, as
he was effectively barred from pursuing a military career. He would eventually
leave France nurturing a profound grudge against Louis XIV and enter the
service of France's sworn enemies the Habsburgs. Prince Eugene of Savoy, or
Prinz Eugen, would, in time, come to be known as one of the greatest generals
of the age and one of the factors behind the failure of Louis' bid for hegemony
in Europe.
She was condemned
in the poison affair:
The Poison Affair implicated 442 suspects: 367 orders of
arrests were issued, of which 218 were carried out. Of the condemned, 36 were
executed; five were sentences to the galleys; and 23 to exile. This excludes
those who died in custody by torture or suicide. Additionally, many accused
were never brought to trial, but placed outside of the justice system and
imprisoned for life by a letter de cachet. Of the people who were condemned to
perpetual imprisonment by letter de cachet, six women were imprisoned at
Château de Villefranche; 18 men at Château de Salces; 12 women at
Belle-Île-en-Mer; ten men at Château de Besançon; 14 women at St Andre de
Salins; and five women at Fort de Bains.
The Professionals:
This lists people involved in the Poison Affair by being
professionally involved in criminal activity. Their punishment that they
received is mentioned after their names and roles.
1.
Roger, Siegneur de Bachimont, alchemist,
associate of Louis de Vanens; perpetual imprisonment by lettre de cachet at St
Andre de Salins.
2.
Marie de Bachimont, alchemist, associate of
Louis de Vanens and spouse of Roger de Bachimont; perpetual imprisonment by
lettre de cachet at St Andre de Salins.
3.
Mathurin Barenton, poisoner; executed in
September 1681.
4.
La Belliére, fortune teller; perpetual
imprisonment by lettre de cachet
5.
François Belot, associate of La Voisin; executed
in June 1679.
6.
Martine Bergerot, fortune teller
7.
Betrand, poisoner, associate of La Voisin;
perpetual imprisonment by lettre de cachet at Château de Salces.
8.
Denis Poculot, Sieur de Blessis, alchemist,
lover of La Voisin; condemned to the galleys.
9.
Marie Bosse, fortune teller and poisoner; burned
at the stake 8 May 1679.
10. Marie
Bouffet, abortionist, associate of Marguerite Joly; hanged in December 1681.
11. Pierre
Cadelan (d. September 1684), associate of Vanens; perpetual imprisonment by
lettre de cachet
12. Jeanne
Chanfrain, lover of Guibourg
13. Magdelaine
Chapelain (1658- June 1724), fortune teller and assocate of Filastre; perpetual
imprisonment by lettre de cachet at Belle-Île-en-Mer. The last condemned to die
(of those whos date of death is known).
14. Anne
Cheron, fruit seller and provider of objects for magic rituals; executed in
June 1679.
15. Jacques
Cotton, officiate at the black masses, associate of La Voisin; executed by
burning in 1680.
16. P.
Dalmas, associate of La Chaboissiere; sent to a workhouse.
17. Giles
Davot, officiate at the black masses, associate of La Voisin; executed in 1681.
18. Etienne
Debray, associate of Deschault; executed in September 1681.
19. Marguerite
Delaporte, poisoner, associate of La Voisin; perpetual imprisonment by lettre
de cachet at Belle-Île-en-Mer.
20. Jacques
Deschault, shepherd and magician; executed in 1681.
21. Louison
Desloges, associate of Marguerite Joly; hanged in December 1681.
22. La
Dodée, poisoner, committed suicide in prison.
23. Louise
Duscoulcye, lover of Dalmas, poisoner
24. Françoise
Filastre, poisoner; executed in 1680.
25. Louis
Galet, poisoner; perpetual imprisonment by lettre de cachet at Château de
Besançon.
26. Mme
Guesdon (1640 – August 1717), poisoner; perpetual imprisonment by lettre de
cachet
27. Étienne
Guibourg, officiate at the black masses, associate of La Voisin; perpetual
imprisonment by lettre de cachet at Château de Besançon.
28. Marguerite
Joly, fortune teller and poisoner; executed by burning in December 1681.
29. Latour,
stone mason and associate of la Voisin; perpetual imprisonment by lettre de
cachet at Château de Salces
30. Catherine
Lepère, abortionist; executed in June 1679.
31. Adam
Lesage, magician and officiate at black masses, associate of La Voisin;
perpetual imprisonment by lettre de cachet at Château de Besançon.
32. Catherine
Leroy, associate of La Voisin and la Chaboissiere; perpetual imprisonment by
lettre de cachet at Belle-Île-en-Mer.
33. Jeanne
Leroux, associate of la Voisin; executed in April 1680.
34. Margot,
servant of la Voisin; perpetual imprisonment by lettre de cachet at St Andre de
Salins.
35. François
Mariotte, abbe, associate of la Voisin and Lesage; died in prison in 1682.
