List of viscounts of Thouars
Encyclopedia
History
The first viscounts of ThouarsThouars
Thouars is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in western France.It is on the River Thouet. Its inhabitants are known as Thouarsais.-History:...
appeared at the end of the 9th century before those of Châtellerault, Lusignan, etc. They represented the count of Poitou (also the 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....
) in the territory he had confided to them. The family of the viscounts of Thouars doubtless originated in the surroundings of Poitiers
Poitiers
Poitiers is a city on the Clain river in west central France. It is a commune and the capital of the Vienne department and of the Poitou-Charentes region. The centre is picturesque and its streets are interesting for predominant remains of historical architecture, especially from the Romanesque...
where they held lands in the 10th century. At this era, they were patrons of the abbeys at Saint-Cyprien de Poitiers, Saint-Jouin de Marnes (15 km to the south of Thouars), Saint-Florent de Saumur and Saint-Martin de Tours. In the 11th century, following Geoffrey II of Thouars's marriage with Agnes of Blois they added to this list the abbeys of Bourgueil and Marmoutier.
Heraldry
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House of Thouars
876-before903: Geoffroy I. His successors Savary and Aimery are likely his sons or his nephews.903-929: Savary I. He was faithful to the Count of Poitou Ebles Manzer. He participated in meetings made by the Count of Poitiers (thus 903). Ebles reward him by giving him the authority of the Abbey of Saint Maixent.
929-936: Aimery I . Brother of the above, he owned property near Poitiers, he was admitted to the Abbey of Saint Maixent (which is very rich). He married Aremburge, they had two son, Savary II and Aimery II.
936-943:Savary II. Son of the former, he had no son.
943 - to 960:Aimery II. Aimery son of I, is the brother of Savary II. He was a faithful ally of his suzerain Geoffroy Grisegonnelle
Geoffrey I of Anjou
Geoffrey I of Anjou , known as Grisegonelle , was count of Anjou from 960 to 987. He succeeded his father Fulk II...
Count of Anjou, who awarded him the goods Chavagne near the monastery of Saint Maixent to Faye near the Abbess and Bressuire Miss south of Thouars. In 955 he donated land, the Abbess Faye always to the benefit of the Abbey Saint Bonneval lès Thouars. Aimery II married Eleanor by 935, with whom he had a son, Herbert I..
to 960-987: Herbert I . He was the son of Aimery II. Grisegonnelle Geoffrey, Count of Anjou, appears as suzerain and protector of Viscount Herbert (it will be the same, however, vis-à-vis his son Aimery III). At about 973, Geoffroy was in possession of the strengths of Loudun
Loudun
Loudun is a commune in the Vienne department in the Poitou-Charentes region in western France.It is located south of the town of Chinon and 25 km to the east of the town Thouars...
and Mirebeau
Mirebeau
Mirebeau is a commune in the Vienne department in the Poitou-Charentes region in western France.-Demographics:-Twin towns:*Bassemyam, Burkina Faso*Membrilla, Spain*Regen, Germany*Saint-raymond, Quebec...
and then encircled the area of the Vicomte de Thouars. Herbert married in 956 Aldéarde (or Hildegarde) daughter Cadelon I, Viscount of Aunay and Sénégonde.
Herbert and Aldéarde had several children: Aimery III, Savary III, Raoul I, Thibault and Geoffroy.
Aldéarde remained famous for the mishap which happened around the year 980. Having had an affair with the Count of Poitiers William IV of Poitiers, it was exposed to the vengeance of the latter's wife, heobald I of Blois | Emma de Blois] ]. Emma took revenge by bullying her rival during a meeting. Emma took refuge in the castle of Chinon, where she waited for her husband to forgive this action.
