Not long afterwards, Poitou brought her four pounds for the dress. She told him that twenty sous were missing; he denied this, saying that he had promised her only four pounds. She told him then that she knew by this that he would have difficulty keeping his other promises because he was already short twenty sous. He told her to stop worrying so much, that he would give her and her child plenty of other gifts. Then he led the said child away, conducting him to Jean Colin’s, the innkeeper of the said Lord. And so, on the following day, as Gilles de Rais was leaving the said inn, this Peronne asked him for her said child, who was with him; but Lord de Rais did not respond at all. But he turned to the said Poitou, who was there, and said that the child had been well chosen, and that he was as beautiful as an angel. The said Poitou then responded that there had been no one but himself to make the choice, and the said Lord told him that he had not failed to choose well. Not long after this, the child left with the said Poitou in the company of the said Lord, riding on a pony that the said Poitou had bought from Jean Colin. Since then, this woman has had no more news of him; she has heard no word of where her said child might be, and she did not see him in the company of the said Lord who had since come through the said place of La Roche-Bernard. And she has not seen the said Poitou in the retinue of the said Lord since then. Those of the said Lord’s men whom she asked where her son was told her that he was at Tiffauges or Pouzauges.
[Signed:] De Touscheronde.
JEAN COLIN and his wife,138 and OLIVE, mother of the said Colin’s wife, living at La Roche-Bernard, depose under oath that two years ago this September the said Lord de Rais, coming from Vannes, lodged at their inn and spent the night there. And that a fellow named Poitou, a servant of the said Lord, did so much for Peronne Loessart, who was living opposite their house then, that she entrusted him with her son, who was going to school, and who was one of the most beautiful children in the region, so that he might live with him; and the said Colin sold the said Poitou a pony he had for the sum of sixty sous, in order to take the said child away. And the said women said that, on the evening when the mother entrusted this Poitou with her son, he led him to the inn belonging to the witnesses, telling the other servants of the said Lord that this was his page; whereas these latter told him that he would not be there for him but that the said Lord, their master, would keep him for himself. And on the following day, when the said Lord came out of the said inn to get going, these women heard the mother of the child ask for him of the said Lord, in the presence of the child and Poitou; whereupon the said Lord told Poitou that the child was well chosen; Poitou responded that there had been no one but himself to choose, and the said Lord told him that he had not been mistaken and that the child was as beautiful as an angel. Not long afterwards, the latter left, riding on the said pony with the said Poitou in the company of the said Lord. And the said Colin declares that two or three months later in Nantes, he saw someone other than the said child mount the said pony, which shocked him. And the aforenamed witnesses say that since then, they have not seen the said child nor heard where he was, save what the said women say, that when they had inquired of the Lord’s men, some of them responded that he was at Tiffauges, others that he was dead: that while he was crossing over the bridges in Nantes, the wind had blown him into the river. Since then, she had not seen the said Poitou come through the said place of La Roche-Bernard in the retinue of the said Lord, although he had himself come through. And the last time he had come through, six weeks before, returning from Vannes, they heard it said by the said Lord’s servants, whom they asked where the said Poitou was, in order to find out where the said child was, that Poitou had taken off in the direction of Redon; and they imagined that this was because of the shocking complaints that the said Perrone had made on the subject of her child; which complaints the said Poitou could have learned of through the said Lord’s men.
[Signed:] De Touscheronde.
JEAN LEMEIGNEN and his wife, ALLAIN DULIS, PERROT DUPOUEZ, GUILLAUME GENTON, GUILLAUML PORTUYS, JEAN LEFEVRE, cleric, of Saint-Étienne-de-Montluc, depose under oath that about three years before, they saw a young child, the son of Guillaume Brice, a poor man of the said parish, frequent the borough of Saint-Étienne-de-Montluc, where his father lived, to ask for alms. This child was then about eight or nine years old; his father died over a year before around the beginning of Lent: this child was very beautiful and was called Jamet. The witnesses declare that, since last Saint John’s Day, they have not seen him again or heard anything about where he might be found or what has become of him. Besides, this Dupouez says that some time around last Saint John’s Day he ran into an old woman with a rosy face, fifty to sixty years old: she was coming from the direction of Coueron and he ran into her rather near the presbytery of Saint-Étienne; she was wearing a short linen tunic over her dress. And, on a previous occasion, he had seen her coming from Savenay and through the said (sic) wood of Saint-Étienne, working her way toward Coueron or Nantes. And on the day she was coming from the direction of Coueron, the witness saw the said child near the road where he had run into the said old woman, an arrow’s flight above the said presbytery, so to speak, near which presbytery a man named Simon Lebreton lived. And the witness declares that since then, he has not seen the said child again nor heard anything said about where he might be. What is more, because he was friendless, there was no one in the region who might complain of his disappearance; and his mother, for her own part, was a beggar, daily begging for alms.
The aforesaid witnesses were interrogated by Jean de Touscheronde, in the company of Jean Thomas, September 18, 1440.
[Signed:] De Touscheronde, Thomas.
September 27, 1440.
