Title page of Arrest Memorable, an account of the case written by one of the trial judges in 1560 and published in 1565

Martin Guerre, a French peasant of the 16th century, was at the center of a famous case of identity theft. Several years after he had left his family, a man claiming to be Guerre took his place and lived with Guerre's wife and son for three years. After a trial, during which the real Martin Guerre returned, the impostor was discovered and executed. The case continues to be studied and dramatized to this day. Image File history File links Arrest_Memmorable_title_page. ... Image File history File links Arrest_Memmorable_title_page. ... Events February 27 - The Treaty of Berwick, which would expel the French from Scotland, is signed by England and the Congregation of Scotland The first tulip bulb was brought from Turkey to the Netherlands. ... // Events March 1 - the city of Rio de Janeiro is founded. ... Martin Guerre may refer to: Martin Guerre, 16th century French peasant. ... (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... An impostor is a person who pretends to be somebody else, often to try to gain financial or social advantages through social engineering, but just as often for purposes of espionage or law enforcement. ...

Historical account

The information in this section is taken from (Davis 1983).

Life before leaving his wife

He was born as Martin Daguerre around 1524 in the Basque town of Hendaye. In 1527, his family moved to the Pyrenean village Artigat in southwestern France, where they changed their name to Guerre. When he was about fourteen years old, Martin was married to Bertrande de Rols, daughter of a well-off family. The marriage was childless for eight years until a son, Sanxi, was born. Being accused of having stolen grain from his father, Martin abruptly disappeared in 1548. Catholic law governing France did not allow his abandoned wife to remarry (unlike that of the Protestants, who were slowly gaining ground; see French Wars of Religion). Events March 1, 1524/5 - Giovanni da Verrazano lands near Cape Fear (approx. ... The Ikurriña, Basque flag Location of Territory of the Basque Country The Basque Country divided in seven provinces. ... Hendaye (Basque Hendaia) is the most southwesterly town in France. ... January 5 - Felix Manz, co-founder of the Swiss Anabaptists, was drowned in the Limmat in Zürich by the Zürich Reformed state church. ... Pic de Bugatetin the Néouvielle Natural Reserve Central Pyrenees For the mountains in Victoria, Australia, see Pyrenees (Victoria). ... Artigat is a commune of the Ariège département, in southwestern France. ... Events Mary I of Scotland sent to France Births September 2 - Vincenzo Scamozzi, Italian architect (died 1616) September 29 - William V, Duke of Bavaria (died 1626) Francesco Andreini, Italian actor (died 1624) Giordano Bruno, Italian philosopher, astronomer, and occultist (burned at the stake) 1600 (died 1600) Honda Tadakatsu, Japanese general... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      Protestantism encompasses the forms... The French Wars of Religion were a series of conflicts fought between Catholics and Huguenots (Protestants) from the middle of the sixteenth century to the Edict of Nantes in 1598, including civil infighting as well as military operations. ...

"New Martin" appears

In the summer of 1556, a man appeared in Artigat, claiming to be Martin Guerre. By his similar looks and detailed knowledge of Martin Guerre's life, he convinced most of the villagers. Martin Guerre's uncle had his doubts but Martin's four sisters as well as Bertrande believed that he was indeed Martin Guerre, although doubts remained. The “new” Martin lived for three years with Bertrande and her son; they had two children together, with one daughter surviving. “Martin” claimed the inheritance of Guerre's father, who had since died, and even sued Guerre's uncle, Pierre Guerre, for part of the inheritance. Events January 16 - Abdication of Emperor Charles V. His son, Philip II becomes King of Spain, while his brother Ferdinand becomes Holy Roman Emperor January 23 - The Shaanxi earthquake, the deadliest earthquake in history, occurs with its epicenter in Shaanxi province, China. ...

Pierre Guerre, who had earlier married Bertrande's widowed mother during Martin Guerre's absence, then became suspicious again. He and his wife tried to convince Bertrande that the new Martin was an impostor. A soldier who passed through Artigat claimed that the new Martin Guerre was a fraud: the real one had lost a leg in the war. Pierre even tried to kill the new Martin, but Bertrande intervened.

In 1559, the new Martin was accused of arson and also of impersonating Martin Guerre; Bertrande remained on his side, and he was acquitted in 1560.

Trial in Rieux

In the meantime, Pierre Guerre had asked around and believed to have found the true identity of the impostor: Arnaud du Tilh, nicknamed "Pansette", a man with a poor reputation from the nearby village Sajas. Pierre then initiated a new case against the man by falsely claiming to act in Bertrande's name. He and his wife, Bertrande's mother, pressured Bertrande to support the charge, and eventually she obliged. Sajas is a commune of the Haute-Garonne département, in southwestern France. ...

