Peter I, Duke of Bourbon
Encyclopedia
Peter I of Bourbon was the second Duke of Bourbon
, from 1342 to his death.
Peter was son of Louis I of Bourbon
, whom he also succeeded as Grand Chamberlain of France
, and Mary of Avesnes
.
Duke Peter is reported to have been somewhat mentally unstable, a trait of nervous breakdowns presumably hereditary that showed clearly for example in his daughter Joan of Bourbon, the queen, and in her son, king Charles VI of France
, as well as in Peter's only surviving son, Duke Louis II.
In the summer of 1339 he took part in Jean de Marigny, Bishop of Beauvais
's failed attack on Bordeaux
.
In autumn 1341 he took part in the John, Duke of Normandy
's campaign in Brittany
.
He was present at the coronation of Pope Clement VI
at Avignon
19 May 1342.
Summer 1342 he was together with the Raoul I of Brienne, Count of Eu
given command of the covering force protecting France from attacks from the north while king Philip VI
campaigned in Brittany.
In August 1343 he and the Dauphin of Viennois were the French ambassadors at a peace conference at Avignon, but the negotiations were fruitless as the Edward III of England
declined to send any but the most junior member of the embassy.
(later Earl and Duke of Lancaster) who completed disembarking his army at Bordeaux the day after Peter I's appointment.
Peter I arrived to take up his lieutenancy in Languedoc in September. By then the Earl of Derby had already opened his campaign, throwing the French defences into disarray with the capture of Bergerac
and the destruction of the French army present there the previous month. Bourbon set up headquarters at Angoulême
and begun an extensive recruitment campaign to raise a new army, command of which fell to the Duke of Normandy. However on 21 October the Earl of Derby won another crushing victory outside Auberoche over parts of this force. The Duke of Normandy abandoned his campaign once he heard the news. In early November he disbanded his army and left for the north.
The Earl of Derby exploited the absence of a French commander in the field to lay siege to the important fortress-city of La Réole
. Bourbon proclaimed the arrière-ban in Languedoc and the march provinces in an attempt to find troops to relieve the siege. However the results were poor as many of the potential recruits were still on their way home from the army just disbanded by John of Normandy. Attempts by John I, Count of Armagnac
to raise troops from his domains in the Rouergue also produced little. Early January 1346 the garrison of La Réole marched away under truce.
Winter 1346 Bourbon kept his winter quarters at the provincial capital of Agen
, a city which quickly was becoming isolated as many of the lesser towns were captured or defected to the English. Spring however opened with the so far greatest French effort in the south-west. Bourbon and the Bishop of Beauvais raised a new army at Toulouse
, in part financed by the Pope whose nephew had been captured by Derby the previous year, while John of Normandy brought with him a substantial number of nobles from the north including such dignitaries as the Eudes IV, Duke of Burgundy
, Raoul II of Brienne, Count of Eu
the Constable of France
, both Marshals
and the Master of Crossbowmen. In April Normandy laid siege to the town of Aiguillon which controlled the confluence between the Lot
and the Garonne
. There they still remained in August when John of Normandy was urgently recalled to the north to help stop Edward III who had landed in Normandy. And so the French 1346 campaign in the south ended having accomplished nothing.
in the days just before that city's capitulation.
On 8 February 1354 he was together with the Guy, Cardinal of Boulogne appointed as King John II's commissioners to King Charles II of Navarre
, empowered to offer whatever Charles wanted. The two met the King of Navarre in the castle of Mantes, accompanied by the two dowager Queens and droves of courtiers and ministers, most of who more or less openly sympathized with Charles of Navarre. The treaty concluded 22 February granted to Charles of Navarre a considerable part of Lower Normandy which he was to hold with the same rights as the Duke of Normandy.
