Martine Bertereau

Martine de Bertereau, also known as Baroness de Beausoleil, was a French mineralogist who was the first recorded female mineralogist and mining engineer. She and her husband, Jean de Chastelet, traveled extensively throughout Europe in search of mineral deposits and fresh ground water under the employment of various nobles and royals. During one such mining expedition, which saw Martine and Jean surveying potential mine sites in France for Louis XIII, the family were accused of witchcraft and forced to flee to Hungary. Later, Martine, Jean, and their oldest daughter were arrested, and eventually died in prison sometime after 1642. During her lifetime, Martine produced multiple pieces of literature derived largely from the Roman engineer Vitruvius's De architectura. While her success came from a thorough understanding of geology, Martine was not forthcoming in her writings about her actual methods. Instead, she promoted the idea that she was using magic or then-accepted pseudo-scientific ideas such as divining rods. It is not known for certain why Matine lied about her actual methods, but it may have been to prevent others from capitalizing on her seemingly-unbelievable success, as well as to boost her own reputation among potential clients. Nonetheless, her literature provides a unique glimpse into the craft and skills required to mine in the 17th Century.