Mercadier (died 1200) was a French Provençal warrior of the 12th century, and chief of routiers in the service of Richard I of England.
In 1183 he appears as a leader of Brabant mercenaries in Southern France. He entered Richard's service in 1184, attacking and laying waste to lands of Aimar V of Limoges. In 1188 he managed seventeen castles captured from the Count of Toulouse. He accompanied Richard on the Third Crusade but was sent back when Philip Augustus left for France. On arrival he and his mercenaries defended Richard's estates in the latter's absence.
After Richard's return from Palestine, Mercadier accompanied him everywhere as his right hand, travelling and fighting by his side. Richard eulogized Mercadier's exploits in his letters, and gave him the estates left by Ademar de Bainac in Limousin, who died without heirs around 1190. During the various wars between Richard and Philip Augustus of France, Mercadier fought successively in Berry, Normandy, Flanders and Brittany. When Richard was mortally wounded at the siege of Châlus in March 1199, it was Mercadier's physician who cared for him. Mercadier avenged his death by storming the castle, hanging the defenders and flaying Pierre Basile, the crossbowman who had shot the king, despite Richard's last act pardoning the boy.
Mercadier then entered the service of John, and ravaged Gascony and the city of Angers. On Easter Monday, the April 10, 1200, he was assassinated while on a visit to Bordeaux to pay his respects to Eleanor of Aquitaine, who was bringing from Spain Blanche of Castile. His murderer was a man-at-arms employed by Brandin, a rival mercenary captain in the service of John.
One of the bridges of the Chateau-Gaillard is named for him.
MERCADIER (d. 120o), French warrior of the 12th century, and chief of freebooters in the service of Richard I. of England. In 1183 he operated for Richard, then duke of Aquitaine, in the Limousin and the Angoumois, taking castles and laying waste the country. We know nothing of him during the ten years 1184-119 4, but after Richard's return from Palestine, Mercadier accompanied him everywhere, travelling and fighting by his side. Richard eulogized Mercadier's exploits in his letters, and gave him the estates left by Ademar de Bainac, who died without heirs about 1190. During the various wars between Richard and Philip Augustus of France, Mercadier fought successively in Berry, Normandy, Flanders and Brittany. When Richard was mortally wounded at the siege of Chalus in March 1199, Mercadier avenged him by hanging the defenders of the chateau and flaying the crossbowman who had shot the king. Mercadier then entered the service of John, and ravaged Gascony. On Easter Monday, the 10th of April 1200, he was assassinated while on a visit to Bordeaux to pay his respects to Eleanor of Aquitaine, who was bringing from Spain Blanche of Castile. His murderer was an agent of Brandin, another freebooter in the service of John.
See Geraud, Mercadier, in Bibliotheque de l'Ecole des Chartes, 1st series, t. iii., pp. 417-443.
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