Other Events and Attributes:

• Appointments / Titles: Hammer of the Scots
• Appointments / Titles: King of England
• Appointments / Titles: The Best Lance in the World
• Appointments / Titles: The Edward Justian
• Appointments / Titles: The Flower of Chivalry
• Nickname: Longshanks
• FSID: LHWS-PRY
• Occupation: Peerage of England
• Religion: Roman Catholic
• Military: 21 May 1264; Battle of Lewes
• Appointments / Titles: 1265; Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports
• Military: 2 Jul 1271, Nazareth, Israel; 7th or 9th Crusade: After capturing Nazareth in 1271, he massacred all the Muslims found within its walls. In retaliation for this savagery, an Assassin with a poisoned dagger stabbed him three times, but his life was saved by his wife's prompt action of sucking the poison from the wounds, and by his vigorous constitution which resisted whatever poison remained in his system. So in 1272 he negotiated and signed a 10 year truce before heading home, which is when he learned of his father’s death. He finally reached England in 1274 and was crowned in Westminster Abbey on August 19th.
• Appointments / Titles: Between 1272 and 1307; Duke of Aquitaine
• Appointments / Titles: Between 1272 and 1307; King of England
• Appointments / Titles: Between 1272 and 1307; Lord of Ireland
• Appointments / Titles: Between 1272 and 1307; Lord of Scotland
• Appointments / Titles: 26 Aug 1274, Westminster, London, England; Coronation as King of England
• Military: Between 1276 and 1277, Wales; Supressed a minor rebellion in Wales.
• Appointments / Titles: Between 1279 and 1281; Count of Ponthieu
• Military: Between 1282 and 1283, Wales; He responded to a second rebellion with a full scale war of conquest. After this success he subjected Wales to English rule, built a series of castles and towns in the country and settled them with English settlers.
• Appointments / Titles: Between 1290 and 1306; Lord of Scotland
• Military: 1293, France; War between England and France broke out in 1293 as a result of the efforts of France to curb Edwards’s power in Gascony. He lost Gascony in 1293 and did not regain it until 1303.
• Military: 1296, Scotland; After invading and conquering Scotland, he declared himself King of that realm.
• Military: 1298, Scotland; In winning the Battle of Falkirk led by Sir William Wallace, he achieved the greatest military triumph of his career, but failed to crush Scottish opposition. Wallace was captured and executed in 1305.

Notes:

Reign 16 November 1272[1] – 7 July 1307
Coronation 19 August 1274
Predecessor Henry III
Successor Edward II
Born 17/18 June 1239 Palace of Westminster, London, England
Died 7 July 1307 (aged 68) Burgh by Sands, Cumberland, England
Burial Westminster Abbey, London, England
Spouse Eleanor of Castile (m. 1254–1290)
Margaret of France (m. 1299–1307)
Issue Eleanor, Countess of Bar
Joan, Countess of Hertford
Alphonso, Earl of Chester
Margaret, Duchess of Brabant
Mary of Woodstock
Elizabeth, Countess of Hereford
Henry
Edward II of England
Thomas, Earl of Norfolk
Edmund, Earl of Kent
House Plantagenet
Father Henry III of England
Mother Eleanor of Provence

Edward I (17 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots (Latin: Malleus Scotorum), was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons. In 1259, he briefly sided with a baronial reform movement, supporting the Provisions of Oxford. After reconciliation with his father, however, he remained loyal throughout the subsequent armed conflict, known as the Second Barons' War. After the Battle of Lewes, Edward was hostage to the rebellious barons, but escaped after a few months and joined the fight against Simon de Montfort. Montfort was defeated at the Battle of Evesham in 1265, and within two years the rebellion was extinguished. With England pacified, Edward joined the Ninth Crusade to the Holy Land. The crusade accomplished little, and Edward was on his way home in 1272 when he was informed that his father had died. Making a slow return, he reached England in 1274 and was crowned at Westminster on 19 August.

He spent much of his reign reforming royal administration and common law. Through an extensive legal inquiry, Edward investigated the tenure of various feudal liberties, while the law was reformed through a series of statutes regulating criminal and property law. Increasingly, however, Edward's attention was drawn towards military affairs. After suppressing a minor rebellion in Wales in 1276–77, Edward responded to a second rebellion in 1282–83 with a full-scale war of conquest. After a successful campaign, Edward subjected Wales to English rule, built a series of castles and towns in the countryside and settled them with English people. Next, his efforts were directed towards Scotland. Initially invited to arbitrate a succession dispute, Edward claimed feudal suzerainty over the kingdom. In the war that followed, the Scots persevered, even though the English seemed victorious at several points. At the same time there were problems at home. In the mid-1290s, extensive military campaigns required high levels of taxation, and Edward met with both lay and ecclesiastical opposition. These crises were initially averted, but issues remained unsettled. When the King died in 1307, he left to his son, Edward II, an ongoing war with Scotland and many financial and political problems.

Edward I was a tall man for his era, hence the nickname "Longshanks". He was temperamental, and this, along with his height, made him an intimidating man, and he often instilled fear in his contemporaries. Nevertheless, he held the respect of his subjects for the way he embodied the medieval ideal of kingship, as a soldier, an administrator and a man of faith. Modern historians are divided on their assessment of the King: while some have praised him for his contribution to the law and administration, others have criticised him for his uncompromising attitude towards his nobility. Currently, Edward I is credited with many accomplishments during his reign, including restoring royal authority after the reign of Henry III, establishing Parliament as a permanent institution and thereby also a functional system for raising taxes, and reforming the law through statutes. At the same time, he is also often criticised for other actions, such as his brutal conduct towards the Scots, and issuing the Edict of Expulsion in 1290, by which the Jews were expelled from England. The Edict remained in effect for the rest of the Middle Ages, and it would be over 350 years until it was formally overturned under Oliver Cromwell in 1656.

He was involved early in the political intrigues of his father’s reign, which included rebellion by the English Barons. In 1259 he sided with a Baronial Reform Movement, supporting the Provisions of Oxford.