987-997: Aimery III . He was the son of Herbert and Aldéarde (or Hildegarde) Aunay. He is firm vassal of Count Poitiers, but he was also a vassal of the Count of Anjou Fulk III Nerra
Fulk III of Anjou
Fulk III , called Nerra after his death, was Count of Anjou from 21 July 987 to his death. He was the son of Geoffrey Greymantle and Adelaide of Vermandois....
who was very present in this part of Poitou. Viscount Thouars assisted in 992 Coots against the Britons for the possession of the County of Nantes and especially during the Battle of Conquereuil
Battle of Conquereuil
The Battle of Conquereuil was fought on July 27, 992 AD between the Bretons under Duke Conan I of Rennes and the Angevins under Duke Fulk the Black...
. Fulk awarded custody of Nantes Aimery during the minority of small Comte Judicaël. In 994, however Aimery away lasting alliance Angevine and Fulk built a fortress at Passavant to control it. He married Elvis, but they had no children together, however Aimery was a natural son, of Haimon Aymon Dinan, born about 975, who was Lord of Dinan, dit Vicomte, Comte Domnonia.
997-1004: Savary III . Brother of the above, he married twice, from the first marriage he had Geoffroy II, from the second marriage Hugues born about 995. Having taken a field belonging to Lusignan, Savary was always in conflict with his neighbor Hugh IV of Lusignan.
1004-1015: Raoul de Thouars Raoul . Brother of the above, he succeeded him. With his wife called Aremburge (or Ascelin), he had two children, and Thibault Aimery Aldegarde wife and daughter of Hugues IV de Lusignan. The Duke of Aquitaine and Count of Poitiers William the Great practiced a policy of balance (with a lot of duplicity) between Raoul and the Sire de Lusignan to neutralize them. William wrecked a marriage between the daughter of Raoul and Hugh de Lusignan by offering the latter the widow of Parthenay Josselin I (who had left an infant son). But in fact, the Duke arranged for that marriage to fail too, which caused a war between the Viscount of Thouars on one hand and the Sire de Lusignan, and even the duke on the other. The Vicomte Raoul died at the end of 1014 while ravaging the lands of Hugh de Lusignan.
1015-1055: Geoffroy II de Thouars Geoffroy II . He was the son of Savary III
married to Agnes de Blois, daughter of Eudes I of Blois and Berthe de Bourgogne.
1055-1093: Aimery IV . Son of the previous
Aregarde married to the daughter of Geoffrey de Mauleon and sister of Raoul de Mauleon, and his second wife he married Ameline.
1093-1104: Herbert II . Son of the former, he died at the First Crusade
First Crusade
The First Crusade was a military expedition by Western Christianity to regain the Holy Lands taken in the Muslim conquest of the Levant, ultimately resulting in the recapture of Jerusalem...
in Jaffa
Jaffa
Jaffa is an ancient port city believed to be one of the oldest in the world. Jaffa was incorporated with Tel Aviv creating the city of Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel. Jaffa is famous for its association with the biblical story of the prophet Jonah.-Etymology:...
(Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
) in 1104. He was the son of Aimery IV and Ameline. It immediately succeeds his father Aimery IV. On February 10, 1096, Bishop Peter of Poitiers restores Airvault Abbey, with the agreement of Herbert, Viscount of Thouars, son of the late Viscount Aimery. On December 7, 1099, his family surrounding Arbert at the dedication of the Church of St. Nicolas de la Chaise, started by his father and has been completed; then found him with his brother Geoffrey, told Tiffauges, its Sister Hildegard is wife of Hugues de Lusignan, Raoul and his uncle, said Maule.
At that time we can measure the extent of Viscount of Thouars by fiefs under its control. These are Bressuire, Gifted, Passavant, the Argenton Chateau, Airvault, La Foret sur Sevre, Montaigu, La Roche sur yon, Till, Châteaumur, Pouzauges, Les Essarts, Lezay, Commequiers, and more.
Like many of his contemporaries, Viscount Herbert went to Palestine, the first time in 1098. He left with his brother Geoffrey in 1102 as part of the crusade led by the Duke William IX of Aquitaine
William IX of Aquitaine
William IX , called the Troubador, was the Duke of Aquitaine and Gascony and Count of Poitou between 1086 and his death. He was also one of the leaders of the Crusade of 1101...
