| Albéric Clément | |
| Birth Date: | c. 1165 |
| Death Place: | Acre |
| Allegiance: | Kingdom of France |
| Rank: | Marshal of France |
| Battles: | |
| Relations: | Robert III Clément (father) Hersende de Mez (mother) Henry I Clément (brother) Hugh Clément (brother) |
Albéric Clément (c. 1165 – 3 July 1191) was the first Marshal of France (Marescallus Franciae), a position created for him by Philip Augustus in 1185.[1] He also inherited the seigneurie of Mez (later Mez-le-Maréchal) in Gâtinais after his father's death in 1182.
Albéric was born sometime in the mid-1160s to Robert III Clément and Hersende de Mez, and thus came from a knightly family- the Cléments of Mez.[2] [3] [4] He accompanied Philip on the Third Crusade as Marshal, and distinguished himself at the Siege of Acre in particular, frequently leading the advanced guard into battle.[3] [5] [6]
Albéric is said to have died on 3 July 1191, during an attempted breach of the city's walls, with accounts by those such as contemporary poet Ambroise suggesting the Marshal led the charge himself and died on- or close to the Accursed Tower, after swearing that he would either die that day or enter Acre.[5] [6] [7] Some accounts describe Albéric charging the walls with Philip's standard in hand and a number of men with him, attempting to scale the walls with a ladder, being pulled up with a grappling hook by the Saracen defenders and isolated from his men by rocks thrown onto the climbing assault party.[7] Other accounts describe the ladder breaking under the weight of the Marshal's followers, leaving him alone on the wall.[6] Accounts also go on to describe a defending soldier parading the walls wearing Albéric's armour after his death, stopping only when Richard I of England shot the man down.[6]
Albéric had two siblings, one of whom- Henry I Clément- would go on to become Marshal of France himself.[2]
The title of Marshal of France as awarded to Albéric Clément and his successors did not involve command responsibilities of large armies- Albéric held no official command even at Acre. While military in nature, the position was more concerned with management of the king's horses and stables.[5] It was not until the 15th century that the position would move away from managing stables to one with battlefield authority second only to the French sovereign.[5]