In January 1355 he was sent together with the Chancellor of France Pierre de la Forêt on a diplomatic mission to Avignon where they were to meet with an English embassy led by Henry of Lancaster and Richard FitzAlan, 10th Earl of Arundel
. The purpose of the mission was to formally ratify a peace treaty based on a draft drawn up at Guînes
the previous year. However since then French policy had changed, the French ambassadors had only come to reject the English demands and had nothing new to offer. Negotiations therefore quickly broke down and the conference ended having accomplished nothing except prolonging the existing truce a few more months until 24 June.
May 1355 when it became apparent that open war was about to break out between the King of France and a King of Navarre allied to England the Duke of Bourbon belonged to the party fronted by the Dowager Queens who lobbied John II on Charles of Navarre's behalf. In the end John II gave way and on 31 May agreed to pardon Charles of Navarre.
In July the Duke of Bourbon and the Chancellor met with English ambassadors to negotiate the extension of the truce. As both the French and English governments had decided to resume the war these negotiations were naturally quite empty and fruitless.
Peter was killed in the Battle of Poitiers
19 September 1356.
. Peter and Isabella had one son and seven daughters:
Duke of Bourbon
Duke of Bourbon is a title in the peerage of France. It was created in the first half of the 14th century for the eldest son of Robert of France, Count of Clermont and Beatrice of Burgundy, heiress of the lordship of Bourbon...
, from 1342 to his death.
Peter was son of Louis I of Bourbon
Louis I, Duke of Bourbon
Louis I de Bourbon, le Boiteux, the Lame was Count of Clermont-en-Beauvaisis and La Marche, and the first Duke of Bourbon.-Life:...
, whom he also succeeded as Grand Chamberlain of France
Grand Chamberman of France
The Grand Chamberman of France was one of the Great Officers of the Crown of France, a member of the Maison du Roi , and one of the Great Offices of the Maison du Roi during the Ancien Régime...
, and Mary of Avesnes
Mary of Avesnes
Marie of Hainaut was the daughter of John II, Count of Holland and Philippa of Luxembourg, her brother was William I, Count of Hainaut.- Family :...
.
Duke Peter is reported to have been somewhat mentally unstable, a trait of nervous breakdowns presumably hereditary that showed clearly for example in his daughter Joan of Bourbon, the queen, and in her son, king Charles VI of France
Charles VI of France
Charles VI , called the Beloved and the Mad , was the King of France from 1380 to 1422, as a member of the House of Valois. His bouts with madness, which seem to have begun in 1392, led to quarrels among the French royal family, which were exploited by the neighbouring powers of England and Burgundy...
, as well as in Peter's only surviving son, Duke Louis II.
Early career
Peter I took part in several of the early campaigns of the Hundred Years War which broke out in 1337.In the summer of 1339 he took part in Jean de Marigny, Bishop of Beauvais
Jean de Marigny
Jean de Marigny , French bishop, was a younger brother of Enguerrand de Marigny.Entering the church at an early age, he was rapidly advanced until in 1313 he was made bishop of Beauvais...
's failed attack on Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
.
In autumn 1341 he took part in the John, Duke of Normandy
John II of France
John II , called John the Good , was the King of France from 1350 until his death. He was the second sovereign of the House of Valois and is perhaps best remembered as the king who was vanquished at the Battle of Poitiers and taken as a captive to England.The son of Philip VI and Joan the Lame,...
's campaign in Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
.
He was present at the coronation of Pope Clement VI
Pope Clement VI
Pope Clement VI , bornPierre Roger, the fourth of the Avignon Popes, was pope from May 1342 until his death in December of 1352...
at Avignon
Avignon
Avignon is a French commune in southeastern France in the départment of the Vaucluse bordered by the left bank of the Rhône river. Of the 94,787 inhabitants of the city on 1 January 2010, 12 000 live in the ancient town centre surrounded by its medieval ramparts.Often referred to as the...