In 1560, the case was tried in Rieux. Bertrande testified that at first she had honestly believed the man to be her husband, but that she had since realized that he was a fraud. Both Bertrande and the accused independently related an identical story about their intimate life from before 1548. The new Martin then challenged her: if she would swear that he was not her husband, he would gladly agree to be executed РBertrande remained silent. After hearing more than 150 witnesses, with many recognizing Martin Guerre (including his four sisters), many recognizing Arnaud du Tilh and many refusing to take a side, the accused impostor was sentenced to death. Events February 27 - The Treaty of Berwick, which would expel the French from Scotland, is signed by England and the Congregation of Scotland The first tulip bulb was brought from Turkey to the Netherlands. ... Rieux-Volvestre is a commune of the Haute-Garonne d̩partement, in France. ...

Appeal in Toulouse, Martin reappears

He immediately appealed to the parliament in Toulouse. Bertrande and Pierre were arrested: for possible false accusation and, in the case of Pierre, soliciting perjury. The new Martin eloquently argued his case, and the judges in Toulouse tended to believe his version of the story: that Bertrande was pressured to perjury by the greedy Pierre Guerre. The accused had to undergo detailed questioning about his past; his statements were double checked and no contradictions were found. But then dramatically the true Martin Guerre appeared during the very trial, with a wooden leg. When asked about their past, the new Martin was able to answer some questions better than the "old" one, who had forgotten several details. But when the two were presented to the Guerre family, the case was closed: Pierre, Bertrande, and Martin's four sisters all agreed that the old one was the true one. It was actually Bertrande who decided which was who when she threw her arms around her real husband. New city flag (Occitan cross) Traditional coat of arms Motto: (Occitan: For Toulouse, always more) Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country Region Midi-Pyrénées Department Haute-Garonne (31) Intercommunality Community of Agglomeration of Greater Toulouse Mayor Jean-Luc Moudenc  (UMP) (since 2004) City Statistics Land... Perjury is the act of lying or making verifiably false statements on a material matter under oath or affirmation in a court of law or in any of various sworn statements in writing. ...

The impostor was convicted and sentenced to death for adultery and fraud; the public sentencing on September 12, 1560, during which the accused maintained his innocence, was attended by the young Montaigne. Afterwards, Arnaud du Tilh confessed: he had learned about Guerre's life after two men confused him with Guerre, and he had then decided to take Guerre's place, with two conspirators helping him with the details. He apologized to all involved, including Bertrande, for having deceived them, and was hanged in front of Martin Guerre's house in Artigat four days later. September 12 is the 255th day of the year (256th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events February 27 - The Treaty of Berwick, which would expel the French from Scotland, is signed by England and the Congregation of Scotland The first tulip bulb was brought from Turkey to the Netherlands. ... Michel Eyquem de Montaigne (February 28, 1533 - September 13, 1592) was an influential French Renaissance writer, generally considered to be the inventor of the personal essay. ... Hanging is the suspension of a person by a ligature, usually a cord wrapped around the neck, causing death. ...

Pierre Guerre and Bertrande were set free; the judges believed that Bertrande was indeed honestly defrauded by Arnaud du Tilh.

However there are many who believe otherwise since they lived as man and wife for nearly three years. However Du Tilh maintained that he had deceived her and that she was innocent. However it was known that her life with Martin (the real one) was not as idyllic as it should have been which gave her ample motive to be in on the con.

Martin's story

During the absence from his family, the real Martin Guerre had moved to Spain, served for a cardinal, and then later in the army of Pedro de Mendoza. As part of the Spanish army, he was eventually sent to Flanders and participated in the Spanish attack on St. Quentin on August 10, 1557. There he was wounded and his leg had to be amputated. He then lived in a monastery before returning to his wife. The reason for his returning at the very time of the trial remains unknown. Initially, he rejected his wife's apologies, maintaining that she should have known better than to take another man. A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually a bishop, of the Roman Catholic Church, a member of the College of Cardinals which as a body elects a new pope. ... Pedro de Mendoza (1487–1537) was a Spanish conquistador, and the first adelantado of the Río de la Plata. ... Flanders (Dutch: ) is a large historical region overlapping Belgium, France and the Netherlands. ... The Spanish won a significant victory over the French in the Battle of San Quentin (1557) during the Franco-Habsburg War (1551-1559), which Philip II of Spain resumed having gained English support with Queen Mary as an ally. ... is the 222nd day of the year (223rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events Spain is effectively bankrupt. ...