On 24 December 1264 he was forced to deliver the Earldom of Chester into the hands of Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester just before his escape. In late June 1260, Edward, attempting to alleviate Henry's money crisis, by subterfuge under cover of darkness requested admittance into the New Temple of the Knights Templar in London & robbed the treasuries of the city guilds. In June 1263 Prince Edward's foreign Flemish troops burned Bristol; the populace rose up & besieged him & his army in the castle. The Bishop of Worcester, Walter de Cantelou placated the townsfolk by taking Edward's pledge to make peace with de Montfort & the barons (Edward had no intention of honoring his pledge). March 1264 Simon's sons Henry & Bran de Montfort trap Prince Edward at Gloucester Castle, but Edward solemnly avows to Henry (they were extremely close, growing up together) that if Henry grants him a truce he will work with King Henry & Richard of Cornwall to arrange a truce & avoid war. Henry de Montfort was in command, & believed him. Edward was lying through his teeth. As soon as Henry & Bran de Montfort's army were out of sight, Edward seized the town & imposed harsh fines & penalties. On April 5 1264 the defeat at Northampton by Edward of Simon's forces (de Montfort was in London) crippled rebel forces. Northampton defenses had been allowed to decay in the years previous to de Montfort's occupation there, plus the battle was lost due to the treachery of the Prior at St. Andrew's. After the defeat, Edward allowed his army to have their sport on the town, culminating in utter destruction, rapine, murder, etc. of its inhabitants. Some 80 barons & knights were taken prisoner & the rebel army was gutted. The defeat touched off a riot in London (since Londoners were very favorable to Simon) on Apr 9, 1264 in which hundreds, mainly Jews, were slain. In May 1264 Edward looted lands of Robert de Ferrers, the Earl of Derby, & after Derby lost Tutbury Castle, he defected from Simon's support. King Henry meanwhile took Leicester & Nottingham. Simon & Gilbert de Clare attacked Rochester Castle (which surrendered) & besieged the town when Edward approached London so Simon went back to defend it. King Henry & Edward were practicing fierce cruelty by chopping off the nads & feet of all common soldiers captured from de Montfort's army. The Cinque Ports & Dover Castle held fast for Simon, & did not obey Henry & Edward's command for a naval force to attack London. Thwarted, Edward takes Gilbert de Clare's Tonbridge Castle. Simon continued to hold London, but was surrounded by Edward & Henry. In May 1264, the Bishop of Chichester tried to convince Henry III to negotiate, but he refused. The Bishops of London & Worcester (Walter de Cantelou) try to do the same on the eve of the Battle of Lewes; again Henry refuses. At Lewes, Montfort was outnumbered 2:1; Royalist forces numbered some 10,000. Montfort introduced a new strategy to warfare; he established a reserve command to be commanded by him, plus he introduced the concept of the night march. He was thought to be miles away by the Royalist forces on the eve of the battle, but he & his army undertook a night march to focre the battle on May 14, 1264. Henry was utterly taken by surprise, & his garrison lodged at the Priory were in some confusion; however, Edward, who garrisoned his men at Lewes Castle, was able to meet the rebel left flank of greenhorn & untrained Londoners under the command of Nicholas de Segrave. Edward routed them with no care for the "rules" of war in that he & his knights undertook a pursuit miles away from the battle only to slay every man they could find. This was thought caused by the Londoner's steadfast support for Monfort and their animosity toward Henry & especially Edward's mother Queen Eleanor (including the London mob's attack on her barge July 1263). From these beginnings Edward had a lifelong hatred for Londoners. On the eve of the Battle of Lewes, 14 May 1264, after Henry had refused the entreaty of the Bishops of London & Worcester (Walter de Cantelou) to negotiate, Simon formally renounced all allegiance to Henry, & was followed by his men. Including Gilbert de Clare, Hugh le Despenser, Humfrey de Bohun VI "the Younger", John Giffard, Sir John FitzJohn, Nicholas de Segrave, & Robert de Vere. Clare & Vere had the most to lose of any rebel supporters. At the battle itself, the left flank of green & hastily trained but no battle-experience Londoners was under the command of Nicholas de Segrave with 2nd an inexperienced John Giffard; the right flank was commanded by Simon's sons Henry & Guy de Montfort (Bran still being held in captivity at Windsor Castle by Henry) with 2nd Humphrey de Bohun VI "the Younger", the center column was commanded by Gilbert de Clare, 2nded by Sir John FitzJohn, with Simon himself commanding the new reserve force 2nded by Hugh le Despenser. For the Royalists, Henry commanded the center column, Richard of Cornwall commanded the left flank, & Edward commanded the vanguard. Royalist forces outnumbered the rebels by some 2:1 with some 10,000 men. Henry's force was augmented by a Scots force sent by his son in law Alexander III the Glorious, King of Scotland. With Edward were Dafydd ap Gruffydd, Hugh le Bigod, Henry Plantagenet of Almaine, Richard of Cornwall's son (& Edward's cousin & Simon's nephew), & John de Warenne. At the time of the battle, Simon was thought to be miles away, & still unable to ride a horse due to his broken leg. After Edward had absented himself from the field so long (carrying out his vengeance on the Londoners) Simon attacked & obliterated King Henry's force. Henry fled to the Priory. Richard of Cornwall was captured by Gilbert de Clare. When Edward & his men found out, Edward was urged to flee to Pevensey Castle & from there toward France. Edward refused to abandon his father, but the de Lusignans fled the battle, as did John de Warenne, Hugh le Bigod, Dafydd ap Gruddydd & over 300 knights. Only Edward's cousin Henry of Almaine (Richard of Cornwall's son) & Edwards’s household knights remained with him. Edward got through John FitzJohn's surrounding encampment to his father in the priory; Simon then offered a 12 hour truce & accepted their surrender the following morning. Lewes resulted in 2700 known dead (one of every five men). Under the Mise of Lewes, the Oxford Provisions were again reinstated as the law of the land, with an arbitration commission. Under no circumstances could Henry appoint aliens onto his council. Henry's extravagant spending was also to be brought under control & he to live within his means & pay off his enormous debts. A full amnesty was proclaimed for all rebels. No ransoms were to be paid for men captured neither at Lewes nor earlier at Northampton. Edward & Henry of Almaine surrendered themselves as hostages for their fathers' good faith. Edward was confined at Wallingford Castle with Richard of Cornwall. King Henry was lodged securely at the palace of the Bishop of London, In June 1264; Simon called a Parliament, one that included knights & town officials. The effect of Lewes that while Henry was still King, Simon had command of the realm. He also called for the terms of the Chivalric code to cover not only knights, but also commoners & Jews. In October 1264, the Pope (who hated Simon & the English Lords who had refused to succor his (the Pope's) abortive plans for Sicily) formally excommunicated Simon, his sons Henry, Bran & Guy, Gilbert de Clare, Hugh le Despenser, the Mayor of London Thomas Fitz Thomas, & many of their supporters. The Bishops of Worcester, London & Winchester refused to publish the sentence of anathema; the Pope laid England under Interdict Oct 21 1264, but the English clergy continued to support Simon & services & rites of the Church continued to be performed. Fought against and defeated Simon de Montfort (his uncle) in the Battle of Evesham and on 4 August 1265 took back his title with the death of Simon.

He spent much of his reign reforming royal administration and common law. Through an extensive legal inquiry, he investigated the tenure of various feudal liberties, while the law was reformed through a series of statutes regulating criminal and property law. He suppressed corruption in the administration of justice and passed legislation allowing feudal barons and the crown to collect revenues from properties willed to the church. He crushed clerical opposition when Pope Clement V allowed him in 1306 to suspend Archbishop Robert de Winchelsey. Early in his reign he divided the Curis Regis into three courts. 1) The Court of Kings Bench, to deal with criminal offenses reserved for the Kings judgment and with suits in which he was himself concerned; 2) The Court of Exchequer, to deal with all matters touching the Kings revenue; and 3) The Court of Common Pleas, to deal with suits between subject and subject. Edward took care that these courts should administer justice and dismissed judges and many other officials for corruption. He gave Scotland new constitution and representation in English Parliament.
While some historians have praised him for his contribution to the law, others have criticized him for his uncompromising attitude toward his nobility. Accomplishments include: Restoring royal authority after the reign of Henry III, Establishing Parliament as a permanent institution and thereby also a functional system for raising taxes, reforming the law through statutes. His criticisms include: His brutal conduct towards the Scots, and issuing the Edict of Expulsion in 1290 (by which the Jews were expelled from England and would take over 350 yrs before it was overturned in 1656 by Oliver Cromwell).

Family/Spouse: of Castille, Queen of England Eleanor. Eleanor was born in 1241 in Burgos, Burgos, Castilla-Leon, Spain; died on 5 Dec 1290 in Harby, Nottinghamshire, England; was buried on 24 Dec 1290 in Westminster Abbey, Westminster, London, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Plantagenet, Elizabeth of Rhuddlan was born on 7 Aug 1282 in Rhuddlan, Denbighshire, Wales; was christened on 17 Aug 1282 in Rhuddlan, Denbighshire, Wales; died on 5 May 1316 in Quendon, Essex, England; was buried on 23 May 1316 in Walden Abbey, Saffron Walden, Essex, England.