19 May 1342.
Summer 1342 he was together with the Raoul I of Brienne, Count of Eu
Raoul I of Brienne, Count of Eu
Raoul I of Brienne was the son of John II of Brienne, Count of Eu and Jeanne, Countess of Guînes.He succeeded his father as Count of Eu in 1302, and his mother as Count of Guînes in 1332. In 1329, he was named Constable of France, and he also held the office of Governor of Languedoc.In 1315, he...
given command of the covering force protecting France from attacks from the north while king Philip VI
Philip VI of France
Philip VI , known as the Fortunate and of Valois, was the King of France from 1328 to his death. He was also Count of Anjou, Maine, and Valois from 1325 to 1328...
campaigned in Brittany.
In August 1343 he and the Dauphin of Viennois were the French ambassadors at a peace conference at Avignon, but the negotiations were fruitless as the Edward III of England
Edward III of England
Edward III was King of England from 1327 until his death and is noted for his military success. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe...
declined to send any but the most junior member of the embassy.
Lieutenant in Languedoc
On 8 August 1345 Peter I was appointed by Philip VI as his lieutenant on the south-west march. His opponent was to be Henry, Earl of DerbyHenry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster
Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster, 4th Earl of Leicester and Lancaster, KG , also Earl of Derby, was a member of the English nobility in the 14th century, and a prominent English diplomat, politician, and soldier...
(later Earl and Duke of Lancaster) who completed disembarking his army at Bordeaux the day after Peter I's appointment.
Peter I arrived to take up his lieutenancy in Languedoc in September. By then the Earl of Derby had already opened his campaign, throwing the French defences into disarray with the capture of Bergerac
Bergerac, Dordogne
Bergerac is a commune and a sub-prefecture of the Dordogne department in southwestern France.-Population:-Economy:The region is primarily known for wine and tobacco...
and the destruction of the French army present there the previous month. Bourbon set up headquarters at 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...
and begun an extensive recruitment campaign to raise a new army, command of which fell to the Duke of Normandy. However on 21 October the Earl of Derby won another crushing victory outside Auberoche over parts of this force. The Duke of Normandy abandoned his campaign once he heard the news. In early November he disbanded his army and left for the north.
The Earl of Derby exploited the absence of a French commander in the field to lay siege to the important fortress-city of La Réole
La Réole
La Réole is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Geography:La Réole is located on the right bank of the Garonne, southeast of Bordeaux by rail.-History:...
. Bourbon proclaimed the arrière-ban in Languedoc and the march provinces in an attempt to find troops to relieve the siege. However the results were poor as many of the potential recruits were still on their way home from the army just disbanded by John of Normandy. Attempts by John I, Count of Armagnac
John I of Armagnac
John I of Armagnac , son of Bernard VI and Cecilia Rodez, was Count of Armagnac from 1319 to 1373. In addition to Armagnac he controlled territory in Quercy, Rouergue and Gévaudan...
to raise troops from his domains in the Rouergue also produced little. Early January 1346 the garrison of La Réole marched away under truce.
Winter 1346 Bourbon kept his winter quarters at the provincial capital of Agen
Agen
Agen is a commune in the Lot-et-Garonne department in Aquitaine in south-western France. It lies on the river Garonne southeast of Bordeaux. It is the capital of the department.-Economy:The town has a higher level of unemployment than the national average...
, a city which quickly was becoming isolated as many of the lesser towns were captured or defected to the English. Spring however opened with the so far greatest French effort in the south-west. Bourbon and the Bishop of Beauvais raised a new army at Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
, in part financed by the Pope whose nephew had been captured by Derby the previous year, while John of Normandy brought with him a substantial number of nobles from the north including such dignitaries as the Eudes IV, Duke of Burgundy
Eudes IV, Duke of Burgundy
Odo IV, or Eudes IV was Duke of Burgundy from 1315 until his death and Count of Burgundy and Artois between 1330 and 1347. He was the second son of Duke Robert II and Agnes of France.-Life:...
