Marie-Angélique Duchemin

Marie-Angélique Duchemin in the 1850s

Marie-Angélique Duchemin , widowed Brûlon, (born January 20, 1772 in Dinan , † July 13, 1859 in Paris ) was the first woman to be accepted into the French Legion of Honor .

Life

Duchemin was the daughter and sister of revolutionary soldiers, married a soldier named André Brûlon and followed him into service with the 42nd Infantry Regiment in Corsica . After the death of her husband and father, she stayed with the regiment and rose to the rank of corporal , furier and eventually sergent-major . Because of her proven bravery in battle, she was never expelled from the regiment and promoted even though she was a woman.

She did particularly well at the siege of Calvi and was seriously wounded in the process, so that in 1797 she asked to be admitted to the Hôtel des Invalides . This wish was not fulfilled until 1804. In the same year, Marshal Jean Sérurier's request to honor her with the medal was rejected. Instead, she was raised to the rank of sub-lieutenant , making her an officer.

The invalid was not appointed Knight of the Legion of Honor until Napoléon III. on August 15, 1851 in recognition of her services during the revolutionary period . She died eight years later.

Controversy over the Order of the Legion of Honor

Also by Marie Schellinck is reported that she was to have been the first recipient of the award of the Legion of Honor, and indeed already awarded by Napoleon in person. It is an often rumored legend. In 1909, Léonce Grabilier replied to the journalist Louis Stroobant when his article was published: Napoleon I never awarded the medal to a woman, even if he and his successors had been asked to do so several times.

Individual evidence

↑ Declaration on the website of the major chancellery of the Legion of Honor ( Memento of the original from March 4, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (en) @1@ 2

↑ Irène Delage: Duchemin, Marie-Angélique Biography on napoleon.org (French), 2007

↑ Léonce Grabilier: Jeanne Schellinck in: L'Intermédiaire des chercheurs et curieux (French), 1909 - Here Grébalier also emphasizes that Mme Brûlon was the first and only female chevalier of the order, since the two later order bearers were with the order until 1909 Award ceremony had not been appointed Chevalier.

personal data
SURNAME	Duchemin, Marie-Angélique
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Brûlon, Marie-Angélique (married name); Duchemin, Angélique; Brûlon, Angélique
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	French female soldier
DATE OF BIRTH	January 20, 1772
PLACE OF BIRTH	Dinan
DATE OF DEATH	July 13, 1859
Place of death	Paris

[1] Declaration on the website of the major chancellery of the Legion of Honor ( Memento of the original from March 4, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (en) @1@ 2

[2] Irène Delage: Duchemin, Marie-Angélique Biography on napoleon.org (French), 2007

[3] Léonce Grabilier: Jeanne Schellinck in: L'Intermédiaire des chercheurs et curieux (French), 1909 - Here Grébalier also emphasizes that Mme Brûlon was the first and only female chevalier of the order, since the two later order bearers were with the order until 1909 Award ceremony had not been appointed Chevalier.