Bour de Breteuil was a mercenary captain of the Hundred Years War.
He was an illegitimate son of the house of Lesparre, from Gironde. The Lesparre were a very powerful noble family in southern France. Due to his station in 13th century society, he became a mercenary captain.
However, after the Treaty of Brétigny was signed on May 8, 1360, he found himself unemployed and so turned to Brigandry,[1] ranging the French country side pillaging towns.[2]
Bour de Breteuil fought at the battle of Brignais (6 April 1362) against the King of France in which a coalition of bandit companies were successful. Like the Bour Camus, he accompanied several of the bandit leaders including John Hawkwood, John Creswey and Robert Briquet, to accept a payment of gold from the king of France to go into Italy, where he gained employ as a mercenary.