1521-1578
French Nobleman

Rare Insight. Though the nobility was the elite of the early modern era and much is known about the various kings, queens, and dukes, it is surprisingly difficult to know much about the lives of minor noblemen. For every great noble there were hundreds of lesser nobles, living on and running their own estates. Because their activities were so mundane, such country gentlemen rarely left extensive records that have survived through the generations. One ordinary nobleman whose life story survives is Gilles Picot, Seigneur de Gouberville. His journal recounts the daily life of a nobleman in the Normandy countryside in the 1540s and 1550s.

Estate Management. Gilles de Gouberville did not keep his journal to record his hopes, dreams, feelings, and emotions, but instead as an aid to other records in running his estate, centered on a manor house equidistant...