36. Anne
Meline, posioner, associate of Marguerite Joly; hanged in December 1681.
37. François
Boucher, Vitomte de Montmayor, astrologer of Luxembourg; perpetual imprisonment
by lettre de cachet at Château de Salces.
38. Marguerite
Monvoisin, daughter of La Voisin; perpetual imprisonment by lettre de cachet at
Belle-Île-en-Mer.
39. Christophe
Moreau, shepherd, magician and poisoner; executed in September 1681.
40. Romani,
poisoner, associate of La Voisin; perpetual imprisonment by lettre de cachet at
Château de Besançon.
41. La
Pelletière, fortune teller, provider of children for black masses, associate of
La Voisin; perpetual imprisonment by lettre de cachet at Belle-Île-en-Mer.
42. Maitre
Pierre, poisoner; perpetual imprisonment by lettre de cachet
43. Anne
Poligny, poisoner; executed in July 1681.
44. La
Poignard, participated in arranging black masses; perpetual imprisonment by
lettre de cachet
45. La
Poulain, associate of La Voisin; perpetual imprisonment by lettre de cachet at
Belle-Île-en-Mer.
46. Catherine
Trianon, posioner, associate of La Voisin; committed suicide in prison in early
1681.
47. La
Salomond, poisoner; perpetual imprisonment by lettre de cachet
48. Denise
Sandosme, poisoner; executed by hanging in July 1681.
49. Louis
de Vanens (d. December 1691), alchemist; perpetual imprisonment by lettre de
cachet at Sta Andre de Salins.
50. Vautier,
poisoner and associate of la Voisin; perpetual imprisonment by lettre de cachet
51. Marie
Vigoreaux, associate of La Bosse; died under torture in May 1679.
52. La
Voisin, fortune teller and poisoner; burned at the stake 22 February 1680.
The Clients:
This lists people involved in the Poison Affair by being
clients of the professionals above. Their punishment that they received is
mentioned after their names and roles.
1.
Benigne, Marquise de Alluye, client of la
Voisin; left country to avoid trial and was later allowed to return.
2.
Pierre Bonnard, secretary of duc de Luxembourg,
client of Lesage; condemned to the galleys in May 1680, released March 1688.
3.
Marie Brissart, client of La Voisin and Lesage;
fined and exiled.
4.
Marie de Broglio, Marquise de Canilhac, client
of la Voisin; never bought to trial.
5.
Anne Carada, client of Deschault and Debray;
executed 25 June 1681.
6.
La Chaboissiere, Jean Bartholominat, valet of
Louis de Vanens; the last executed in the Affair of the Poisons, executed by
hanging on 16 July 1682.
7.
Louis de Guilhem de Castelnau, marguis de
Cessac, client of Lesage; left country to avoid trial. Returned in 1691. Died
of natural causes, 1702.
8.
Mme Cottard, client of Lesage; admonished and
fined.
9.
Mme Desmaretz, client of Lesage; fined.
10. Françoise
de Dreux, client of La Voisin; exiled from the capital, but the exile was never
enforced.
11. Madeleine
de la Ferte, Marechale (d. 1720), client of la Voisin; discharged.
12. Antoine
de Pas, Marquis de Feuquieres (d. 1711), client of la Voisin; never brought to
trial.
13. Madame
Ferry, client of La Voisin; executed by beheading in May 1679.
14. Marguerite
Leféron, client of La Voisin; exiled from the capital and fined.
15. Mme
Lescalopier, client of Poligny and Sandosme; left country to avoid trial.
16. Jean
Maillard, client of Moreau; executed by hanging in February 1682.
17. Olympe
Mancini, Comtesse de Soissons, client of La Voisin; exiled.
18. Marie
Anne Mancini, Duchesse de Bouillon, client of La Voisin; banishment to the
provinces.
19. François
Henri de Montmorency-Bouteville, duc de Luxembourg, client of La Voisin; freed.
20. Marquise
de Montespan, client of La Voisin; never tried.
21. Madame
Philbert, earlier Brunet (wife of Philippe Rebille Philbert), client of La
Voisin; executed by hanging.
22. Jaqqueline
du Roure, vicomtesse de Polignac (d. 1720), client of la Voisin and Lesage;
left country to avoid trial. Returned 1686 but banished from the capital.
23. Marguerite
de Poulaillon, client of Marie Bosse; imprisoned in a convent.
24. Claude
Marie du Roure, client of la Voisin and Lesage; discharged in March 1680, but
despite of this banished from the capital.
25. Marie
Louise Charlotte, Princesse de Tingry, client of Voisin; discharged.
26. Marie
Vertemart, client of la Voisin; sentenced to a workhouse.
27. Antoinette,
Duchess de Vivonne, client of La Voisin and Filastre; never brought to trial
As always, stay safe !
Bird
***
