Marguerite Poullain

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Marguerite Poullain (1537–1613) was a French merchant, referred to as the richest merchant in Nantes in the 16th century. She was the only woman to be a member of the powerful Nantes merchant association Contractation, and was at one point its only female leader.[1]

She was born to the rich Nantes merchant Julien Poullain, sieur de La Branchoire (d. 1554) and Isabeau Houys, and married in 1557 to the rich Nantes merchant Pierre d'Espinose (d. 1566). She became active in business as a widow.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Nicole Dufournaud, « Les femmes au travail dans les villes de Bretagne aux xvie et xviie siècles : approches méthodologiques », Annales de Bretagne et des Pays de l’Ouest [En ligne], 114-3 | 2007, mis en ligne le 30 septembre 2009, consulté le 27 janvier 2022. URL : http://journals.openedition.org/abpo/424 ; DOI : https://doi.org/10.4000/abpo.424