Edward married de France, Marguerite on 8 Sep 1299 in Canterbury Cathedral, Canterbury, Kent, England. Marguerite (daughter of de France, Philip III and de Brabant, Maria) was born in 1279 in Paris, Île-de-France, France; died on 14 Feb 1318 in Marlborough Castle, Marlborough, Wiltshire, England; was buried after 14 Feb 1318 in Greyfriars, London, London, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. of Brotherton, Earl Thomas was born on 1 Jun 1300 in Manor House, Brotherton, Yorkshire, England; died on 4 Aug 1338 in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England; was buried on 18 Aug 1338 in Bury St Edmunds Abbey, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Appointments / Titles: Duke of Aquitaine
• Appointments / Titles: King
• Appointments / Titles: King of England
• Appointments / Titles: Lord of Ireland
• FSID: 9C69-MKH
• Occupation: King Of England 1216-1272
• Appointments / Titles: Between 4 Nov 1216 and 24 May 1220; King of England
• Burial: 27 Nov 1272, Westminster Abbey, Westminster, London, England

Henry married Berenger, Eleanor on 14 Jan 1236 in Canterbury Cathedral, Canterbury, Kent, England. Eleanor (daughter of Berenger, Count Raimund IV and de Savoie, Countess Béatrice) was born on 1 Jul 1223 in Aix, Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France; was christened in Fontevrault Abbey, Fontevrault, Maine-et-Loire, Pays de la Loire, France; died on 25 Jun 1291 in Amesbury, Wiltshire, England; was buried on 11 Sep 1291 in Abbey of St. Mary and St. Melor, Amesbury, Wiltshire, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Appointments / Titles: Countess of Provence
• Appointments / Titles: Queen of England
• Appointments / Titles: Queen of England

Notes:

Eleanor of Provence
1223-1291
Queen of England, 1236-1272
"Beautiful, resourceful, clever—and unpopular"

Eleanor of Provence, the queen of Henry III of England, was his loyal marriage-partner for thirty-six years. Strong-willed, ambitious and practical, she played a major role in ruling the kingdom during the volatile thirteenth century. So why is she so little remembered in the roster of medieval queens? Probably because Henry filled his reign with so many miscalculations and disasters that not even a strong helpmeet could avert them. If Eleanor had been a reigning queen instead of a queen-consort, things might have been different.

As daughter of Count Raymond of Provence, Eleanor grew up steeped in the sunny, pleasure-loving culture of Southern France. She was acquainted with the nobility of the Mediterranean world. When she married Henry she brought from her birthplace her taste for the good life and her familiarity with many influential players on the European stage. Eleanor also brought her relatives to install in important offices in England. This didn't endear her to Henry's barons or to the English people, who mistrusted foreigners.

What Henry, an ambitious but ineffective king, lacked in willpower Eleanor more than made up for. Like her two predecessors on the English throne, Isabella of Angouleme and Eleanor of Aquitaine, Eleanor of Provence was fiercely ambitious for her children and supremely self-confident in exercising her power.

She was intimately involved in Henry's battles. These included excursions to France to fight for the Continental lands the French and English had been squabbling about for decades. At home, Henry and Eleanor had rebellious barons to contend with. When Henry was captured by his own barons and forced to agree to their terms for reforms, Eleanor went to France and raised a formidable army to free her husband. But her invasion fleet was wrecked before it reached England. Her son Edward (later Edward I), as combative as his mother, fought off the rebels and rescued his father.

After Henry died in 1272 Eleanor became Queen Dowager, but she never gave up her active role in promoting the royal family's interests. Only after fourteen years did she take off her crown and don the veil at the nunnery of Amesbury. There she lived a quiet, pious life until her death in 1291.

Queen Eleanor of Provence was beautiful, resourceful, clever-and unpopular. Her foreign airs and entanglements, her influence on her husband and her imperious manner could not endear her to the English. The chronicler summed up her contradictory qualities after her death: "the generous and devout virago."

http://www.medievalqueens.com/queen-eleanor-of-provence.htm

Eleanor of Provence (c. 1223 – 24/25 June 1291) was Queen consort of England, as the spouse of King Henry III of England, from 1236 until his death in 1272. She served as regent of England during the absence of her spouse in 1253.

Although she was completely devoted to her husband, and staunchly defended him against the rebel Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, she was very much hated by the Londoners. This was because she had brought a large number of relatives with her to England in her retinue; these were known as "the Savoyards", and they were given influential positions in the government and realm. On one occasion, Eleanor's barge was attacked by angry citizens who pelted her with stones, mud, pieces of paving, rotten eggs and vegetables.

Eleanor was the mother of five children including the future King Edward I of England. She also was renowned for her cleverness, skill at writing poetry, and as a leader of fashion
Eleanor and Henry together had five children:
1.Edward I (1239–1307), married Eleanor of Castile (1241–1290) in 1254, by whom he had issue, including his heir Edward II. His second wife was Margaret of France, by whom he had issue.
2.Margaret (1240–1275), married King Alexander III of Scotland, by whom she had issue.
3.Beatrice (1242–1275), married John II, Duke of Brittany, by whom she had issue.
4.Edmund Crouchback, 1st Earl of Lancaster (1245–1296), married Aveline de Forz in 1269, who died four years later without issue; married Blanche of Artois in 1276, by whom he had issue.
5.Katherine (25 November 1253 – 3 May 1257)

Other Events and Attributes:

• Burial: Worcester Cathedral, Worcester, Worcestershire, England
• Appointments / Titles: Duke of Bedford
• House: House of Plantagenet
• Appointments / Titles: Between 8 Jan 1177 and 7 Jan 1186; Lord of Ireland
• Appointments / Titles: Between 1189 and 1199, Gloucestershire, England; Earl
• Appointments / Titles: Between 1199 and 1204, Maine (Historical), France; Count
• Appointments / Titles: Between 1199 and 1204, Poitou-Charentes, France; Count
• Appointments / Titles: Between 1199 and 1216, Aquitaine, France; Duke
• Appointments / Titles: Between 1199 and 1216, England; King
• Appointments / Titles: Between 8 Jan 1199 and 7 Jan 1217; King of England
• Appointments / Titles: Between 1202 and 1216, Angoulême, Charente, Poitou-Charentes, France; Count
• Death: 19 Oct 1216, Newark Castle, Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire, England

Notes:

John, the youngest of five sons of King Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine, was at first not expected to inherit significant lands; became Henry's favourite child. John grew up to be around 5 ft 5 in. John's first period of rule in Ireland was not a success. Ireland had only recently been conquered by Anglo-Norman forces, and tensions were still rife between Henry II, the new settlers and the existing inhabitants.[28] John infamously offended the local Irish rulers by making fun of their unfashionable long beards. In order to remarry, John first needed to abandon Isabel, Countess of Gloucester, his first wife; as a cousin, John could not have legally wed her without this. Marrying Isabella of Angoulême, John was acquiring a key land route between Poitou and Gascony, which significantly strengthened his grip on Aquitaine. At the start of John's reign there was a sudden change in prices, as bad harvests and high demand for food resulted in much higher prices for grain and animals. This inflationary pressure was to continue for the rest of the 13th century and had long-term economic consequences for England. From Henry II onwards, ira et malevolentia had come to describe the right of the king to express his anger and displeasure at particular barons or clergy, building on the Norman concept of malevoncia – royal ill-will.[116] In the Norman period, suffering the king's ill-will meant difficulties in obtaining grants, honours or petitions; John was deeply suspicious of the barons. Chroniclers complained that John's mistresses were married noblewomen, which was considered unacceptable. During the remainder of his reign, John focused on trying to retake Normandy and England itself had to be secured against possible French invasion, John became involved in a dispute with Pope Innocent III that would lead to the king's excommunication. John refused Innocent's request that he consent to Langton's appointment, but the pope consecrated Langton anyway. He barred Langton from entering England and seized the lands of the archbishopric and other papal possessions.
Neither John nor the rebel barons seriously attempted to implement the peace accord. The failure of the agreement led rapidly to the First Barons' War. The rebel barons responded by inviting Prince Louis of France to lead them: Louis had a claim to the English throne by virtue of his marriage to Blanche of Castile, a granddaughter of Henry II. John contracted dysentery, which would ultimately prove fatal. By October 1216 John faced a "stalemate", "a military situation uncompromised by defeat". John's illness grew worse. John died on the night of 18 October. John's first wife, Isabel, Countess of Gloucester, was released from imprisonment in 1214; she remarried twice, and died in 1217. John's second wife, Isabella of Angoulême, left England for Angoulême soon after the king's death; she became a powerful regional leader, but largely abandoned the children she had had by John.
Popular representations of John first began to emerge during the Tudor period: Shakespeare's King John, Sir Walter Scott's historical romance, Ivanhoe, Howard Pyle's book The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood. Excerpts from Wikipedia.org.
Name: King John
Born: December 24, 1166 at Beaumont Palace : Oxford
Parents: Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine
House of: Angevin ( Plantagenet)
Ascended to the throne: April 6, 1199 aged 32 years
Crowned: May 27, 1199 at Westminster Abbey
Married: 1) Isabella of Gloucester, (annulled 1199), (2) Isabella, Daughter of Count of Angouleme
Children: Two sons including Henry III, three daughters and several illegitimate children
Died: October 18, 1216 at Newark Castle, aged 49 years, 9 months, and 24 days
Buried at: Worcester
Reigned for: 17 years, 6 months, and 13 days
Succeeded by: his son Henry III
---------------
John was nicknamed Lackland, probably because, as the youngest of Henry II's five sons, it was difficult to find a portion of his father's French possessions for him to inherit. He was acting king from 1189 during his brother Richard the Lion-Heart's absence on the Third Crusade. The legend of Robin Hood dates from this time in which John is portrayed as Bad King John. He was involved in intrigues against his absent brother, but became king in 1199 when Richard was killed in battle in France.

