Featured Post

||| LINK to author's Amazon page

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Chevalier Bouchard IV of Avesnes & Countess Margaret II of Flanders

23638800. Chevalier Bouchard IV of Avesnes & 23638801. Countess Margaret II of Flanders

1182, Bouchard born in Flanders, younger s/o 47277600. James of Avesnes & 47277601. Matilda de Roche.

Bouchard raised in the court of Philip of Alsace, studied at Bruges.

Bouchard studied philosophy in Paris.

By 1199, Bouchard knighted by King Richard I of England.

~1201, Margaret born in Flanders, younger d/o 47277602. Emperor Baldwin of Constantinople & 47277603. Marie of Champagne.

2/1206, News of the death of Margaret and her older sister Joan’s father reached Flanders. (S) FMG. [Their uncle Philip Marquis de Namur, the regent, sent them to the royal court.]

1208, Margaret and her sister Joan were taken to the court of King Philip of France at Paris. (S) The Capetians, Bradbury, 2007, P191.

1212, Bouchard appointed bailiff of Hainaut. Bouchard became the tutor and guardian of Margaret.

[––Bouchard & Margaret––]

1212, Bouchard married Margaret, ~11 years old, without consent of her older sister, Countess Joanna of Flanders. [Bouchard had previously taken the vow of clerical celibacy as chanter of Laon. In addition, it was not acceptable for a tutor to wed the person they were raising, it was considered seduction.] Joan, elder sister of Margaret, and her husband Ferdinand, Prince of Portugal, opposed the marriage. King Philip Augustus counciled the Pope to nullify the marriage.

1213, The French invaded Flanders, aligned with King John of England. Bouchard supported the invasion.

5/30/1213, The Battle of Damme, on the estuary of Zwyn, in Flanders, Belgium. Philip II of France was attacking the Count of Flanders. King John sent his forces against Philip. A fleet had 500 ships, 700 knights and their attendants, with mercenaries. The fleet encountered a French armada, 1700 ships, with supplies and the personal goods of the French barons. Most of the French army was away besieging Ghent. The English attacked, seizing 300 ships which were anchored or beached outside the harbour of Damme, and pillaging and burning a hundred more. The next day they attacked the rest of the ships and the town. Only Ghent successfully resisted.

1214, Bouchard on the Flemish losing side at the battle of Bovines.

7/27/1214, William, earl of Salisbury, leader of the English forces supporting Otto IV of Germany against France, at the [disastrous for King John] battle of Bouvines, near Tournai in Flanders. The French King’s forces of 10,000 defeated an alliance of England, the Holy Roman Empire and rebellious French principalities, numbering 15,000.

1/19/1216, The marriage of Bouchard and Margaret dissolved by the Pope. Bouchard excommunicated by the Pope, they took refuge in Luxembourg.

1219, Bouchard captured in combat and imprisoned in Ghent.

1219, Margaret agreed to the dissolution of their marriage to get Bouchard freed.

[––Bouchard––] & [––Margaret––]

1221, The marriage of Margaret and Bouchard officially ended.

1221, Bouchard, released from captivity, left for Italy to serve the Pope, who was in continuous conflict with Emperor Frederick of Germany.

8-11/1223, Margaret married 2nd William II of Dampierre.

7/14/1223, Louis VIII succeeded as king of France.

11/8/1226, Louis IX succeeded as king of France.

9/3/1231, Margaret’s husband William died; his son William succeeding.

1244, Bouchard executed at Rupelmonde, Flanders, beheaded on orders of Margaret’s older sister Joanna.

[––Margaret––]

12/5/1244, On the death of her sister Joan, Margaret inherited Flanders and Hainault, designating William III of Dampierre, her son by her 2nd husband, as heir – starting the War of Succession of Flanders and Hainaut with her 1st son by Bouchard, John of Avenes. [William III s/o §§Guy II Dampierre & Mathilde of Bourbon, paternal grandfather of 23638797. Margaret of Bourbon.]

1246, King Louis IX of France awarded rule of Flanders to the Dampierre family, and Hainaut to the Avesnes family. (S) FMG.

1247, Margaret invested her son William as count of Flanders.

1249, Margaret provided a chaplain for the Beguines at Aardenburg.

5/19/1250, A peace agreement was made between Flanders and Hainaut.

6/6/1251, Margaret’s son William died; her son Guy succeeding. [William was assassinated at a tournament at Trazegnies, at the instance of Margaret’s son John.].

1252, Margaret and her 2nd son Guy de Dampierre became joint Countess and Count of Flanders, ceding all claims to Hainaut to her son John.

1253, King Charles I of Naples (23638812) militarily supported Margaret of Flanders in exchange for Hainault. [King Louis forced Charles to accept a large sum of money rather than Hainaut.] (S) New International Encyclopedia, V5, P73.

7/4/1253, Margaret’s forces under her 2nd son Guy at the battle of West-Capelle defeated by John’s forces. Guy taken prisoner.

1254, Margaret, countess of Flanders, and William, count of Holland, both refused to do homage to the other for lands held; starting another war. [Matthew of Paris (d.1259) documented Margaret’s 1st marriage when writing his Chronica Majora.]

1256, Guy de Dampierre ransomed through mediation of King Louis.

1264, Margaret allowed Queen Eleanor of England to settle at Damme during the barons’ war in England.

1266, Margaret made Hugh of Roubaix promise to not infringe on her right of the church at Waterlos.

1270, Margaret confiscated the property [wool] of English merchants in Flanders. (S) The Industrial History of Free Nations, Vs1-2, 1846, P54.

1271, To the illustrious Lady [Margaret, Countess of Flanders] … Brother Thomas from Aquino [St. Thomas Aquinas] of the Order of the Preachers … whether it is allowable for you at some time and in what way to make an exaction upon the Jews … (S) The Aquinas Center, Ave Maria University.

1274, Margaret and Guy agreed to restitution of £4755 to English merchants to end the conflict with England.

1275, Margaret notified Henry of Luxembourg that St. Bavo’s abbey had bought a house at Deinze.

12/12/1276, Whereas contentions arose between Henry III. and the king [Edward I of England] and Margaret, countess of Flanders, … Guy son of the countess and count of Flanders, for himself and her, promise that all goods … should be restored, … a balance of £4755 sterling was due … Mandate to the count to pay. (S) CPRs.

1278, Margaret, “the Black Lady”, having abdicated to her son Guy, died.

(S) Foreign Quarterly Review, Vs34-35, 1845. (S) The History of Belgium, Boulger, V1 of 2. (S) Ideals and Practice of Medieval Knighthood, V2, 1988, P34. (S) Aristocratic Women of Medieval France, Evergates, 1999, P134.

Children of Bouchard and Margaret:

i. John of Avenes (11819400), born 5/1/1218 in Houffalize.

ii. Baldwin of Avenes, born 1219 in France.

1295, Baldwin, lord of Beaumont, died.


Followers