House of Avesnes
Encyclopedia
The Avesnes family played an important role during the Middle Ages
. The family has its roots in the small village Avesnes-sur-Helpe
, in the north of France
.
One branch produced a number of Counts of Holland during the 13th century.The family died out in the 16th century.
, the first emperor of the Latin Empire
of Constantinople
, was as Baldwin IX Count of Flanders
and as Baldwin VI Count of Hainaut
. Baldwin had only daughters and was in turn succeeded by his daughters Joan (reigned 1205–1244) and Margaret II (reigned 1244–1280).
In 1212 Margaret II married Bouchard d'Avesnes
, a prominent Hainaut
nobleman. This was apparently a love match, though it was approved by Margaret's sister Joan, who had herself recently married. The two sisters subsequently had a falling-out over Margaret's share of their inheritance, which led Joan to attempt to get Margaret's marriage dissolved. She alleged that the marriage was invalid, and without much inspection of the facts of the case Pope Innocent III
condemned the marriage, though he did not formally annul it.
Bourchard and Margaret continued as a married couple, having 3 children, as their conflict with Joan grew violent and Bouchard was captured and imprisoned in 1219. He was released in 1221 on the condition that the couple separate and that Bouchard get absolution from the pope. While he was in Rome
, Joan convinced Margaret to remarry, this time to William II of Dampierre
, a nobleman from Champagne
. From this marriage Margaret had two sons: William II, Count of Flanders
and Guy of Dampierre
.
This situation caused something of a scandal, for the marriage was possibly bigamous
, and violated the church's strictures on consanguinity
as well. The disputes regarding the validity of the two marriages and the legitimacy of her children by each husband continued for decades, becoming entangled in the politics of the Holy Roman Empire
and resulting in the long War of the Succession of Flanders and Hainault
.
In 1246 king Louis IX of France
, acting as an arbitrator, gave the right to inherit Flanders to the Dampierre children, and the rights to Hainaut to the Avesnes children. This would seem to have settled the matter, but in 1253 problems arose again. The eldest son, John I of Avesnes
, who was uneasy about his rights, convinced William of Holland, the German king recognized by the pro-papal forces, to seize Hainaut and the parts of Flanders which were within the bounds of the empire. William of Holland was theoretically, as king, overlord for these territories, and also John's brother-in-law. A civil war followed, which ended when the Avesnes forces defeated and imprisoned the Dampierres at the Battle of West-Capelle of 4 July 1253, after which John I of Avesnes was able to force Guy of Dampierre and his mother to respect the division of Louis and grant him Hainault.
Margaret did not rest in her defeat and did not recognise herself as overcome. She instead granted Hainault to Charles of Anjou, the brother of King Louis, who had recently returned from the crusade. Charles took up her cause and warred with John I of Avesnes, but failed to take Valenciennes
and just missed being killed in a skirmish. When Louis returned in 1254, he reaffirmed his earlier arbitration and ordered his brother to get out of the conflict. Charles returned to Provence
. With this second arbitration of the holy king, the conflict closed and John I of Avesnes was secure in Hainault.
The following decades saw further strife between the Dampierres and the Avesnes, who by the start of the 14th century had also inherited the County of Holland
and Zeeland
.
After the death of Bouchard, the lordship passed to the Counts of Blois.
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
. The family has its roots in the small village Avesnes-sur-Helpe
Avesnes-sur-Helpe
Avesnes-sur-Helpe is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department Nord-Pas Calais. Avesnes-sur-Helpe is known as "the little Switzerland of the north." This region is filled with spacious country parks areas and leisure facilities, including Val...
, in the north of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
One branch produced a number of Counts of Holland during the 13th century.The family died out in the 16th century.
Origin of the House: feud between Dampierre and Avesnes
BaldwinBaldwin I of Constantinople
Baldwin I , the first emperor of the Latin Empire of Constantinople, as Baldwin IX Count of Flanders and as Baldwin VI Count of Hainaut, was one of the most prominent leaders of the Fourth Crusade, which resulted in the capture of Constantinople, the conquest of the greater part of the Byzantine...
, the first emperor of the Latin Empire
Latin Empire
The Latin Empire or Latin Empire of Constantinople is the name given by historians to the feudal Crusader state founded by the leaders of the Fourth Crusade on lands captured from the Byzantine Empire. It was established after the capture of Constantinople in 1204 and lasted until 1261...
of Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
, was as Baldwin IX Count of Flanders
Count of Flanders
The Count of Flanders was the ruler or sub-ruler of the county of Flanders from the 9th century until the abolition of the position by the French revolutionaries in 1790....
and as Baldwin VI Count of Hainaut
County of Hainaut
The County of Hainaut was a historical region in the Low Countries with its capital at Mons . In English sources it is often given the archaic spelling Hainault....