. His banner was strewn with golden fleur de lys Azure Gules franc area. These arms have remained those of his house, they then become those of the city of Thouars
Thouars
Thouars is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in western France.It is on the River Thouet. Its inhabitants are known as Thouarsais.-History:...
. Many pilgrims died during the journey from 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:...
in Jerusalem. When Herbert wanted to go back to France, he died in Jaffa in 1104. He was buried near the church of Saint Nicolas de Jaffa. He married 1095 to Agnes with whom he had two son, and Herbert Aimery VI.
1104-1123: Geoffroy III . Brother of the previous
married in 1094 to Ameline.
1123-1127: V Aimery . Son of the previous
married to Agnes daughter of William IX of Poitiers.
1127-1139: Aimery VI . He was the son of Herbert II,
married to Mathilde d'Aquitaine.
1139-1151: William I of Thouars William I . He was the son of Aimery V.
1151-1173: Geoffroy IV . Brother of the previous
married Aimé de Lusignan, daughter of VII Hugues le Brun and Saracen. He married one of his son Guy of Thouars in Constance of Brittany.
1173-1226: VII Aimery . Son of the previous
married to Agnes de Laval, daughter of Baron Guy V de Laval and Agathe. Then he married his second wife Mary.
1226-1229: Hugues I . Brother of the previous
married to Marguerite de Vihiers.
1229-1233: Raymond I . Aimery brother Hugh I and VII.
1233-1242: Guy I de Thouars Guy I . Son of Aimery VII
married Alix de Mauleon, daughter of Savary de Mauleon I and Belleassez Pouzauges Dame de Paredes.
1242-1246: VIII Aimery . Brother of the previous
married to Beatrix Machecoul Lady of La Roche sur Yon (widow of William de Mauleon Lord Talmond).
1246-1256: Aimery IX . Son of Guy I,
married to Marguerite de Lusignan, widow of Raymond VII Count of Toulouse
Raymond VII of Toulouse
Raymond VII of Saint-Gilles was Count of Toulouse, Duke of Narbonne and Marquis of Provence from 1222 until his death. He was the son of Raymond VI of Toulouse and Joan of England...
.
1256-1269: Renaud or Reginald de Thouars . Brother of the previous
married to Eleanor of Soissons.
1269-1274: Savary IV . Brother of the previous
married to Agnes de Pons.
1274-1308: Guy II de Thouars Guy II . Son of Aimery IX
married to Marguerite de Brienne.
1308-1332: John I of Thouars Jean I . Son of the previous
married Blanche de Brabant.
1332-1333: Hugues II de Thouars Hugues II . Brother of the previous
married to Jeanne de Beaucay.
1333-1370: Louis I de Thouars Louis I . Son of John I,
married to Jeanne de Dreux, daughter of John of Dreux and Peronella de Sully. Then he married his second wife, Isabella of Avaugour widow of Geoffroy de Chateaubriand VIII.
House of CraonCraon familyThe Craon family was a French noble house, known to date back to the 11th century. Its most famous member is Pierre de Craon, and its last representative governed Burgundy for a time under Louis XI, after the death of Charles le Téméraire. When the Craon family died out, the Beauvau family took...
House of Amboise
House of Valois
In 1469 king Louis XI of FranceLouis XI of France
Louis XI , called the Prudent , was the King of France from 1461 to 1483. He was the son of Charles VII of France and Mary of Anjou, a member of the House of Valois....
awarded the viscountcy of Thouars to his daughter Anne
Anne of France
Anne of France was the eldest daughter of Louis XI of France and his second wife, Charlotte of Savoy. Anne was the sister of King Charles VIII of France, for whom she acted as regent during his minority; and of Joan of France, who was briefly queen consort to Louis XII...
when she was betrothed to Nicolas d'Anjou
Nicholas I, Duke of Lorraine
Nicholas of Anjou was the son of John II, Duke of Lorraine and Marie de Bourbon.He succeeded his father in 1470 as Duke of Lorraine, and assumed the titles of Marquis of Pont-à-Mousson, Duke of Calabria, and Prince of Girona, as heir apparent of Bar, Naples, and Aragon respectively.He did not...