, Raoul II of Brienne, Count of Eu
Raoul II of Brienne, Count of Eu
Raoul II of Brienne was the son of Raoul I of Brienne, Count of Eu and Guînes and Jeanne de Mello. He succeeded his father in 1344 as Count of Eu and Guînes, as well as in his post as Constable of France....
the Constable of France
Constable of France
The Constable of France , as the First Officer of the Crown, was one of the original five Great Officers of the Crown of France and Commander in Chief of the army. He, theoretically, as Lieutenant-general of the King, outranked all the nobles and was second-in-command only to the King...
, both Marshals
Marshal of France
The Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements...
and the Master of Crossbowmen. In April Normandy laid siege to the town of Aiguillon which controlled the confluence between the Lot
Lot River
The Lot, , originally the Olt , is a river in France, right tributary of the Garonne. It rises in the Cévennes, flowing west through Quercy, where it flows into the Garonne near Aiguillon, a total distance of...
and the Garonne
Garonne
The Garonne is a river in southwest France and northern Spain, with a length of .-Source:The Garonne's headwaters are to be found in the Aran Valley in the Pyrenees, though three different locations have been proposed as the true source: the Uelh deth Garona at Plan de Beret , the Ratera-Saboredo...
. There they still remained in August when John of Normandy was urgently recalled to the north to help stop Edward III who had landed in Normandy. And so the French 1346 campaign in the south ended having accomplished nothing.
Diplomatic missions
In July 1347 he took part in fruitless negotiations with the English outside CalaisCalais
Calais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
in the days just before that city's capitulation.
On 8 February 1354 he was together with the Guy, Cardinal of Boulogne appointed as King John II's commissioners to King Charles II of Navarre
Charles II of Navarre
Charles II , called "Charles the Bad", was King of Navarre 1349-1387 and Count of Évreux 1343-1387....
, empowered to offer whatever Charles wanted. The two met the King of Navarre in the castle of Mantes, accompanied by the two dowager Queens and droves of courtiers and ministers, most of who more or less openly sympathized with Charles of Navarre. The treaty concluded 22 February granted to Charles of Navarre a considerable part of Lower Normandy which he was to hold with the same rights as the Duke of Normandy.
In January 1355 he was sent together with the Chancellor of France Pierre de la Forêt on a diplomatic mission to Avignon where they were to meet with an English embassy led by Henry of Lancaster and Richard FitzAlan, 10th Earl of Arundel
Richard FitzAlan, 10th Earl of Arundel
Richard FitzAlan, 10th Earl of Arundel and 8th Earl of Surrey was an English nobleman and medieval military leader.- Lineage :...
. The purpose of the mission was to formally ratify a peace treaty based on a draft drawn up at Guînes
Guînes
Guînes is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.-Geography:Guînes is located on the border of the two territories of the Boulonnais and Calaisis, at the edge of the now-drained marshes, which extend from here to the coast. The Guînes canal connects with...
the previous year. However since then French policy had changed, the French ambassadors had only come to reject the English demands and had nothing new to offer. Negotiations therefore quickly broke down and the conference ended having accomplished nothing except prolonging the existing truce a few more months until 24 June.
May 1355 when it became apparent that open war was about to break out between the King of France and a King of Navarre allied to England the Duke of Bourbon belonged to the party fronted by the Dowager Queens who lobbied John II on Charles of Navarre's behalf. In the end John II gave way and on 31 May agreed to pardon Charles of Navarre.
In July the Duke of Bourbon and the Chancellor met with English ambassadors to negotiate the extension of the truce. As both the French and English governments had decided to resume the war these negotiations were naturally quite empty and fruitless.
Peter was killed in the Battle of Poitiers
Battle of Poitiers (1356)
The Battle of Poitiers was fought between the Kingdoms of England and France on 19 September 1356 near Poitiers, resulting in the second of the three great English victories of the Hundred Years' War: Crécy, Poitiers, and Agincourt....
