Chouan Boishardy's death in Moncontour: a head on a pike
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During the French Revolution, the chouannerie shook Moncontour. The chouannerie?
A bloody civil war between Royalists (the Chouans) and Republicans, in Western France…
And in 1795, a Chouan leader named Boishardy turned up in Moncontour’s area.
Amateur-Jérôme Le Bras de Forges, chevalier de Boishardy was born in a noble Breton family.
He first was in the Royal Navy, then he dumped everything and came back home. Well, the Navy was OK… but he wanted something else.
Some action! So he joined the Chouans and became the leader of a little gang who presided between Lamballe and Moncontour, for 2 years: ransack and plundering, interception of Republican troops...
Until the day Boishardy signed a treaty of peace with famous French general Hoche, in Moncontour.
Well, yes, peace… not for long: the war went on and Boishardy had to die… a traitor betrayed him and told to Hoche where was his hiding place (2 km away from Moncontour).
In the night of June 15th 1795, Boishardy was arrested and slaughtered.
They put his head on a pike and showed it to people in Moncontour’s streets… then in Lamballe, in front of his poor sister's house.
Then, they threw his head on pond of Launay. The pond was emptied: the Chouan’s skull was found and buried in the cemetery of Corne-en-Marouée…