Part of the investigation and inquiry with a view to proving, if possible, that a certain number of children, or other persons, were conveyed and conducted to the castle at Machecoul, and there struck down and killed by the said Lord de Rais and his men, to have their blood, heart, liver, or other such parts, to make of them a sacrifice to the Devil, or to do other sorceries with. This investigation was made by Jean de Touscheronde, specially appointed by the Duke, assisted by Nicolas Chatau, notary public of the court of Nantes, September 27, 1440.
GUILLAUME FOURAIGE and his wife, JEANNE, the wife of Jean Leflou, RICHARDE, the wife of Jean Gaudeau, of Port-Launay near Coueron, depose under oath that about two years previously, a young boy of approximately twelve, the son of the deceased Jean Bernard, their neighbor, of the said place of Port-Launay, and another young child of Coueron, the son of Jean Meugner, took off for Machecoul for the charity that was then customary there, with the intention of receiving alms; and from that day forward they had not seen the son of the said Bernard again and have had no news of him, save what they heard the son of Jean Meugner say, that after three days, he returned from the said place of Machecoul, and that one evening the son of Jean Bernard had told him to wait for him in a certain spot, beyond the houses, in the said place of Machecoul, and that he was going to find a place for them to stay; and with these words he departed, leaving the said Meugner in the spot where he had said and where the latter waited for him for over three hours, hoping that he would return, but since then, he had not seen him again nor heard any news. And the witnesses declare that they have since seen the mother of the said Bernard, who at present is harvesting grapes, complaining bitterly. Furthermore, the wife of the said Fouraige declared that for a year she had sometimes run into an old woman whom she did not know, wearing a paltry grey dress and black hood: this woman was small; once she had a young boy with her, and said that she was going to Machecoul, and went through Port-Launay with the said child; and not long afterwards, two or three days to be sure, the witness saw her returning without the child; therefore she asked her what had become of him, and this woman responded that she had placed him with a good master.
[Signed:] De Touscheronde, Chatau.
September 28, 29, and 30, 1440.
Another part of the investigation and inquiry touching on the
aforesaid affair against the said Lord de Rais, his men and accomplices, led by Jean de Touscheronde, Michel Estrillart, and Jean Coppegorge Junior, appointed to this effect by the Duke, assisted by Nicolas Chatau, notary public of the court of Nantes, on September 28, 29, and 30, 1440.
ANDRÉ BARBE, shoemaker, living at Machecoul, deposes under oath that since Easter he has heard that the son of Georges Le Barbier of Machecoul had been lost, that on a certain day he had been seen picking apples behind Rondeau’s house and that he had never been seen since; certain neighbors of his had told Barbe and his wife that they ought to watch over their child, who was at risk of being snatched, and they were very frightened about him; in fact, the witness had even been at Saint-Jean-d’Angély, and someone asked him where he was from, and when he responded that he was from Machecoul, that person was shocked, telling him that they ate little children there.139
He further states that a child of Guillaume Jeudon, who was living with Guillaume Hilairet, a child of Jeannot Roussin, and another of Alexandre Chastelier, of Machecoul, had been lost. He also heard complaints of the loss of other children in the said place of Machecoul. He adds that nobody dared speak for fear of the men in Lord de Rais’ chapel, or others of his men; those who complained risked imprisonment, or ill-treatment, should anyone report their complaints.
Furthermore, he states that he heard a man complaining in the church of the Trinité at Machecoul, whom he did not know, who was asking whether anyone had seen his child, whom he claimed was seven years old; and this about eight months earlier.
[Signed:] De Touscheronde, Coppegorge, Chatau.
JEANNETTE, the wife of Guillaume Sergent, living in the parish of Sainte-Croix of Machecoul, in a hamlet called La Boucardière, declares that about a year ago last Pentecost, her husband and she had gone digging in a field to plant hemp. They had left one of their sons, eight years old, at home, to tend their little girl of one-and-a-half, but on their return they could not find the said child of eight, which greatly astonished and dispirited them; and they went to inquire about him in the parishes of Machecoul and elsewhere, but since then they have had no more news of him and have never heard that anyone had seen him.
[Signed:] De Touscheronde, Coppegorge, Chatau.
GOERGET [LE] BARBIER, tailor,140 living near the entrance to the castle of Machecoul, declares that he had a son named Guillaume, whom he had placed with Jean Peletier, tailor to Lady de Rais and Lord de Rais’ men: he was learning the trade and living with him. Around last Saint Barnabas’ Day this child, who was eighteen years old, was playing with a ball of thread at Machecoul; the said Lord and his men were then staying at the castle of Machecoul; and since that evening when his said child was playing thus with the ball of thread, the present witness had never seen him again, nor heard that anyone, no matter who, had spotted him, although he asked about his child many times. And he said that the tailor, his master, and the said child, his servant, were continually going to the castle and eating there.
Moreover, he states that he heard whispers that children were killed in the said castle.
Item, he declares that he heard it said that the page of Milord François,141 who was living with the said Lord, had been lost as well.
Further he states that he had seen an endless procession of children go begging for alms at the castle of Machecoul, when the said Lord and his men were residing there.
[Signed:] De Touscheronde, Coppegorge, Chatau.