King John signs Magna Carta 1215
Most of his reign was dominated by war with France. Following the peace treaty of Le Goulet there was a brief peace, but fighting resumed again in 1202. John had lost Normandy and almost all the other English possessions in France to Philip II of France by 1204. He spent the next decade trying to regain these without success and was finally defeated by Philip Augustus at the Battle of Bouvines in 1214. He was also in conflict with the Church. In 1205 he disputed the pope's choice of Stephen Langton as archbishop of Canterbury, and Pope Innocent III placed England under an interdict, suspending all religious services, including baptisms, marriages, and burials. John retaliated by seizing church revenues, and in 1209 was excommunicated. Eventually, John submitted, accepting the papal nominee, and agreed to hold the kingdom as a fief of the papacy; an annual monetary tribute was paid to the popes for the next 150 years by successive English monarchs.

His concessions did not buy peace for long and the Barons War continued. The barons sought French aid and Prince Louis of France landed in England supported by attacks from the North by Alexander II of Scotland. John fled and according to legend lost most of his baggage and the crown jewels when crossing the tidal estuaries of the Wash. He became ill with dysentery and died at Newark Castle in October 1216.
Timeline for King John
Year Event
1199 John accedes to the throne on the death of his brother, Richard I.
1204 England loses most of its possessions in France.
1205 John refuses to accept Stephen Langton as Archbishop of Canterbury
1208 Pope Innocent III issues an Interdict against England, banning all church services except baptisms and funerals
1209 Pope Innocent III excommunicates John for his confiscation of ecclesiastical property
1209 Cambridge University founded
1212 Innocent III declares that John is no longer the rightful King
1213 John submits to the Pope’s demands and accepts the authority of the Pope
1214 Philip Augustus of France defeats the English at the Battle of Bouvines
1215 Beginning of the Barons' war. The English Barons march to London to demand rights which they lay down in the Magna Carta.
1215 John meets the English barons at Runnymede, agrees to their demands, and seals the Magna Carta which set limits on the powers of the monarch, lays out the feudal obligations of the barons, confirms the liberties of the Church, and grants rights to all freemen of the realm and their heirs for ever. It is the first written constitution.
1215 The Pope decrees that John need not adhere to the Magna Carta, and civil war breaks out
1216 The barons seek French aid in their fight against John. Prince Louis of France lands in England and captures the Tower of London
1216 John flees North and loses his war chest of cash and jewels in the Wash estuary
1216 John dies of a fever at Newark and is buried Worcester Cathedral

John married de Taillefer, Queen of England Isabelle on 24 Aug 1200 in Bordeaux, Gironde, Aquitaine, France. Isabelle (daughter of de Taillefer, Aymar and de Courtenay, Alice) was born on 2 Sep 1188 in Angoulême, Charente, Poitou-Charentes, France; was christened in 1188 in France; died on 10 Jun 1246 in Fontevrault Abbey, Fontevrault, Maine-et-Loire, Pays de la Loire, France; was buried in Fontevrault Abbey, Fontevrault, Maine-et-Loire, Pays de la Loire, France. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Burial: Fontevrault Abbey, Fontevrault, Maine-et-Loire, Pays de la Loire, France
• FSID: MF7F-HQF
• Life Event: 6 Oct 1200, Westminster Abbey, Westminster, London, England; Crowed Queen Consort of England
• Appointments / Titles: 18 Jun 1202; Countess of Angoulême
• Appointments / Titles: Between 1229 and 1246; Countess of La Marche
• Death: 4 Jun 1246, Fontevrault, Maine-et-Loire, Pays de la Loire, France
• Burial: Aft 4 Jun 1246, Fontevrault Abbey, Fontevrault, Maine-et-Loire, Pays de la Loire, France

Notes:

Wikipedia -

Isabella Taillifer of Angoulême (French: Isabelle d'Angoulême, IPA; c. 1188-4 June 1246) was queen consort of England as the second wife of King John from 1200 until John's death in 1216. She was also suo jure Countess of Angoulême from 1202 until 1246.

She had five children by the king, including his heir, later Henry III. In 1220, Isabella married Hugh X of Lusignan, Count of La Marche, by whom she had another nine children.

Some of her contemporaries, as well as later writers, claim that Isabella formed a conspiracy against King Louis IX of France in 1241, after being publicly snubbed by his mother, Blanche of Castile, for whom she had a deep-seated hatred. In 1244, after the plot had failed, Isabella was accused of attempting to poison the king. To avoid arrest, she sought refuge in Fontevraud Abbey, where she died two years later, but none of this can be confirmed.

Queen of England
She was the only daughter and heir of Aymer Taillefer, Count of Angoulême, by Alice of Courtenay, who was sister of Peter II of Courtenay, Latin Emperor of Constantinople and granddaughter of King Louis VI of France.

Isabella became Countess of Angoulême in her own right on 16 June 1202, by which time she was already queen of England. Her marriage to King John took place on 24 August 1200, in Angoulême, a year after he annulled his first marriage to Isabel of Gloucester. She was crowned queen in an elaborate ceremony on 8 October at Westminster Abbey in London. Isabella was originally betrothed to Hugh IX le Brun, Count of Lusignan, son of the Count of La Marche. As a result of John's temerity in taking her as his second wife, King Philip II of France confiscated all of their French lands, and armed conflict ensued.

At the time of her marriage to John, the blonde and blue-eyed 12-year-old Isabella was already renowned by some for her beauty and has sometimes been called the Helen of the Middle Ages by historians. Isabella was much younger than her husband and possessed a volatile temper similar to his own. King John was infatuated with his young, beautiful wife; however, his acquisition of her had at least as much to do with spiting his enemies as romantic love. She was already engaged to Hugh IX le Brun when she was taken by John. It was said that he neglected his state affairs to spend time with Isabella, often remaining in bed with her until noon. However, these were rumors spread by John's enemies to discredit him as a weak and grossly irresponsible ruler, given that at the time John was engaging in a desperate war against King Philip of France to hold on to the remaining Plantagenet duchies. The common people began to term her a "siren" or "Messalina", which spoke volumes as to popular opinion. Her mother-in-law, Eleanor of Aquitaine, readily accepted her as John's wife.

On 1 October 1207 at Winchester Castle, Isabella gave birth to a son and heir who was named Henry after the King's father, Henry II. He was quickly followed by another son, Richard, and three daughters, Joan, Isabel, and Eleanor. All five children survived into adulthood and made illustrious marriages; all but Joan produced offspring of their own.

Second marriage
When King John died in October 1216, Isabella's first act was to arrange the speedy coronation of her nine-year-old son at the city of Gloucester on 28 October. As the royal crown had recently been lost in The Wash, along with the rest of King John's treasure, she supplied her own golden circlet to be used in lieu of a crown. The following July, less than a year after his crowning as King Henry III of England, she left him in the care of his regent, William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke and returned to France to assume control of her inheritance of Angoulême.