. However, Nicholas handed the title back to the king on becoming Duke of Burgundy
Duke of Burgundy
Duke of Burgundy was a title borne by the rulers of the Duchy of Burgundy, a small portion of traditional lands of Burgundians west of river Saône which in 843 was allotted to Charles the Bald's kingdom of West Franks...
in 1472 (dying a year later aged 25). The viscountcy thus reverted to the king, who started the proceedings to grant it to Louis I de La Trémoille but the king died in 1483 leaving his successor to complete them.
Viscounts
- Louis I de La Trémoille
- Louis II de La TrémoilleLouis II de la Trémoillethumb|Portrait of Louis II de la Trémoille by [[Domenico Ghirlandaio]] or one of his assistants.Louis II de la Trémoille was a French general. He served under three kings: Charles VIII, Louis XII, and Francis I...
, son, called the chevalier sans reproche, defeated and captured Francis II, Duke of Brittany at the Battle of Saint-Aubin-du-CormierBattle of Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier (1488)The Battle of Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier took place on July 28, 1488, between the forces of king Charles VIII of France, and those of Francis II, Duke of Brittany and his allies. The defeat of the latter signalled the end to the "guerre folle" , a feudal conflict in which French aristocrats revolted...
(1488), distinguished himself in the Italian WarsItalian WarsThe Italian Wars, often referred to as the Great Italian Wars or the Great Wars of Italy and sometimes as the Habsburg–Valois Wars, were a series of conflicts from 1494 to 1559 that involved, at various times, most of the city-states of Italy, the Papal States, most of the major states of Western...
, and was killed at the Battle of PaviaBattle of PaviaThe Battle of Pavia, fought on the morning of 24 February 1525, was the decisive engagement of the Italian War of 1521–26.A Spanish-Imperial army under the nominal command of Charles de Lannoy attacked the French army under the personal command of Francis I of France in the great hunting preserve...
(1525). - Charles I de La Trémoille, son, died in his father's lifetime and under his command at the Battle of MarignanoBattle of MarignanoThe Battle of Marignano was fought during the phase of the Italian Wars called the War of the League of Cambrai, between France and the Old Swiss Confederacy. It took place on September 13 and 15, 1515, near the town today called Melegnano, 16 km southeast of Milan...
(1515). - François II de La TrémoilleFrançois II de La TrémoilleFrançois de La Trémoille was a French nobleman of the La Tremoille family. He was the son of Charles I de la Trémoille and of Louise de Coëtivy, and the grandson of Louis II de la Trémoille and of Gabrielle de Bourbon.-Titles:He held the title of 36th vicomte of Thouars...
, son, acquired a claim on the Kingdom of NaplesKingdom of NaplesThe Kingdom of Naples, comprising the southern part of the Italian peninsula, was the remainder of the old Kingdom of Sicily after secession of the island of Sicily as a result of the Sicilian Vespers rebellion of 1282. Known to contemporaries as the Kingdom of Sicily, it is dubbed Kingdom of...
by his marriage with Anne de LavalAnne de Laval (1505-1554)Anne de Laval , princesse de Tarente, was a French noblewoman and nominal pretender to the Kingdom of Naples...
, daughter of Charlotte of Aragon
Dukes
- Louis III de La TrémoilleLouis III de La TrémoilleLouis III de La Trémoille , 1st Duke of Thouars, was a sixteenth-century French nobleman of the La Tremoille family. He was the son of François II de La Trémoille and his wife, Anne de Laval....
, son, became duke of ThouarsThouarsThouars is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in western France.It is on the River Thouet. Its inhabitants are known as Thouarsais.-History:...
in 1563, and his son - Claude de La Trémoille, son, turned Protestant, was created a peer of France in 1595, and married a daughter of William the SilentWilliam the SilentWilliam I, Prince of Orange , also widely known as William the Silent , or simply William of Orange , was the main leader of the Dutch revolt against the Spanish that set off the Eighty Years' War and resulted in the formal independence of the United Provinces in 1648. He was born in the House of...
in 1598.- Charlotte de la Tremoüille, Countess of Derby, daughter
- Henry de La Trémoille, son of Claude, 3rd duke of Thouars (died 1674)
- Henry Charles de La TrémoilleHenry Charles de La TrémoilleHenri Charles de La Trémoille was the son of Henry de La Trémoille, duc of Thouars and of La Trémoille, and his wife, Marie de La Tour d'Auvergne....
