ADMIRAL OF 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.
ADVOCATUS/AVOUÉ
. During the 10th and 11th centuries, it became normal for religious houses to have an
advocatus, also known as a custos or adjutator. This advocate was generally a powerful
local layman, most commonly a count or duke in the 10th century, although by the late
11th century castellans too might be advocates. The duties of an advocate were to act as a
monastery’s agent in the outside world and to protect it from its enemies. The monks
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