In the spring of 1220, she married Hugh X of Lusignan, "le Brun", Seigneur de Luisignan, Count of La Marche, the son of her former fiancé, Hugh IX, to whom she had been betrothed before her marriage to King John. It had been previously arranged that her eldest daughter Joan should marry Hugh, and the little girl was being brought up at the Lusignan court in preparation for her marriage. Hugh, however, upon seeing Isabella, whose beauty had not diminished, preferred the girl's mother. Joan was provided with another husband, King Alexander II of Scotland, whom she wed in 1221.

Isabella had married Hugh without the consent of the king's council in England, as was required of a queen dowager. That council had the power not only to assign to her any subsequent husband, but to decide whether she should be allowed to remarry at all. That Isabella flouted its authority moved the council to confiscate her dower lands and to stop the payment of her pension. Isabella and her husband retaliated by threatening to keep Joan, who had been promised in marriage to the King of Scotland, in France. The council first responded by sending furious letters to the Pope, signed in the name of young King Henry, urging him to excommunicate Isabella and her husband, but then decided to come to terms with Isabella, to avoid conflict with the Scottish king, who was eager to receive his bride. Isabella was granted the stannaries in Devon, and the revenue of Aylesbury for a period of four years, in compensation for her confiscated dower lands in Normandy, as well as the £3,000 arrears for her pension.

Isabella had nine more children by Hugh X. Their eldest son Hugh XI of Lusignan succeeded his father as Count of La Marche and Count of Angoulême in 1249.

Isabella's children from her royal marriage did not join her in Angoulême, remaining in England with their eldest brother Henry III.

Rebellion and death
Described by some contemporaries as "vain, capricious, and troublesome," Isabella could not reconcile herself with her less prominent position in France. Though Queen mother of England, Isabella was now mostly regarded as a mere Countess of La Marche and had to give precedence to other women. In 1241, when Isabella and Hugh were summoned to the French court to swear fealty to King Louis IX of France's brother, Alphonse, who had been invested as Count of Poitou, their mother, the Queen Dowager Blanche openly snubbed her. This so infuriated Isabella, who had a deep-seated hatred of Blanche for having fervently supported the French invasion of England during the First Barons' War in May 1216, that she began to actively conspire against King Louis. Isabella and her husband, along with other disgruntled nobles, including her son-in-law Raymond VII of Toulouse, sought to create an English-backed confederacy which united the provinces of the south and west against the French king. She encouraged her son Henry in his invasion of Normandy in 1230, but then did not provide him the support she had promised.

In 1244, after the confederacy had failed and Hugh had made peace with King Louis, two royal cooks were arrested for attempting to poison the King; upon questioning they confessed to having been in Isabella's pay. Before Isabella could be taken into custody, she fled to Fontevraud Abbey, where she died on 4 June 1246.

By her own prior arrangement, she was first buried in the Abbey's churchyard, as an act of repentance for her many misdeeds. On a visit to Fontevraud, her son King Henry III of England was shocked to find her buried outside the Abbey and ordered her immediately moved inside. She was finally placed beside Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. Afterwards, most of her many Lusignan children, having few prospects in France, set sail for England and the court of Henry, their half-brother.

Issue
With King John of England: 5 children, all of whom survived into adulthood, including:

1.) King Henry III of England (1 October 1207-16 November 1272). Married Eleanor of Provence, by whom he had issue, including his heir, King Edward I of England.

2.) Richard, Earl of Cornwall and King of the Romans (5 January 1209-2 April 1272). Married firstly Isabel Marshal, secondly Sanchia of Provence, and thirdly Beatrice of Falkenburg. Had issue.

3.) Joan (22 July 1210-1238), the wife of King Alexander II of Scotland. Her marriage was childless.

4.) Isabella (1214-1241), the wife of Emperor Frederick II, by whom she had issue.

5.) Eleanor (1215-1275), who would marry firstly William Marshal, 2nd Earl of Pembroke; and secondly Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, by whom she had issue.

With Hugh X of Lusignan, Count of La Marche: nine children, all of whom survived into adulthood, including:

1.) Hugh XI of Lusignan (1221-1250), Count of La Marche and Count of Angoulême. Married Yolande de Dreux, Countess of Penthièvre and of Porhoet, by whom he had issue.

2.) Aymer of Lusignan (1222-1260), Bishop of Winchester

3.) Agnès de Lusignan (1223-1269). Married William II de Chauvigny (d. 1270), and had issue.

4.) Alice of Lusignan (1224-9 February 1256). Married John de Warenne, 6th Earl of Surrey, by whom she had issue.

5.) Guy of Lusignan (c. 1225-1264), killed at the Battle of Lewes. (Tufton Beamish maintains that he escaped to France after the Battle of Lewes and died there in 1269).

6.) Geoffrey of Lusignan (c. 1226-1274). Married in 1259 Jeanne, Viscountess of Châtellerault, by whom he had issue.

7.) Isabella of Lusignan (c.1226/1227-14 January 1299). Married firstly before 1244 Maurice IV, seigneur de Craon (1224-1250), by whom she had issue; she married secondly, Geoffrey de Rancon.

8.) William of Lusignan (c. 1228-1296). 1st Earl of Pembroke. Married Joan de Munchensi, by whom he had issue.

9.) Marguerite de Lusignan (c. 1229-1288). Married firstly in 1243 Raymond VII of Toulouse; secondly c. 1246 Aimery IX de Thouars, Viscount of Thouars and had issue

Other Events and Attributes:

• Life Event: Count of Provence
• FSID: LZN1-KQ4
• Appointments / Titles: Between 8 Jan 1209 and 7 Jan 1210; 4th Count of Provence
• Appointments / Titles: Between 8 Jan 1209 and 7 Jan 1246; Count of Forcalquier

Notes:

Ramon Berenguer IV or V (1198 – 19 August 1245), Count of Provence and Forcalquier, was the son of Alfonso II of Provence and Garsenda de Sabran, heiress of Forcalquier.
He was the first Count of Provence to live in the county in more than one hundred years.
After his father's death (1209), Ramon was imprisoned in the castle of Monzón, in Aragon until he was able to escape in 1219 and claim his inheritance. He was a powerful and energetic ruler who added Forcalquier to his domain.

He and his wife were known for their support of troubadors, always having some around the court. He was known for his generosity, though his income did not always keep up. He wrote laws prohibiting nobles from performing menial work, such as farming or heavy labor.

Ramon had many border disputes with his neighbors, the Counts of Toulouse. In 1226, Ramon began to reassert his right to rule in Marseille. The citizens there initially sought the help of Ramon's father-in-law Thomas, Count of Savoy in his role as imperial vicar. However, they later sought the help of Raymond VII, Count of Toulouse.
In 1228, Ramon supported his father-in-law in a double-sided conflict against Turin and Guigues VI of Viennois. This small war was one of many rounds intended to more firmly establish control over trade from Italy into France, and Provence included several key routes.
While the Albigensian Crusade worked in his favor against Toulouse, Ramon was concerned that its resolution in the Treaty of Paris left him in a precarious position. Raymond turned his troops from fighting France to attempting to claim lands from Provence. When Blanche of Castile sent her knight to both Toulouse and Provence in 1233, Ramon entertained him lavishly, and the knight left well impressed by both the count and his eldest daughter, Margaret. Soon after, Blanche negotiated the marriage between Margaret and her son, Louis, with a dowry of ten thousand silver marks. Ramon had to get contributions from allies for a portion, and had to pledge several of his castles to cover the rest. Ramon and Beatrice travelled with their daughter to Lyon in 1234 to sign the marriage treaty, and then Margaret was escorted to her wedding in Sens by her uncles from Savoy, William and Thomas.

Shortly after, William began negotiating on Ramon's behalf with Henry III of England to marry his daughter Eleanor. Henry sent his own knight to Provence early in 1235, and again Ramon and his family entertained him lavishly. Henry wrote to William on June 22 that he was very interested, and sent a delegation to negotiate the marriage in October. Henry was seeking a dowry of up to twenty thousand silver marks to help offset the dowry he had just paid for his sister, Isabella. However, he had drafted seven different versions of the marriage contract, with different amounts for the dowry, the lowest being zero. Ramon shrewdly negotiated for that option, offering as consolation a promise to leave her ten thousand marks when he died.

