Château de Coulaine: The Guarguesalle Era
We begin with Jean III de Guarguesalle (1397 – c.1475), who was seigneur of Coulaine and Bocé, écuyer (which translates as squire, although the role had military connotations at the time I think) of Dauphiné, a province in south-eastern France, and an accomplished military servant of the king. He held the rank of premier écuyer in the corps of Louis XI (1423 – 1483), and he was captain (sometimes referred to as governor) of Troyes and, from 1461 to 1472, of Chinon. Even at this early stage, however, it seems widely accepted that there were vines on his estate, perhaps not surprising considering its beautiful south-facing aspect, and its proximity to the town.
As for his origins, I have no solid evidence but he may well have been the son of another Jean de Guarguesalle (presumably Jean II) and Pantin de la Homelinière. He married Jeanne de Boucher, Dame de Coulaine, and they had two children, both named Jean. The elder of the two, Jean L’Aîné (died 1515), was a page boy in the service of Louis XII (1462 – 1515) by the time he was fourteen years old, and having taken the title of Seigneur de Coulaine after the death of his father in 1475 he pursued a military career, and had 500 men under his command. He was responsible for building and/or remodelling a château at Coulaine, although he was certainly not responsible for its modern facade. He died in Piemonte, at which point his younger brother Jean Le Jeune became seigneur.
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