Madeleine des Roches is thought to have been born in 1520 into a family of lawyers from the city of Poitiers in south western France. Little is known about her early life, but in 1539 she married André Fradonnet, a public prosecutor (
procureur), and had three children: Nicolles, Catherine and Lucrèce. Only Catherine survived to adulthood. After the death of her first husband, she married François Eboissard in 1550. A successful lawyer at the appeals court, he was able to provide her with a comfortable standard of living which enabled her to pursue her writing activities with her daughter Catherine. It was only after his death in 1578 that the two women sought to have their works published. They adopted the pen name “des Roches” from the location of a property that they owned. Its…
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Citation: Bromilow, Pollie. "Madeleine des Roches". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 15 September 2008 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=12229, accessed 31 October 2024.]