In 1238, Ramon joined his brother-in-law, Amadeus IV at the court of Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor in Turin. Frederick was gathering forces to assert more control in Italy. Raymond VII of Toulouse was also summoned, and all expected to work together in the war.

In January 1244, Pope Innocent IV decreed that no one but the pope could excommunicate Ramon. In 1245, Ramon sent representatives to the First Council of Lyon, to discuss crusades and the excommunication of Frederick.

Ramon died in August 1245 in Aix-en-Provence, leaving the county to his youngest daughter, Beatrice.
On 5 June 1219, Ramon married Beatrice of Savoy, daughter of Thomas, Count of Savoy. She was a shrewd and politically astute woman, whose beauty was likened by Matthew Paris to that of a second Niobe. The wedding also provided the 14-year-old Ramon with a powerful father-in-law to aid him in establishing his authority and protecting his interests. They had four daughters who reached adulthood, all of whom married kings.

stillborn son (1220)
Margaret of Provence (1221–1295), wife of Louis IX, King of France
Eleanor of Provence (1223–1291), wife of Henry III, King of England
stillborn son (1225)
Sanchia of Provence (1228–1261), wife of Richard, King of the Romans
Beatrice of Provence (1231–1267), wife of Charles I, King of Sicily
His daughters were all educated and literate.
Ramon Berenguer IV died in Aix-en-Provence. At least two planhs (Occitan funeral laments) of uncertain authorship (one possibly by Aimeric de Peguilhan and one falsely attributed to Rigaut de Berbezilh) were written in his honour.

Giovanni Villani in his Nuova Cronica had this to say about Raymond:

Count Raymond was a lord of gentle lineage, and kin to them of the house of Aragon, and to the family of the count of Toulouse, By inheritance Provence, this side of the Rhone, was his; a wise and courteous lord was he, and of noble state and virtuous, and in his time did honourable deeds, and to his court came all gentle persons of Provence and of France and of Catalonia, by reason of his courtesy and noble estate, and he made many Provençal coblas and canzoni of great worth.

Raimund married de Savoie, Countess Béatrice. Béatrice (daughter of de Savoie, Count Thomas and de Genève, Countess Marguerite Beatrix) was born in 1198 in Chambéry, Savoie, Rhône-Alpes, France; died on 11 Jan 1267 in France; was buried after 11 Jan 1267 in Eglise Saint Jean de Malte, Aix, Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Appointments / Titles: Countess of Montpellier
• Appointments / Titles: Countess of Provence
• FSID: M1Q6-XVH
• Occupation: Countess of Savoy
• Birth: 1201, Chambéry, Savoie, Rhône-Alpes, France

Notes:

Beatrice di Savoia was born before 1204. She was the daughter of Tomaso I, Conte di Savoia and Margaret de Faucigny.2 She married Raimond Berengar V, Comte de Provence, son of Alfonso II, Comte de Provence and Gersend de Sabran, Comtesse de Forcalquier, in December 1220. She died circa 1266.
Children of Beatrice di Savoia and Raimond Berengar V, Comte de Provence

* Marguerite de Provence+3 b. 1221, d. 20 Dec 1295
* Eleanor of Provence+4 b. 1223, d. 24 Jun 1291
* Sanchia of Provence+1 b. c 1225, d. 9 Nov 1261
* Beatrice, Comtesse de Provence+3 b. 1234, d. c Jul 1267

Citations

1. [S106] Royal Genealogies Website (ROYAL92.GED), online ftp://ftp.cac.psu.edu/genealogy/public_html/royal/index.html. Hereinafter cited as Royal Genealogies Website.
2. [S11] Alison Weir, Britain's Royal Family: A Complete Genealogy (London, U.K.: The Bodley Head, 1999), page 69. Hereinafter cited as Britain's Royal Family.
3. [S16] Jirí Louda and Michael MacLagan, Lines of Succession: Heraldry of the Royal Families of Europe, 2nd edition (London, U.K.: Little, Brown and Company, 1999), table 45. Hereinafter cited as Lines of Succession.
4. [S105] Brain Tompsett, Royal Genealogical Data, online http://www3.dcs.hull.ac.uk/genealogy/royal/. Hereinafter cited as Royal Genealogical Data.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Physical Description: suffered from blepharoptosis, a drooping or falling of the upper eyelid, apparently his left eyelid
• Appointments / Titles: Count of Anjou
• Appointments / Titles: Count of Bar-Le-Duc
• Appointments / Titles: Count of Maine
• Appointments / Titles: Count of Nantes
• Appointments / Titles: Duke of Maine
• Appointments / Titles: Duke of Normandy
• Appointments / Titles: King
• Appointments / Titles: King of England
• Appointments / Titles: Lord of Ireland
• Appointments / Titles: Lord of Ireland
• Occupation: Reigned 1154-1189. First ruler of the House of Plantagenet.
• Religion: Catholic
• Birth: 5 Mar 1133, Le Mans, Sarthe, Pays de la Loire, France
• Birth: 19 Mar 1133, Le Mans, Sarthe, Pays de la Loire, France
• Appointments / Titles: Between 8 Jan 1154 and 7 Jan 1190; King of England
• Appointments / Titles: 26 Dec 1154; Ascended to the throne
• Appointments / Titles: Between 8 Jan 1216 and 7 Jan 1217; Duke of Aquitaine
• Appointments / Titles: Between 8 Jan 1216 and 7 Jan 1220; His Regent was William Marshal, Earl of Pembroke
• Appointments / Titles: Between 8 Jan 1219 and 7 Jan 1228; His Regent was Hubert de Burgh, 1st Earl of Kent

Notes:

Known for his piety, holding lavish religious ceremonies and giving generously to charities; he was particularly devoted to the figure of Edward the Confessor, whom he adopted as his patron saint.

bio by: Kristen Conrad
Maintained by: Find A Grave
Record added: Jan 01, 2001
Find A Grave Memorial# 1951

English Monarch. The son of Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou and Queen Matilda, Henry was born in LeMans France, and acceded the throne of England in 1154, where he was crowned on December 19. He was the first of the Angevin kings, and one of England's most effective monarchs. He refined the government and created a self-standing bureaucracy. Henry was ambitious, intelligent, and energetic, and it is said he spoke every language used in Europe, though it is unlikely he spoke English. He married Eleanor of Aquitaine on May 18, 1152. This marriage brought under his rule the French counties of Brittany, Maine, Poitou, Touraine, Gascony, Anjou, Aquitaine, and Normandy - meaning Henry had more land and more power than the King of France. In 1162, Henry's best friend and chancellor, Thomas Beckett, was named Archbishop of Canterbury. Beckett distanced himself from Henry and angered the king when he opposed the coronation of young Prince Henry. In a fit of frustration, Henry publicly conveyed his wish to be free of Beckett. Four knights took the king at his word and murdered the archbishop in his cathedral. Henry endured a limited storm of protest over the incident, but the controvery quickly passed. As a result of the treachery of his sons, often with the encouragement of their mother, Henry was defeated in 1189 and forced to accept humiliation and peace. He died at Chinon, France at the age of 56.

Henry II (5 March 1133 – 6 July 1189), also known as Henry Curtmantle (French: Court-manteau), Henry FitzEmpress or Henry Plantagenet, ruled as Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Count of Nantes, King of England (1154–89)

Henry III (1 October 1207 – 16 November 1272), also known as Henry of Winchester, was King of England, Lord of Ireland and Duke of Aquitaine from 1216 until his death. The son of King John and Isabella of Angoulême, Henry assumed the throne when he was only nine in the middle of the First Barons' War. Cardinal Guala declared the war against the rebel barons to be a religious crusade and Henry's forces, led by William Marshal, defeated the rebels at the battles of Lincoln and Sandwich in 1217. Henry promised to abide by the Great Charter of 1225, which limited royal power and protected the rights of the major barons. His early rule was dominated first by Hubert de Burgh and then Peter des Roches, who re-established royal authority after the war. In 1230 the King attempted to reconquer the provinces of France that had once belonged to his father, but the invasion was a debacle. A revolt led by William Marshal's son, Richard, broke out in 1232, ending in a peace settlement negotiated by the Church.