Reactions and interpretations

Two contemporary accounts of the case were written: Histoire Admirable by Guillaume Le Sueur and the better known Arrest Memorable by Jean de Coras, one of the trial judges in Toulouse. Throughout the ages, the bizarre story has fascinated many writers. Alexandre Dumas, père, included a fictionalized version of the story in his novel The Two Dianas as well as in his multi-volume Celebrated Crimes (1841). Alexandre Dumas, père, born Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie (July 24, 1802 – December 5, 1870) was a French writer, best known for his numerous historical novels of high adventure which have made him one of the most widely read French authors in the world. ... The Two Dianas is an 1846 novel by Alexandre Dumas, père. ...

A detailed account of the case was provided in 1983 by Princeton history professor Natalie Zemon Davis (Davis 1983). In her book, Davis argues that Bertrande silently or explicitly agreed to the fraud because she needed a husband and was treated well by Arnaud. The improbability of mistaking a stranger for her husband, her support for him until (and in a way even during) the very trial, and the shared intimate story which was likely prepared in advance are cited as evidence. Year 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar). ... Princeton University is a private coeducational research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, in the United States of America. ... Natalie Zemon Davis (born November 8, 1928) is an Canadian and American historian of early modern Europe. ...

The historian Robert Finlay has criticized this conclusion (Finlay 1988), arguing that Bertrande was genuinely duped (as was widely believed by her contemporaries, including her trial judges) and that Davis tried to fit a modern societal model onto the historical account. He points to the improbability of Bertrande accusing her own accomplice, leading to a highly complicated situation where she runs the risk of having to defend herself against charges of adultery or false accusation. Davis attempted to rebut these arguments in (Davis 1988).

The historical romance The Wife of Martin Guerre by Janet Lewis (first published 1941) is a speculation about Bertrande's true motives. The Wife of Martin Guerre (first published 1941) is a short novel by an American writer Janet Lewis. ... Janet Lewis is an author. ... For the movie, see 1941 (film). ...

The 1982 film Le Retour de Martin Guerre (directed by Daniel Vigne and starring Gérard Depardieu and Nathalie Baye) remains mostly true to the historic account, except for the fictional explanation of Bertrande's motives at the film's end. Natalie Davis served as a consultant for that film. A 1993 Hollywood remake starring Jodie Foster and Richard Gere retells the story as Sommersby in the United States after the American Civil War. Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... The Return of Martin Guerre (Le Retour de Martin Guerre) is a 1982 French film based on a book of the same name (See main article Martin Guerre). ... Gérard Depardieu. ... Nathalie Baye (born July 6, 1948 in Mainneville, Eure, France) is an award winning French actress. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... Jodie Foster (born November 19, 1962) is a two-time Academy Award-winning American actress, director, and producer. ... Richard Tiffany Gere[1] (born August 31, 1949) is an American actor. ... Sommersby DVD cover The 1993 motion picture Sommersby was directed by Jon Amiel and stars Richard Gere, Jodie Foster, Bill Pullman and James Earl Jones. ... Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total...

A musical named Martin Guerre by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, of Les Misérables fame, was premiered in London at the Prince Edward Theatre in 1996. The end of this musical is also not true to the historical account. Musical theater (or theatre) is a form of theatre combining music, songs, dance, and spoken dialogue. ... Martin Guerre is a musical with a book by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, lyrics by Boubil, Edward Hardy, Stephen Clark, and Herbert Kretzmer, and music by Schönberg. ... Claude-Michel Schönberg (born July 6, 1944 in Vannes, France) is a French record producer, actor, singer, popular songwriter, and musical theatre composer, best known for his collaborations with the librettist Alain Boublil. ... Alain Boublil is a librettist, best known for his collaborations with the composer Claude-Michel Schönberg. ... Les Misérables (pronunciation ), colloquially known as Les Mis, is a musical composed in 1980 by French composer Claude-Michel Schönberg on a libretto by Alain Boublil. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... The Prince Edward Theatre is a theatre situated on Old Compton Street, just north of Leicester Square in the West End of London. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ...

References

• Natalie Zemon Davis, The Return of Martin Guerre, Harvard University Press, 1983, ISBN 0-674-76691-1
• Robert Finlay, "The Refashioning of Martin Guerre", The American Historical Review, Vol. 93, No. 3. (June 1988), pp. 553-571. A criticism of the book's conclusions.
• Natalie Zemon Davis, "On The Lame", The American Historical Review, Vol. 93, No. 3. (June 1988), pp. 572-603. Defense of her conclusions.

External links

• Translation of the main text of Jean de Coras, Arrest Memorable, by Jeannette K Ringold.
• Martin Guerre, fictionalized account by Alexandre Dumas, père, part of the Celebrated Crimes series.