Béatrix Excoffon, born Julia Euvrie or Œuvrie (10 July 1849 - 30 December 1916) was a militant communard who served as an ambulance nurse during the Paris Commune in 1871. [1] She was vice-president of the Club des Femmes de la Boule Noire, and was known as "the republican". [2]
Excoffon was born in Cherbourg on 10 July 1849. [3] In 1870, she was living in Paris with her partner, François, a printer. They had two children. [1]
In La Commune, Louise Michel relates that Sophie Poirier, Blin, and Excoffon asked her to join them in creating the Comité de vigilance de Montmartre. [4] That committee then organized the Club des Femmes de la Boule Noire, and Excoffon became its vice-president. Sophie Poirier became its president. [2] She requisitioned an apartment at 32 rue des Acacias in Paris, where she lived, for the use of the Vigilance Committee. [3]
At a meeting of the club of the Salle Ragache at the beginning of April, she said, "there are enough of us to attend to the wounded." [5] On 3 April 1871, Excoffon took part in a women's march to Versailles, where the National Assembly was located, reminiscent of the march of October 1789. [1] Excoffon set up a mobile ambulance at Fort d'Issy for the Enfants-Perdus for a fortnight. [6] Excoffon's ambulance [7] [1] was joined by Alix Payen, who first became an ambulance nurse on the day her husband was wounded in the eye. [8]
During Bloody Week, when the Versailles troops entered Paris, Excoffon defended place Blanche at the barricades on 23 May 1871 [1] along with Élisabeth Dmitrieff, Nathalie Lemel, Blanche Lefebvre, and Malvina Poulain, also an ambulance nurse. [9] 120 women delayed General Clinchant's troops before retreating, exhausted and low on ammunition, to place Pigalle. [10] [11]
After the end of the Commune, she was detained at Satory, [3] along with Louise Michel. [12] The 4th Court Martial condemned her to deportation to a fortress on 13 October 1871. [1] She was then imprisoned in Auberive. [3] [13] Louise Michel asked Victor Hugo to intervene on her behalf, since her parents and brother-in-law had died recently. [13] Her sentence was reduced to ten years of imprisonment on 28 March 1872, and reduced further by one year on 15 August 1876. [3] Finally, Excoffon made an act of submission and her sentence was commuted, resulting in her release on 26 November 1878. [12] [1]
Excoffon and her partner married on 5 September 1874. [1]
Béatrix Excoffon, born Julia Euvrie or Œuvrie (10 July 1849 - 30 December 1916) was a militant communard who served as an ambulance nurse during the Paris Commune in 1871. [1] She was vice-president of the Club des Femmes de la Boule Noire, and was known as "the republican". [2]
Excoffon was born in Cherbourg on 10 July 1849. [3] In 1870, she was living in Paris with her partner, François, a printer. They had two children. [1]
In La Commune, Louise Michel relates that Sophie Poirier, Blin, and Excoffon asked her to join them in creating the Comité de vigilance de Montmartre. [4] That committee then organized the Club des Femmes de la Boule Noire, and Excoffon became its vice-president. Sophie Poirier became its president. [2] She requisitioned an apartment at 32 rue des Acacias in Paris, where she lived, for the use of the Vigilance Committee. [3]
At a meeting of the club of the Salle Ragache at the beginning of April, she said, "there are enough of us to attend to the wounded." [5] On 3 April 1871, Excoffon took part in a women's march to Versailles, where the National Assembly was located, reminiscent of the march of October 1789. [1] Excoffon set up a mobile ambulance at Fort d'Issy for the Enfants-Perdus for a fortnight. [6] Excoffon's ambulance [7] [1] was joined by Alix Payen, who first became an ambulance nurse on the day her husband was wounded in the eye. [8]
During Bloody Week, when the Versailles troops entered Paris, Excoffon defended place Blanche at the barricades on 23 May 1871 [1] along with Élisabeth Dmitrieff, Nathalie Lemel, Blanche Lefebvre, and Malvina Poulain, also an ambulance nurse. [9] 120 women delayed General Clinchant's troops before retreating, exhausted and low on ammunition, to place Pigalle. [10] [11]
After the end of the Commune, she was detained at Satory, [3] along with Louise Michel. [12] The 4th Court Martial condemned her to deportation to a fortress on 13 October 1871. [1] She was then imprisoned in Auberive. [3] [13] Louise Michel asked Victor Hugo to intervene on her behalf, since her parents and brother-in-law had died recently. [13] Her sentence was reduced to ten years of imprisonment on 28 March 1872, and reduced further by one year on 15 August 1876. [3] Finally, Excoffon made an act of submission and her sentence was commuted, resulting in her release on 26 November 1878. [12] [1]
Excoffon and her partner married on 5 September 1874. [1]