Aymer of Angoulême
Encyclopedia
Aymer was the last Count of Angoulême of the House of Taillefer. He was the third of the six children of Count William IV and Marguerite of Turenne. His two elder brothers, Wulgrin III
and William V, became the Counts of Angoulême in succession after the death of their father in 1179.
Aymer succeeded his brother in 1186, and soon after was at the court of Richard the Lionheart, then Duke of Aquitaine
and thus Aymer's lord, to receive recognition of his accession. By 1191, Aymer had married Alice of Courtenay
, the daughter of Peter I of Courtenay and thus granddaughter of King Louis VI of France
. In 1188, they had a daughter, Isabella of Angoulême
, who married King John of England
in 1200. The marriage alliance was sealed by two treaties, one public, the other private between Aymer and John. The count remained a steady ally of the kings of England against the rebellious House of Lusignan.
Aymer had a claim to the County of La Marche, where in 1199 or 1200 he was exercising authority, perhaps on behalf of his son-in-law, and issued a charter to some monks of Aubignac. In February 1202 when John was visiting Angoulême
to negotiate a treaty with Sancho VII of Navarre
, Aymer took him on a tour of the newly consecrated abbey church at La Couronne. The role of Aymer's daughter in John's continued refusal to properly care for his brother Richard the Lionheart's widow, Berengaria of Navarre
, may explain the Count of Angoulême's proximity to the negotiations between the two kingdoms.
Aymer died in Limoges
on 16 June 1202. His daughter and only child succeeded him as Countess of Angoulême. Her title, however, was largely empty since her husband denied her control of her inheritance as well as her marriage dowry and dower. John's appointed governor, Bartholomew de Le Puy (de Podio), ran most of the administrative affairs of Angoulême until John's death in 1216. In 1217 Isabella returned and seized her inheritance from Bartholomew, who appealed unsuccessfully to the English king for help.
Aymer's widow, Alice, ruled the city of Angoulême until March 1203, when John summoned her to court and granted her a monthly pension of 50 livres d'Anjou in return for her dower rights. She thereafter retired from public life to her estate at La Ferté-Gaucher
, where she was living as late as July 1215, when she isssued she a charter at Provins
using the title Countess of Angoulême.
Wulgrin III of Angoulême
Wulgrim III of Angoulême, also known as Wulgrin Taillefer II, inherited the title of Count of Angoulême and it's territories from his father, William VI of Angoulême....
and William V, became the Counts of Angoulême in succession after the death of their father in 1179.
Aymer succeeded his brother in 1186, and soon after was at the court of Richard the Lionheart, then Duke of Aquitaine
Duke of Aquitaine
The Duke of Aquitaine ruled the historical region of Aquitaine under the supremacy of Frankish, English and later French kings....
and thus Aymer's lord, to receive recognition of his accession. By 1191, Aymer had married Alice of Courtenay
Alice of Courtenay
Alice of Courtenay, Countess of Angoulême was a French noblewoman of the House of Courtenay. Her father was Peter of Courtenay and her brother was Peter II of Courtenay, Latin Emperor of Constantinople...
, the daughter of Peter I of Courtenay and thus granddaughter of King Louis VI of France
Louis VI of France
Louis VI , called the Fat , was King of France from 1108 until his death . Chronicles called him "roi de Saint-Denis".-Reign:...
. In 1188, they had a daughter, Isabella of Angoulême
Isabella of Angoulême
Isabella of Angoulême was queen consort of England as the second wife of King John from 1200 until John's death in 1216. They had five children by the king including his heir, later Henry III...
, who married King John of England
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
in 1200. The marriage alliance was sealed by two treaties, one public, the other private between Aymer and John. The count remained a steady ally of the kings of England against the rebellious House of Lusignan.
Aymer had a claim to the County of La Marche, where in 1199 or 1200 he was exercising authority, perhaps on behalf of his son-in-law, and issued a charter to some monks of Aubignac. In February 1202 when John was visiting Angoulême
Angoulême
-Main sights:In place of its ancient fortifications, Angoulême is encircled by boulevards above the old city walls, known as the Remparts, from which fine views may be obtained in all directions. Within the town the streets are often narrow. Apart from the cathedral and the hôtel de ville, the...
to negotiate a treaty with Sancho VII of Navarre
Sancho VII of Navarre
Sancho VII Sánchez , called the Strong or the Prudent, was the King of Navarre from 1194 to his death...
, Aymer took him on a tour of the newly consecrated abbey church at La Couronne. The role of Aymer's daughter in John's continued refusal to properly care for his brother Richard the Lionheart's widow, Berengaria of Navarre
Berengaria of Navarre
Berengaria of Navarre was Queen of the English as the wife of King Richard I of England. She was the eldest daughter of King Sancho VI of Navarre and Sancha of Castile. As is the case with many of the medieval queens consort of the Kingdom of England, relatively little is known of her life...
, may explain the Count of Angoulême's proximity to the negotiations between the two kingdoms.
Aymer died in Limoges
Limoges
Limoges |Limousin]] dialect of Occitan) is a city and commune, the capital of the Haute-Vienne department and the administrative capital of the Limousin région in west-central France....
on 16 June 1202. His daughter and only child succeeded him as Countess of Angoulême. Her title, however, was largely empty since her husband denied her control of her inheritance as well as her marriage dowry and dower. John's appointed governor, Bartholomew de Le Puy (de Podio), ran most of the administrative affairs of Angoulême until John's death in 1216. In 1217 Isabella returned and seized her inheritance from Bartholomew, who appealed unsuccessfully to the English king for help.
Aymer's widow, Alice, ruled the city of Angoulême until March 1203, when John summoned her to court and granted her a monthly pension of 50 livres d'Anjou in return for her dower rights. She thereafter retired from public life to her estate at La Ferté-Gaucher
La Ferté-Gaucher
La Ferté-Gaucher is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.-External links:* * *...
, where she was living as late as July 1215, when she isssued she a charter at Provins
Provins
Provins is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.Provins, a town of medieval fairs, became a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site in 2001.-Administration:...
using the title Countess of Angoulême.