Murderer Charlotte Corday's lawyer

The Le Doulcet lived in Pontécoulant, from the 14th century to the beginning of the 20th century… Louis-Gustave Le Doulcet was the most outstanding guy, in this family. He was count of Pontécoulant, the one who raised the current castle in the 18th century. He was born in Caen in 1764. Before the French Revolution, he was an officer.

Then, he became deputy in French National Convention. He had to go into self-imposed exile in 1792, because he refused to sign king Louis XVI’s death sentence… But furthermore, he refused to help a lady, in front of the revolutionary court. Her name? Charlotte Corday. She asked him to be her lawyer.

And yet, they were both Normans and Girondists! But Gustave was implicated in the case of Louis XVI’s death, so it was out of the question to lay it on a bit thick… Charlotte, offended, wrote to Gustave few hours before her execution: "Doulcet de Pontécoulant is a coward, because he refused to defend me. And yet, the case was so easy..."