John II, Count of Soissons
Encyclopedia
John II also known as Je(h)an de Nesle and by the sobriquet
le Bon et le Bègue ("the Good and the Stammerer"), was the tenth Count of Soissons
, succeeding his father Ralph the Good
, in 1235. He was the son of his father's second wife, Yolanda. By marriage he also became Count of Chartres and Lord of Amboise
. He was well-connected with the trouvères: his younger brother Raoul
was one and he received the dedication of a song by Pierrekin de la Coupele
. He was also a cousin by marriage of the historian Jean de Joinville
. He is not to be confused with John II of Nesle, the burggrave of Bruges
.
John's first marriage was to Mary (died c. 1241), the heiress of Roger du Thour et de Chimay and his wife Agnes. John and Mary confirmed donations to the Teutonic Knights
in May 1234, where he signed as "John of Soissons, knight, firstborn of the count of Soissons, lord of Thour and Chimay". She left him a son, John III, who would succeed him. John's second wife was Matilda (died 12 May 1256), the daughter and eldest surviving child of Sulpice III of Amboise and Isabella, who had inherited the county of Chartres from her father, Theobald VI, Count of Blois
. Matilda was the widow of Richard II, the viscount of Beaumont-sur-Sarthe
. On Isabella's death in 1246, Chartres thus passed to Matilda, John, and the house of Nesle.
By his geographical proximity to Paris
, John was a close member of the royal circle. In 1230 he supported Blanche of Castile
as regent
for the young Louis IX
, in opposition to Peter I, Duke of Brittany
. In 1231 he began a controversy over property with the clerical leadership of Soissons. After imprisoning several ecclesiastics, Louis IX and the Archbishop of Reims
, Henry of Dreux, intervened to obtain an agreement between the feuding parties. In 1242 John supported Louis against the rebellious Hugh X of Lusignan
and the invading Henry III of England
in a conflict that became known as the "Saintonge War
". John also joined the Sixth Crusade
in 1248. On the day of the Battle of Mansurah (8 February 1250) he commented to Jean de Joinville that "we'll speak about this day again, you and me, in the ladies' chamber". He was captured by the Mamelukes in April 1250, but was soon freed, after which he returned home.
In 1265 John joined the army of Charles of Anjou that was heading to Italy to conquer the Kingdom of Sicily
. He was in charge of the escort of Charles' wife, Beatrice of Provence
, until they arrived at Rome
. In 1266 he fought in the Battle of Benevento
on the winning side. In 1270 John joined the Seventh Crusade
in Tunisia
and died shortly after his return.
Sobriquet
A sobriquet is a nickname, sometimes assumed, but often given by another. It is usually a familiar name, distinct from a pseudonym assumed as a disguise, but a nickname which is familiar enough such that it can be used in place of a real name without the need of explanation...
le Bon et le Bègue ("the Good and the Stammerer"), was the tenth Count of Soissons
Count of Soissons
This is a list of those who bore the title Count of Soissons and ruled Soissons and its civitas or diocese as a county in the Middle Ages. The title continued in use into modern times, but without ties to the actual Soissonnais.-Carolingians:...
, succeeding his father Ralph the Good
Ralph, Count of Soissons
Ralph the Good , also known as Raoul III de Nesle, was the Count of Soissons from 1180. He was the third son of Raoul II de Nesle and Gertrude de Montaigu....
, in 1235. He was the son of his father's second wife, Yolanda. By marriage he also became Count of Chartres and Lord of Amboise
Amboise
Amboise is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France. It lies on the banks of the Loire River, east of Tours. Today a small market town, it was once home of the French royal court...
. He was well-connected with the trouvères: his younger brother Raoul
Raoul de Soissons
Raoul de Soissons was a French nobleman, Crusader, and trouvère. He was the second son of Raoul le Bon, Count of Soissons, and became the Sire de Coeuvres in 1232. Raoul participated in three Crusades....
was one and he received the dedication of a song by Pierrekin de la Coupele
Pierrekin de la Coupele
Pierrekin de la Coupele was a north French trouvère, from the Pas-de-Calais, probably the areas nowadays called Coupelle-Vieille and Coupelle-Neuve. He is regarded as a poor poet...
. He was also a cousin by marriage of the historian Jean de Joinville
Jean de Joinville
Jean de Joinville was one of the great chroniclers of medieval France.Son of Simon de Joinville and Beatrice d'Auxonne, he belonged to a noble family from Champagne. He received an education befitting a young noble at the court of Theobald IV, count of Champagne: reading, writing, and the...
. He is not to be confused with John II of Nesle, the burggrave of Bruges
Bruges
Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country....
.