. Baldwin had only daughters and was in turn succeeded by his daughters Joan (reigned 1205–1244) and Margaret II (reigned 1244–1280).
In 1212 Margaret II married Bouchard d'Avesnes
Bouchard IV of Avesnes
Bouchard IV was the lord of Avesnes and Étrœungt. He was the son of James of Avesnes and Adela of Guise and brother of Walter, Count of Blois by marriage....
, a prominent Hainaut
County of Hainaut
The County of Hainaut was a historical region in the Low Countries with its capital at Mons . In English sources it is often given the archaic spelling Hainault....
nobleman. This was apparently a love match, though it was approved by Margaret's sister Joan, who had herself recently married. The two sisters subsequently had a falling-out over Margaret's share of their inheritance, which led Joan to attempt to get Margaret's marriage dissolved. She alleged that the marriage was invalid, and without much inspection of the facts of the case Pope Innocent III
Pope Innocent III
Pope Innocent III was Pope from 8 January 1198 until his death. His birth name was Lotario dei Conti di Segni, sometimes anglicised to Lothar of Segni....
condemned the marriage, though he did not formally annul it.
Bourchard and Margaret continued as a married couple, having 3 children, as their conflict with Joan grew violent and Bouchard was captured and imprisoned in 1219. He was released in 1221 on the condition that the couple separate and that Bouchard get absolution from the pope. While he was in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Joan convinced Margaret to remarry, this time to William II of Dampierre
William II of Dampierre
William II was the lord of Dampierre from 1216 until his death. He was the son of Guy II, constable of Champagne, and Matilda, heiress of Bourbon.His brother, Archambaud VIII, inherited Bourbon and he Dampierre...
, a nobleman from Champagne
Champagne, France
Champagne is a historic province in the northeast of France, now best known for the sparkling white wine that bears its name.Formerly ruled by the counts of Champagne, its western edge is about 100 miles east of Paris. The cities of Troyes, Reims, and Épernay are the commercial centers of the area...
. From this marriage Margaret had two sons: William II, Count of Flanders
William
-British:*William I of England , aka William the Conqueror, William the Bastard*William II of England , aka William Rufus*William I of Scotland -British:*William I of England (1027-1087), aka William the Conqueror, William the Bastard*William II of England (1056-1100), aka William Rufus*William I...
and Guy of Dampierre
Guy of Dampierre
Guy of Dampierre was the count of Flanders during the Battle of the Golden Spurs in 1302.Guy was the second son of William II of Dampierre and Margaret II of Flanders. The death of his elder brother William in a tournament made him joint Count of Flanders with his mother...
.
This situation caused something of a scandal, for the marriage was possibly bigamous
Polygamy
Polygamy is a marriage which includes more than two partners...
, and violated the church's strictures on consanguinity
Consanguinity
Consanguinity refers to the property of being from the same kinship as another person. In that respect, consanguinity is the quality of being descended from the same ancestor as another person...
as well. The disputes regarding the validity of the two marriages and the legitimacy of her children by each husband continued for decades, becoming entangled in the politics of the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
and resulting in the long War of the Succession of Flanders and Hainault
War of the Succession of Flanders and Hainault
The War of the Succession of Flanders and Hainault was a series of feudal conflicts in the mid-thirteenth century between the children of Margaret II, Countess of Flanders...
.
In 1246 king Louis IX of France
Louis IX of France
Louis IX , commonly Saint Louis, was King of France from 1226 until his death. He was also styled Louis II, Count of Artois from 1226 to 1237. Born at Poissy, near Paris, he was an eighth-generation descendant of Hugh Capet, and thus a member of the House of Capet, and the son of Louis VIII and...
, acting as an arbitrator, gave the right to inherit Flanders to the Dampierre children, and the rights to Hainaut to the Avesnes children. This would seem to have settled the matter, but in 1253 problems arose again. The eldest son, John I of Avesnes
John I of Avesnes
John I of Avesnes was the count of Hainaut from 1246 to his death. Born in Houffalize, he was the eldest son of Margaret II of Flanders by her first husband, Bouchard IV of Avesnes...
, who was uneasy about his rights, convinced William of Holland, the German king recognized by the pro-papal forces, to seize Hainaut and the parts of Flanders which were within the bounds of the empire. William of Holland was theoretically, as king, overlord for these territories, and also John's brother-in-law. A civil war followed, which ended when the Avesnes forces defeated and imprisoned the Dampierres at the Battle of West-Capelle of 4 July 1253, after which John I of Avesnes was able to force Guy of Dampierre and his mother to respect the division of Louis and grant him Hainault.