19 September 1356.
Marriage and issue
On 25 January 1336 he married Isabella of Valois, daughter of Charles, Count of Valois and his third wife Mahaut of ChâtillonMahaut of Chatillon
Mahaut of Châtillon was the daughter of Guy III of Châtillon and Marie of Brittany. Her maternal grandmother was Beatrice of England, Beatrice was a daughter of Henry III of England and Eleanor of Provence.- Marriage :...
. Peter and Isabella had one son and seven daughters:
- Louis IILouis II, Duke of BourbonLouis de Bourbon, called the Good , son of Peter de Bourbon and Isabella de Valois, was the third Duke of Bourbon....
(1337–1410) - Joanna (1338–1378), married King Charles V of FranceCharles V of FranceCharles V , called the Wise, was King of France from 1364 to his death in 1380 and a member of the House of Valois...
- BlancheBlanca of BourbonBlanche of Bourbon was a queen consort of Castile. She was one of the daughters of Peter I, Duke of Bourbon and Isabella of Valois....
(1339–1361, Medina-SidoniaMedina-SidoniaMedina-Sidonia is a city and municipality in the province of Cádiz in the autonomous community of Andalusia, southern Spain. It is considered by some to be the oldest city in Europe, used as a military defense location due to its elevated location. Locals are known as Asidonenses...
), married King Pedro of CastilePedro of CastilePeter , sometimes called "the Cruel" or "the Lawful" , was the king of Castile and León from 1350 to 1369. He was the son of Alfonso XI of Castile and Maria of Portugal, daughter of Afonso IV of Portugal...
in 1353 in ValladolidValladolidValladolid is a historic city and municipality in north-central Spain, situated at the confluence of the Pisuerga and Esgueva rivers, and located within three wine-making regions: Ribera del Duero, Rueda and Cigales...
, poisoned by her husband - BonneBonne of BourbonBonne of Bourbon was a daughter of Peter I, Duke of Bourbon and Isabella of Valois and hence a sister of Joanna of Bourbon.She married Count Amadeus VI of Savoy in 1355 in Paris. They had two children:...
(1341 – 19 January 1402, ChâteauChâteauA château is a manor house or residence of the lord of the manor or a country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally—and still most frequently—in French-speaking regions...
de MâconMâconMâcon is a small city in central France. It is prefecture of the Saône-et-Loire department, in the region of Bourgogne, and the capital of the Mâconnais district. Mâcon is home to over 35,000 residents, called Mâconnais.-Geography:...
), married Amadeus VI, Count of SavoyAmadeus VI, Count of SavoyAmadeus VI , nicknamed the Green Count was Count of Savoy from 1343 to 1383. He was the eldest son of Aimone, Count of Savoy and Yolande of Montferrat....
in 1355 in Paris - Catherine (1342–1427, Paris), married John VI of Harcourt
- MargaretMargaret of Bourbon (1344- 1416)Marguerite de Bourbon, Lady of Albret was a daughter of Peter I, Duke of Bourbon and his wife Isabella of France, who was a daughter of Charles of France. Margaret was a member of the House of Bourbon....
(1344–1416), married Arnaud Amanieu, Viscount of TartasArnaud Amanieu, Lord of AlbretArnaud Amanieu was the Lord of Albret from 1358. Arnaud Amanieu was the son of Bernard Ezi IV and Mathe of Armagnac.In 1330, Edward III of England sent men to Gascony to negotiate with the nobles... - Isabelle (b. 1345)
- Mary (1347–1401, PoissyPoissyPoissy is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris from the center.In 1561 it was the site of a fruitless Catholic-Huguenot conference, the Colloquy at Poissy...
), Prioress of Poissy
Ancestors
Further reading
- Sumption, Jonathan, The Hundred Years War I: Trial by Battle, University of Pennsylvania Press, September 1999, ISBN 0-8122-1655-5
- Sumption, Jonathan, The Hundred Years War II: Trial by Fire, University of Pennsylvania Press, October 2001, ISBN 0-8122-1801-9