Following the revolt, Henry ruled England personally, rather than governing through senior ministers. He travelled less than previous monarchs, investing heavily in a handful of his favourite palaces and castles. He married Eleanor of Provence, with whom he had five children. Henry was known for his piety, holding lavish religious ceremonies and giving generously to charities; the King was particularly devoted to the figure of Edward the Confessor, whom he adopted as his patron saint. He extracted huge sums of money from the Jews in England, ultimately crippling their ability to do business, and as attitudes towards the Jews hardened, he introduced the Statute of Jewry, attempting to segregate the community. In a fresh attempt to reclaim his family's lands in France, he invaded Poitou in 1242, leading to the disastrous Battle of Taillebourg. After this, Henry relied on diplomacy, cultivating an alliance with Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II. Henry supported his brother Richard in his bid to become King of the Romans in 1256, but was unable to place his own son Edmund on the throne of Sicily, despite investing large amounts of money. He planned to go on crusade to the Levant, but was prevented from doing so by rebellions in Gascony.

By 1258, Henry's rule was increasingly unpopular, the result of the failure of his expensive foreign policies and the notoriety of his Poitevin half-brothers, the Lusignans, as well as the role of his local officials in collecting taxes and debts. A coalition of his barons, initially probably backed by Eleanor, seized power in a coup d'état and expelled the Poitevins from England, reforming the royal government through a process called the Provisions of Oxford. Henry and the baronial government enacted a peace with France in 1259, under which Henry gave up his rights to his other lands in France in return for King Louis IX of France recognising him as the rightful ruler of Gascony. The baronial regime collapsed but Henry was unable to reform a stable government and instability across England continued.

In 1263 one of the more radical barons, Simon de Montfort, seized power, resulting in the Second Barons' War. Henry persuaded Louis to support his cause and mobilised an army. The Battle of Lewes occurred in 1264, where Henry was defeated and taken prisoner. Henry's eldest son, Edward, escaped from captivity to defeat de Montfort at the Battle of Evesham the following year and freed his father. Henry initially enacted a harsh revenge on the remaining rebels, but was persuaded by the Church to mollify his policies through the Dictum of Kenilworth. Reconstruction was slow and Henry had to acquiesce to various measures, including further suppression of the Jews, to maintain baronial and popular support. Henry died in 1272, leaving Edward as his successor. He was buried in Westminster Abbey, which he had rebuilt in the second half of his reign, and was moved to his current tomb in 1290. Some miracles were declared after his death but he was not canonised.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_III_of_England#Children

Henry II (5 March 1133 – 6 July 1189), also known as Henry Curtmantle (French: Court-manteau), Henry FitzEmpress or Henry Plantagenet, ruled as Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Count of Nantes, King of England (1154–89) and Lord of Ireland; at various times, he also controlled Wales, Scotland and Brittany. Henry was the son of Geoffrey of Anjou and Matilda, daughter of Henry I of England. He became actively involved by the age of 14 in his mother's efforts to claim the throne of England, then occupied by Stephen of Blois, and was made Duke of Normandy at 17. He inherited Anjou in 1151 and shortly afterwards married Eleanor of Aquitaine, whose marriage to Louis VII of France had recently been annulled. Stephen agreed to a peace treaty after Henry's military expedition to England in 1153: Henry inherited the kingdom on Stephen's death a year later

Henry married of Aquitaine, Queen Eleanor. Eleanor (daughter of of Aquitaine, WIlliam X and de Châtellerault, Elaeanor) was born on 13 Dec 1122 in Bordeaux, Gironde, Aquitaine, France; was christened in Fontevrault Abbey, Fontevrault, Maine-et-Loire, Pays de la Loire, France; died on 7 Apr 1204 in Mirabell Castle, Tarn-et-Garonne, Midi-Pyrénées, France; was buried after 7 Apr 1204 in Fontevrault Abbey, Fontevrault, Maine-et-Loire, Pays de la Loire, France. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Appointments / Titles: Duchess
• Appointments / Titles: Duchess of Aquitaine, Queen of France, Queen of England
• Appointments / Titles: Princess
• Appointments / Titles: Queen of Aquitaine
• Life Event: m. 1 to Louis VII, King of France
• FSID: 99XF-Y5R
• Occupation: Duchess of Aquitaine
• Religion: Between 8 Jan 1122 and 7 Jan 1123; Roman Catholicism
• Appointments / Titles: Between 8 Jan 1137 and 7 Jan 1205; comtesse, de Poitiers
• Appointments / Titles: Between 8 Jan 1137 and 7 Jan 1205; duchesse, d'Aquitaine
• Appointments / Titles: Between 8 Jan 1137 and 7 Jan 1205; duchesse, de Gascogne
• Appointments / Titles: Between 8 Jan 1137 and 7 Jan 1138; Duchy of Aquitaine
• Appointments / Titles: Between 8 Jan 1137 and 7 Jan 1153; Queen consort of France
• Appointments / Titles: Between 8 Jan 1154 and 7 Jan 1190; Queen consort of England
• Burial: 8 Apr 1204, Fontevrault Abbey, Fontevrault, Maine-et-Loire, Pays de la Loire, France

Notes:

Eleanor of Aquitaine (French: Aliénor/Éléonore; 1122 or 1124 – 1 April 1204) was one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in western Europe during the High Middle Ages and a member of the Ramnulfid dynasty of rulers in southwestern France. She became Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right while she was still a child, then later Queen consort of France (1137–1152) and of England (1154–1189). She was the patron of literary figures such as Wace, Benoît de Sainte-Maure, and Bernart de Ventadorn.

Eleanor's succession to the duchy of Aquitaine in 1137 made her the most eligible bride in Europe. Three months after she became duchess, she married King Louis VII of France, son of her guardian, King Louis VI. As Queen of France, she participated in the unsuccessful Second Crusade. Soon after, Eleanor sought an annulment of her marriage, but her request was rejected by Pope Eugene III. However, after the birth of her second daughter Alix, Louis agreed to an annulment in consideration of her failure to bear a son after fifteen years of marriage. The marriage was annulled on 11 March 1152 on the grounds of consanguinity within the fourth degree. Their daughters were declared legitimate and custody was awarded to Louis, while Eleanor's lands were restored to her.

As soon as the annulment was granted, Eleanor became engaged to Henry, Duke of Normandy, who became King Henry II of England in 1154. Henry was her third cousin (cousin of the third degree), and nine years younger. The couple married on 18 May 1152 (Whit Sunday), eight weeks after the annulment of Eleanor's first marriage, in a cathedral in Poitiers, France. Over the next thirteen years, she bore Henry eight children: five sons, three of whom would become kings; and three daughters. However, Henry and Eleanor eventually became estranged. Henry imprisoned her in 1173 for supporting her son Henry's revolt against her husband, and she was not released until 1189 when Henry died (on 6 July), and their son ascended the English throne as Richard I.

Now queen dowager, Eleanor acted as regent while Richard went on the Third Crusade where he was captured and held prisoner. Eleanor lived well into the reign of her youngest son John. By the time of her death, she had outlived all her children except for King John and Queen Eleanor of Castile.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Appointments / Titles: Angoulême, Charente, Poitou-Charentes, France; Count of Angoulene
• FSID: MRMP-3HL

Notes:

Aymer (also Aymar, Adhemar, Ademar, or Adomar; c. 1160 – eni.com

Aymer d'Angoulême, comte d'Angoulême
French: Aymer, comte d'Angoulême
Also Known As: "Adhemar", "Taillefer"
Birthdate: August 23, 1160
Birthplace: Angoulême, Charente, Poitou-Charentes, France
Death: June 16, 1202 (41)
Limoges, Haute-Vienne, Limousin, France
Place of Burial: L'abbaye Notre-Dame de La Couronne, Charente, Poitou-Charentes, France
Immediate Family:

Son of Guillaume 'Taillefer' d'Angoulême, comte d'Angoulême and Marguerite de Turenne, comtesse d'Angoulême

Husband of Alice de Courtenay, comtesse d'Angoulême

Father of Isabella of Angoulême

Brother of Griset d'Angouleme; Foulques d'Angouleme; Almodis d'Angoulême; Wulgrin "Taillefer" d'Angoulême, III; Guiillaume Taillefer de Anguleme, V and 3 others
Half brother of Matabrune de Ventadour and Ademar V Boson, Vicomte de Limoges

Occupation: Count of Angouleme, Taillifer', which means "hewer of iron" or "the Swordmaker"

16 June 1202) was the last Count of Angoulême of the House of Taillefer. He was a middle child of Count William VI and Marguerite de Turenne.[1] Two of his elder brothers, Wulgrin III and William VII, became Counts of Angoulême in succession after the death of their father in 1179.