Margaret did not rest in her defeat and did not recognise herself as overcome. She instead granted Hainault to Charles of Anjou, the brother of King Louis, who had recently returned from the crusade. Charles took up her cause and warred with John I of Avesnes, but failed to take Valenciennes
Valenciennes
Valenciennes is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.It lies on the Scheldt river. Although the city and region had seen a steady decline between 1975 and 1990, it has since rebounded...
and just missed being killed in a skirmish. When Louis returned in 1254, he reaffirmed his earlier arbitration and ordered his brother to get out of the conflict. Charles returned to Provence
Provence
Provence ; Provençal: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a region of south eastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
. With this second arbitration of the holy king, the conflict closed and John I of Avesnes was secure in Hainault.
The following decades saw further strife between the Dampierres and the Avesnes, who by the start of the 14th century had also inherited the County of Holland
County of Holland
The County of Holland was a county in the Holy Roman Empire and from 1482 part of the Habsburg Netherlands in what is now the Netherlands. It covered an area roughly corresponding to the current Dutch provinces of North-Holland and South-Holland, as well as the islands of Terschelling, Vlieland,...
and Zeeland
County of Zeeland
The County of Zeeland was a county of the Holy Roman Empire in what is now the Netherlands. It covered an area in the Scheldt and Meuse delta roughly corresponding to the current Dutch province of Zeeland, though it did not include the region of Zeeuws-Vlaanderen which was part of...
.
Lords of Avesnes
- Wédric le Sor or "le Roux", lord of Avesnes
- Wédric II le Barbu (? - 1076), lord of Avesnes, CondéCondé-Places in France:*Condé, Indre, in the Indre département*Condé-en-Brie, in the Aisne département*Condé-Folie, in the Somme département*Condé-lès-Autry, in the Ardennes département*Condé-lès-Herpy, in the Ardennes département...
, LeuzeLeuzeLeuze may refer to the following places:*Leuze-en-Hainaut, in the province of Hainaut, Belgium*Somme-Leuze, in the province of Namur, Belgium*Leuze, Aisne, in the department of Aisne, France...
and LandreciesLandreciesLandrecies is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.It is the site of a skirmish between the British I Corps under Douglas Haig and the German Fifth Army on 25 August 1914.-Heraldry:-People:...
. - Thierry d'Avesnes (? - 1106), lord of Avesnes, Condé, Leuze and Landrecies; son of Wédric II.
- Gossuin I le Borgne ( ? - 1120), lord of Avesnes, Condé, Leuze and Landrecies; son of Fastré d'Oisy and Ide, daughter of Wédric II.
- Gossuin II d'Avesnes ( ? - 1127), lord of Avesnes, Condé, Leuze and Landrecies; son of Gossuin I.
- Walter I of Avesnes Pulechel (1110–1147), viscount of Tournai, lord of Avesnes, Condé, Leuze and Landrecies; son of Gossuin II.
- Nicolas le Beau (1129–1171), lord of Avesnes, Condé, Leuze and Landrecies.
- James of AvesnesJames of AvesnesJames was a son of Nicholas d'Oisy, lord of Avesnes and Matilda de la Roche. He was the lord of Avesnes, Condé, and Leuze from 1171. He participated in the Third Crusade as leader of a detachment of French, Flemish, and Frisian soldiers which arrived in the Holy Land in 1189...
(1150–1191), lord of Avesnes, Condé, Leuze and Landrecies. - Walter II of Avesnes (1180?-1246), lord of Avesnes, Condé, Leuze, Landrecies, GuiseGuiseGuise is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-Population:-Sights:The ruins of the medieval castle of Guise, seat of the Dukes of Guise, are located in the commune.-Miscellaneous:...
and TrélonTrélon-References:*...
. - Bouchard IV of AvesnesBouchard IV of AvesnesBouchard IV was the lord of Avesnes and Étrœungt. He was the son of James of Avesnes and Adela of Guise and brother of Walter, Count of Blois by marriage....
(1182–1244), lord of Avesnes, Condé, Leuze, Landrecies, Guise and Trélon.
After the death of Bouchard, the lordship passed to the Counts of Blois.
Counts of Hainaut and Holland
- John I of AvesnesJohn I of AvesnesJohn I of Avesnes was the count of Hainaut from 1246 to his death. Born in Houffalize, he was the eldest son of Margaret II of Flanders by her first husband, Bouchard IV of Avesnes...
(1218–1257), count of Hainaut (r. 1246-1257) - John II of Avesnes count of Hainaut and Holland (r. 1280-1304).
- William III of Avesnes (1286–1337), count of Hainaut and Holland (r. 1304-1337).
- William IV of Avesnes (r. 1337-1345).
- Margaret II of Hainaut, countess of Hainaut and Holland (r. 1345-1356) married Louis IV WittelsbachLouis IV, Holy Roman EmperorLouis IV , called the Bavarian, of the house of Wittelsbach, was the King of Germany from 1314, the King of Italy from 1327 and the Holy Roman Emperor from 1328....
, Holy Roman EmperorHoly Roman EmperorThe Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
and Duke of Bavaria.
External links
- The History Files: The Kings of Holland (uses Dutch spellings of names)