Alexandre de Rainier de Droue, Marquis de Boisseleau
Alexandre de Rainier de Droué, Marquis de Boisseleau (1650 – 8 October 1698) was a French
aristocrat and soldier. He is known for his service on the Jacobite side during the Williamite War in Ireland.[1]
Biography
Boisseleau received a commission in the French Royal Army and saw extensive service in the Franco-Dutch War. He was present at the Siege of Maastricht and Battle of Saint-Denis. He fought in the War of the Reunions, including at the Siege of Luxembourg.[1]
He was one of many French soldiers sent to Ireland by
Irish Army, with the rank of major-general, in several military actions. In November 1689, Boisseleau led a Jacobite force in the unsuccessful Raid on Newry.[2] The following summer he was present at the Battle of the Boyne. Although this was a major defeat for the Jacobite cause, his own reputation was enhanced due to his conduct on the battlefield.[3]
The same year he was instrumental in the successful defence of
Patrick Sarsfield who felt that the town could still be held. Boisseleau was appointed Governor of Limerick by King James' representative in Ireland the Richard Talbot, 1st Earl of Tyrconnell.[4]
Following the siege, he requested permission from his French commander,
Antoine Nompar de Caumont, to leave Ireland. He subsequently served in the French army in the Nine Years' War, including at the Siege of Namur and the Battle of Landen. On 3 January 1696 he received the rank of maréchal de camp; he died two years later.[1]
References
Bibliography
- Childs, John. The Williamite Wars in Ireland. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2007.
- McNally, Michael. Battle of the Boyne 1690: The Irish Campaign for the English Crown. Osprey Publishing, 2005.
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