, son of Henry (died 1672) - Charles Belgique Hollande de La TrémoilleCharles Belgique Hollande de La TrémoilleCharles Belgique Hollande de La Trémoïlle , 4th duc of Thouars, was a French nobleman. He was the son of Henri Charles de La Trémoille and Émilie of Hesse-Kassel. Brought up Calvinist, in 1668 his father had converted to Catholicism and then forcibly converted his children as well...
, son of Henry, 4th duke of Thouars (died 1709) - Charles Louis Bretagne de La TrémoilleCharles Louis Bretagne de La TrémoilleCharles Louis Bretagne de La Trémoille , 5th duke of Thouars, was the son of Charles Belgique Hollande de La Trémoille and Madeleine de Créquy...
, son of Charles-Belgique, 5th duke of Thouars (died 1719) - Charles Armand René de La TrémoilleCharles Armand René de La TrémoilleCharles Armand René de La Trémoille , 6th duc de Thouars, was the son of Charles Louis Bretagne de La Trémoille and his wife, Madeleine de Créquy....
, son of Charles-Louis, 6th duke of Thouars (died 1741) - Jean Bretagne Charles de La TrémoilleJean Bretagne Charles de La TrémoilleJean-Bretagne-Charles de La Trémoille , 7th duc de Thouars, was a French soldier and the son of Charles Armand René de La Trémoille and his wife, Marie Hortense de La Tour d'Auvergne....
, son of Charles-Armand, 7th duke of Thouars (died 1792) - Charles Bretagne Marie de La TrémoilleCharles Bretagne Marie de La TrémoilleCharles Bretagne Marie de La Trémoille , 8th duc de Thouars, was a French soldier and the son of Jean Bretagne Charles de La Trémoille and his wife, Marie-Maximilienne, princess of Salm-Kyrburg....
, son of Jean-Bretagne, 8th duke of Thouars (died 1839) - Louis Charles de La TrémoilleLouis Charles de La TrémoilleLouis Charles de La Trémoille , 9th duc de Thouars, was a French nobleman and the son of Charles Bretagne Marie de La Trémoille and his third wife, Valentine Eugénie Joséphine Walsh de Serrant....
, son of Charles-Bretagne, 9th duke of Thouars (died 1911) - Louis Charles Marie de La TrémoilleLouis Charles Marie de La TrémoilleLouis Charles Marie de La Trémoille , 10th duc de Thouars, was a French nobleman and the son of Louis Charles de La Trémoille and his wife, Marguerite-Jeanne Tanneguy-Duchâtel....
, son of Louis-Charles, 10th duke of Thouars (died 1921) - Louis Jean Marie de La TrémoilleLouis Jean Marie de La TrémoilleLouis Jean Marie de La Trémoïlle , prince and 12th duc de La Trémoïlle, 13th duc de Thouars and premier duke of France, 13th prince de Tarente and 17th prince de Talmond was a French soldier and the son of Louis Charles Marie de La Trémoille and his wife, Marguerite-Jeanne Tanneguy-Duchâtel.La...
, son of Louis-Charles-Marie, 11th duke of Thouars (died without issue 1933)
Sources
- Hugues Imbert, Histoire de Thouars, Mémoire de la Société de Statistique des Deux-Sèvres, t. X, Niort, édition Clouzot, 1870. ISBN 2-84178-083-X.
- H. Imbert, "Notice sur les vicomtes de Thouars"; Mémoires de la Société des Antiquaires de l'Ouest, year 1864, p. 321-431.
- Publié dans le bulletin de la Société Historique et Scientifique des Deux-Sèvres, third series, vol II, 1st semester 1994, p. 11-20.