Thomas, Count of Flanders
Encyclopedia
Thomas II was the Lord of Piedmont
from 1233 to his death, Count of Flanders
jure uxoris
from 1237 to 1244, and regent
of the County of Savoy
from 1253 to his death, while his nephew Boniface was fighting abroad. He was the son of Thomas I of Savoy
and Margaret of Geneva.
In 1233, when Thomas I of Savoy
died, Thomas, being a second son, inherited only the lordship of Piedmont
, which he later raised to the status of a county. Historians and genealogists have retrospectively dubbed him "Thomas II of Savoy" in order to distinguish him from the other Thomases of the House of Savoy
. He married Joanna, Countess of Flanders
and Hainaut, daughter of the Latin Emperor Baldwin I
, in 1237. They had no issue and Joanna died in 1244. In 1252, Thomas married Beatrice Fieschi, niece of Pope Innocent IV
. They had six children.
Although he was the next brother of Amadeus IV
, he never became the Count of Savoy because he predeceased his nephew, who himself died without sons to succeed him. Although Thomas left sons, upon Boniface' death the remaining uncles, younger brothers of Thomas, ruled the County of Savoy. Thomas' eldest son and heir Thomas III thought it to be an injustice and unsuccessfully claimed Savoy. However, it so happened that Philip I, the last surviving brother of Thomas, made Thomas' younger son Amadeus his heir in Savoy, leaving the elder son, Thomas, and the genealogically senior line descending from him out of the Savoy succession.
He also had at least three illegitimate children.
Lord of Piedmont
The lordship, later principality of Piedmont was originally an appanage of the Savoyard county and as such its lords were members of the Savoy-Achaea branch of that illustrious house. The title was inherited by the elder branch of the dynasty in 1418, at about which time Savoy was elevated to...
from 1233 to his death, 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....
jure uxoris
Jure uxoris
Jure uxoris is a Latin term that means "by right of his wife" or "in right of a wife". It is commonly used to refer to a title held by a man whose wife holds it in her own right. In other words, he acquired the title simply by being her husband....
from 1237 to 1244, and 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...
of the County of Savoy
County of Savoy
The Counts of Savoy emerged, along with the free communes of Switzerland, from the collapse of the Burgundian Kingdom of Arles in the 11th century....
from 1253 to his death, while his nephew Boniface was fighting abroad. He was the son of Thomas I of Savoy
Thomas I of Savoy
Thomas I or Tommaso I was Count of Savoy from 1189-1233. He was the son of Humbert III of Savoy and Beatrice of Viennois. His birth was seen as miraculous; his monkish father had despaired of having a male heir after three wives. Count Humbert sought counsel from St...
and Margaret of Geneva.
In 1233, when Thomas I of Savoy
Thomas I of Savoy
Thomas I or Tommaso I was Count of Savoy from 1189-1233. He was the son of Humbert III of Savoy and Beatrice of Viennois. His birth was seen as miraculous; his monkish father had despaired of having a male heir after three wives. Count Humbert sought counsel from St...
died, Thomas, being a second son, inherited only the lordship of Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
, which he later raised to the status of a county. Historians and genealogists have retrospectively dubbed him "Thomas II of Savoy" in order to distinguish him from the other Thomases of the House of Savoy
House of Savoy
The House of Savoy was formed in the early 11th century in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, it grew from ruling a small county in that region to eventually rule the Kingdom of Italy from 1861 until the end of World War II, king of Croatia and King of Armenia...
. He married Joanna, Countess of Flanders
Countess of Flanders
- House of Flanders, 862-1119 :- House of Estridsen, 1119-1127 :- House of Normandy, 1127-1128 :- House of Metz, 1128-1194 :- House of Hainaut, 1194-1278 :- House of Dampierre, 1247-1405 :- House of Valois-Burgundy, 1405-1482 :...
and Hainaut, daughter of the Latin Emperor Baldwin I
Baldwin 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...
, in 1237. They had no issue and Joanna died in 1244. In 1252, Thomas married Beatrice Fieschi, niece of Pope Innocent IV
Pope Innocent IV
Pope Innocent IV , born Sinibaldo Fieschi, was pope from June 25, 1243 until his death in 1254.-Early life:...
. They had six children.
Although he was the next brother of Amadeus IV
Amadeus IV of Savoy
Amadeus IV was Count of Savoy from 1233 to 1253.The legitimate heir of Thomas I of Savoy and Margaret of Geneva, he had however to fight with his brothers for the inheritance of Savoy lands after their father's death...
, he never became the Count of Savoy because he predeceased his nephew, who himself died without sons to succeed him. Although Thomas left sons, upon Boniface' death the remaining uncles, younger brothers of Thomas, ruled the County of Savoy. Thomas' eldest son and heir Thomas III thought it to be an injustice and unsuccessfully claimed Savoy. However, it so happened that Philip I, the last surviving brother of Thomas, made Thomas' younger son Amadeus his heir in Savoy, leaving the elder son, Thomas, and the genealogically senior line descending from him out of the Savoy succession.
Issue
Thomas and Beatrice had six children:- ThomasThomas III of PiedmontCount Thomas III , called Thomas of Savoy or de Savoie, was the lord of Piedmont and a claimant to the county of Savoy from 1268.He was the eldest son of Thomas II of Savoy and Beatrice di Fieschi, niece of Pope Innocent IV....
, his successor and pretender to the County of Savoy - Amadeus, who later inherited Savoy
- LouisLouis I of VaudLouis I was the Baron of Vaud. At the time of his birth he was a younger son of a younger son of the House of Savoy, but through a series of deaths and his own effective military service, he succeeded in creating a semi-independent principality in the pays de Vaud by 1286...
(1250 – after 10 January 1302), Baron of Vaud - Eleanor (died 6 December 1296), married (1270) Louis I of Beaujeu
- Margaret (died May 1292)
- Alice (died 1 August 1277)
He also had at least three illegitimate children.