GUILLAUME HILAIRET and his wife, JEANNE HILAIRET, living at Machecoul, declare that they had heard that the son of the said Georget Le Barbier had disappeared around the aforesaid time, and since then they have not seen him again or heard that anyone had seen him. Moreover, the said Guillaume Hilairet recalls that, about seven or eight years previously, a twelve-year-old child, the son of Jean Jeudon, was living with him to learn the furrier’s trade. And the said Guillaume Hilairet declares that in the presence of Roger de Briqueville, around the aforesaid time, Gilles de Sillé requested that he lend him his said valet to carry a message to the said castle of Machecoul, and the said Hilairet lent him the valet and sent him to the said castle. And the said Guillaume and his wife declare that since then, they had not seen the said helper again nor heard that anyone else had seen him. And much later that same day the said Guillaume Hilairet asked the said Sillé and Briqueville what had become of his said valet: they told him that they did not know, unless he had had to go to Tiffauges, and into such a place, the said Sillé said, where thieves had snatched him to make him a page.
Item, the witnesses declare that they have heard many people say that a child of Jeannot Roussin and another of Alexandre Chastelier, the latter then living in front of the Trinité of Machecoul, the former in the vicinity of the village, had also been lost; they heard their father and mother complaining bitterly.
Item, the said Guillaume Hilairet declares that about five years before, he had heard a man named Jean du Jardin, then living with Milord Roger de Briqueville, state that a conduit filled with dead little children was found at the castle of Champtocé.
Item, this Guillaume Hilairet declares that he had previously heard one of Rais’ women, whose name he did not know, complaining at Machecoul of the loss of a child of hers.
Item, the witnesses declare that it was public and common knowledge that children were put to death in the said castle, for which reason they presume that the aforesaid children had been killed and put to death there.
And since that time the aforesaid Jean Jeudon has appeared before us, the aforesaid commissioners, and declared that he had previously entrusted his son to the said Guillaume Hilairet to learn the furrier’s trade; and his said child had been lost, he does not know how, and since the aforementioned time he has not seen him again nor heard any news. Furthermore, he says that he has heard complaints of the loss of other children.
[Signed:] De Touscheroude, Coppegorge, Chatau.
JEAN TIFOLOZ JUNIOR, JOUHAN AUBIN, CLÉMENT DORÉ, of Touvois, state that they had heard Mathelin Thouars complaining about and lamenting for one of his children, about whom he said he did not know what had become of him, about which he was very unhappy; and the witnesses say that Thouars was a poor man. And they heard him complaining about six months before. And the child was about twelve years old.
[Signed:] De Touscheronde, Coppegorge, Chatau.
JEAN ROUSSIN, of Machecoul, declares that about nine years previously, a child of his, nine years old, was to watch the animals one particular day, on which day he never returned home; he and his wife were greatly astonished by this, not knowing what had happened to him. And thereafter, after the complaints and outcry of his wife and family, two of his neighbors, who are now deceased, told him that they had seen Gilles de Sillé, wearing a tabard,142 his face thinly veiled, speaking with the said child, and that the said child left for the castle, going through the back gate. What is more, he says that his said child, who was living close to the castle, knew the said Gilles de Sillé well and occasionally carried milk to the castle for those who wanted it. And he declares that he has heard no more talk of his said child since then.
He adds that the day before he lost his son he had heard complaints of the loss of the said Jeudon’s son, who was living with the said Guillaume Hilairet. He also states that he heard other men complaining of the loss of their children.
[Signed:] De Touscheronde, Coppegorge, Chatau.
JEANNE, widow of Aimery Édelin and former wife of Jean Bonneau, living at Machecoul, states that she had a young boy aged eight, who went to school, and who was very beautiful, very fair, and clever. He was living with the mother of the said Jeanne across from the castle of Machecoul; and about eight years ago this child disappeared without anyone being able to find out what happened to him. And previously, a child of Roussin and another of Jeudon had also been lost. And about fifteen days later a child of Mace Sorin, whose wife was the aunt of this Jeanne, had also been lost; and, following on the complaints that they heard, these children wer
e thought to have been taken to give to the English for the liberation of Milord Michel de Sillé, who was a prisoner of the English, so it was said; and the said Lord’s men were supposed to have said that, for the ransom of the said Lord Michel, the stipulation was to furnish the English with twenty-four male children.
Item, she says that about two or three years before, she saw at Machecoul a man named Oran, who lived in the direction of Saint-Mesme, lamenting piteously and crying over the loss of a child; he was asking about him in the said place of Machecoul but so far as the said Jeanne knows, had no news of him.
Item, she says that after last Easter she heard a man named Aisé and his wife, living in the house of someone named Pinsonneau, at Machecoul, in the parish of Sainte-Croix, complaining of the loss of their child.
Item, she declares having heard that many other children had been lost, in Brittany and elsewhere, about which there was a great outcry. And, among others, she heard a man from around Tiffauges, whose name she has forgotten, say that for one child lost around Machecoul, seven were lost around Tiffauges; they were taken in the country while watching the animals, and nobody knew what had happened to them or had become of them.