John's first marriage was to Mary (died c. 1241), the heiress of Roger du Thour et de Chimay and his wife Agnes. John and Mary confirmed donations to the Teutonic Knights
Teutonic Knights
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem , commonly the Teutonic Order , is a German medieval military order, in modern times a purely religious Catholic order...
in May 1234, where he signed as "John of Soissons, knight, firstborn of the count of Soissons, lord of Thour and Chimay". She left him a son, John III, who would succeed him. John's second wife was Matilda (died 12 May 1256), the daughter and eldest surviving child of Sulpice III of Amboise and Isabella, who had inherited the county of Chartres from her father, Theobald VI, Count of Blois
Theobald VI, Count of Blois
Theobald VI of Blois was count of Blois and Clermont-en-Beauvaisis from 1205 to 1218.He was son of Louis I of Blois and Catherine of Clermont....
. Matilda was the widow of Richard II, the viscount of Beaumont-sur-Sarthe
Beaumont-sur-Sarthe
Beaumont-sur-Sarthe, also known as Beaumont-le-Vicomte, is a commune in the Sarthe department in the region of Pays-de-la-Loire in north-western France.The residents are known as Belmontais.-Geography:...
. On Isabella's death in 1246, Chartres thus passed to Matilda, John, and the house of Nesle.
By his geographical proximity to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, John was a close member of the royal circle. In 1230 he supported Blanche of Castile
Blanche of Castile
Blanche of Castile , was a Queen consort of France as the wife of Louis VIII. She acted as regent twice during the reign of her son, Louis IX....
as regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
for the young Louis IX
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...
, in opposition to Peter I, Duke of Brittany
Peter I, Duke of Brittany
Pierre Mauclerc , also known as Peter of Dreux or Pierre de Dreux, was duke of Brittany jure uxoris from 1213 to 1221, then regent of the duchy from 1221 to 1237 as well as Earl of Richmond from 1219 to 1235.-Biography:He was the second son of Robert II, Count of Dreux...
. In 1231 he began a controversy over property with the clerical leadership of Soissons. After imprisoning several ecclesiastics, Louis IX and the Archbishop of Reims
Archbishop of Reims
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Reims is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in France. Erected as a diocese around 250 by St. Sixtus, the diocese was elevated to an archdiocese around 750...
, Henry of Dreux, intervened to obtain an agreement between the feuding parties. In 1242 John supported Louis against the rebellious Hugh X of Lusignan
Hugh X of Lusignan
Hugh X de Lusignan, Hugh V of La Marche or Hugh I of Angoulême or Hugues X & V & I de Lusignan succeeded his father Hugh IX as Seigneur de Lusignan and Count of La Marche in November, 1219 and was Count of Angoulême by marriage.Hugh X de Lusignan was betrothed to marry 12 year-old Isabel of...
and the invading Henry III of England
Henry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
in a conflict that became known as the "Saintonge War
Saintonge War
The Saintonge War was a feudal dynastic encounter that occurred in 1242 between forces of Louis IX of France and those of Henry III of England. Saintonge is the region around Saintes in the center-west of France. The conflict arose because some vassals of Louis were displeased with accession of his...
". John also joined the Sixth Crusade
Sixth Crusade
The Sixth Crusade started in 1228 as an attempt to regain Jerusalem. It began seven years after the failure of the Fifth Crusade. It involved very little actual fighting...
in 1248. On the day of the Battle of Mansurah (8 February 1250) he commented to Jean de Joinville that "we'll speak about this day again, you and me, in the ladies' chamber". He was captured by the Mamelukes in April 1250, but was soon freed, after which he returned home.
In 1265 John joined the army of Charles of Anjou that was heading to Italy to conquer the Kingdom of Sicily
Kingdom of Sicily
The Kingdom of Sicily was a state that existed in the south of Italy from its founding by Roger II in 1130 until 1816. It was a successor state of the County of Sicily, which had been founded in 1071 during the Norman conquest of southern Italy...
. He was in charge of the escort of Charles' wife, Beatrice of Provence
Beatrice of Provence
Beatrice of Provence , was a countess regnant of Provence. She was also a Queen consort of Sicily by marriage to King Charles I of Sicily....
, until they arrived at 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...
. In 1266 he fought in the Battle of Benevento
Battle of Benevento
The Battle of Benevento was fought near Benevento, in present-day Southern Italy, on February 26, 1266, between the troops of Charles of Anjou and Manfred of Sicily. Manfred's defeat and death resulted in the capture of the Kingdom of Sicily by Charles....
on the winning side. In 1270 John joined the Seventh Crusade
Seventh Crusade
The Seventh Crusade was a crusade led by Louis IX of France from 1248 to 1254. Approximately 800,000 bezants were paid in ransom for King Louis who, along with thousands of his troops, was captured and defeated by the Egyptian army led by the Ayyubid Sultan Turanshah supported by the Bahariyya...
in Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
and died shortly after his return.
External links
- Nobility of the Paris region: Chapter 9. Comtes de Soissons, Part C. Nesle at the Foundation for Medieval Genealogy's Medieval Lands Project.