Aymer succeeded his brother in 1186, and soon after was at the court of Richard the Lionheart, then Duke of Aquitaine and thus Aymer's lord, to receive recognition of his accession.[a][3] By 1188, Aymer had married Alice of Courtenay, the daughter of Peter I of Courtenay and thus granddaughter of King Louis VI of France.[b] In that year, Alice gave birth to a daughter, Isabella of Angoulême, who married King John of England in 1200. The marriage alliance was sealed by two treaties, one public, the other private between Aymer and John. The count remained a steady ally of the kings of England against the rebellious House of Lusignan.[5]

Aymer had a claim to the County of La Marche, where in 1199 or 1200 he was exercising authority, perhaps on behalf of his son-in-law, and issued a charter to some monks of Aubignac.[6] In February 1202 when John was visiting Angoulême to negotiate a treaty with Sancho VII of Navarre, Aymer took him on a tour of the newly consecrated abbey church at La Couronne.[7] The role of Aymer's daughter in John's continued refusal to properly care for his brother Richard the Lionheart's widow, Berengaria of Navarre, may explain the Count of Angoulême's proximity to the negotiations between the two kingdoms.[8]

Aymer died in Limoges on 16 June 1202. His daughter and only child succeeded him as Countess of Angoulême. Her title, however, was largely empty since her husband denied her control of her inheritance as well as her marriage dowry and dower. John's appointed governor, Bartholomew de Le Puy (de Podio), ran most of the administrative affairs of Angoulême until John's death in 1216.[9][c] In 1217 Isabella returned and seized her inheritance from Bartholomew, who appealed unsuccessfully to the English king for help.

Aymer's widow, Alice, ruled the city of Angoulême until March 1203, when John summoned her to court and granted her a monthly pension of 50 livres d'Anjou in return for her dower rights. She thereafter retired from public life to her estate at La Ferté-Gaucher, where she was living as late as July 1215, when she issued a charter at Provins using the title Countess of Angoulême.[7]

Notes
Vincent stresses that "[i]n practice [the Counts of Angoulême] were semi-autonomous rulers, only loosely tied into the feudal hierarchy. . . [T]he homage rendered to the dukes of Aquitaine by the counts of Anoulême until 1127 did little to compromise their independence."[2]
An "Alaidis de Courtenai" appears alongside her husband in a charter of 1191, making an award to Saint-Amand-de-Boixe during the abbacy of Jocelin (1186–97) shows that he was a minor official as early as 14 June 1202, just before Aymer's death.

Aymar married de Courtenay, Alice in 1186 in Angoulême, Charente, Poitou-Charentes, France. Alice (daughter of de Courtenay, Emperor of Constantinople Peter and de Courtenay, Elizabeth) was born in 1160 in Courtenay, Yonne, Bourgogne, France; was christened in 1160 in Courtenay, Loiret, Centre, France; died on 12 Feb 1218 in Angoulême, Charente, Poitou-Charentes, France; was buried after 12 Feb 1218 in Cathédral Notre-Dame de Rouen, Rouen, Seine-Maritime, Haute-Normandie, France. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FSID: LZ1V-VQ4
• Occupation: Countess of Angoloume

Notes:

Alice was born in 1160, the second eldest daughter and one of the ten children of Peter I of Courtenay and Elisabeth of Courtenay, daughter of Renauld de Courtenay and Hawise du Donjon. Her family was one of the most illustrious in France; and her paternal grandparents were King Louis VI of France and Adélaide de Maurienne.

In 1178, she married her first husband, Guillaume I, Count of Joigny. The marriage did not produce any children, and they were divorced in 1186.

Alice married her second husband, Aymer Taillefer in 1186, the same year he succeeded his father, William IV as Count of Angoulême. Sometime in 1188, Alice gave birth to her only child, Isabella of Angoulême, wife of King John of England and later Hugh X of Lusignan, Count of La Marche.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_of_Courtenay

Other Events and Attributes:

• Death: Between 8 Feb and 7 Mar 1209, Perpignan, Pyrénées-Orientales, Languedoc-Roussillon, France
• Appointments / Titles: Count of Provence
• Appointments / Titles: King Of Aragon,
• Appointments / Titles: Prince of Aragon
• FSID: LZ8K-KC2
• Occupation: Peerage of France
• Birth: 1174, Aragon, Spain
• Alternate Birth: Between 8 Jan 1174 and 7 Jan 1175, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
• Alternate Death: 8 Dec 1209, Palermo, Sicilia, Italy

Alfonso married de Sabran, Countess Gersinde II between 8 Jul and 7 Aug 1193 in Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France. Gersinde (daughter of de Sabran, Count Raimond and Forcalquier, Countess Garsinde) was born in 1180 in Sabran, Gard, Languedoc-Roussillon, France; died in 1224 in L'abbaye De La Celle, La Celle, Allier, Auvergne, France. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Appointments / Titles: Countess Castile
• Appointments / Titles: Heiress of Forcalquier
• FSID: LZ83-7LM

Other Events and Attributes:

• Appointments / Titles: Count
• Appointments / Titles: Count of Savoy & Maurienne
• FSID: 2RBD-G4X
• Alternate Birth: 27 May 1177, Charbonnières, Savoie, Rhône-Alpes, France
• Alternate Death: 27 Jan 1233, Aoste, Isère, Rhône-Alpes, France

Notes:

Thomas (Tommaso I; 1178 – 1 March 1233) was Count of Savoy from 1189 to 1233. He is sometimes numbered "Thomas I" to distinguish him from his son of the same name, who governed Savoy but was not count.

Thomas was born in Aiguebelle, 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. Anthelm, who blessed Humbert three times, and it was seen as a prophecy come true when Thomas was born shortly before Anthelm himself died on 26 June 1178. He was named in honour of Saint Thomas Becket.

Coat of arms of Savoy
Thomas was still a minor when his father died on 4 March 1189, and a council of regency was established, composed of his mother Beatrice, his father's cousin Boniface I of Montferrat, and the Bishop of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne. He had reached his majority by August 1191. Thomas possessed the martial abilities, energy, and brilliance that his father lacked, and Savoy enjoyed a golden age under his leadership. Despite his youth he began the push northwest into new territories. In the same year he granted Aosta Valley the "Charte des Franchises", recognising the right to administrative and political autonomy. This right was maintained until the eve of the French Revolution. Later he conquered Vaud, Bugey, and Carignano. He supported the Hohenstaufens, and was known as "Thomas the Ghibelline" because of his career as Imperial Vicar of Lombardy.

Career Edit

Thomas worked throughout his career to expand the control and influence of the County of Savoy. One of the key tools that he used was his large number of children, who he worked to get into positions of influence in neighboring regions. In part, this was done by getting many of his sons into episcopal offices in surrounding territories, in a time when bishops had temporal as well as spiritual authority. In addition to Guglielmo and Bonifacio, who made their careers in the clergy, their brother Thomas started out as a canon at Lausanne and became prévôt of Valence by 1226. Pietro was also a canon at Lausanne and served as acting bishop there until he was replaced in 1231. In 1219 he worked to get his daughter Beatrice married to the fourteen-year-old Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Provence. This established a close relationship between the two adjoining counties which would help cement Savoy control over trade between Italy and France.

Thomas also fought many battles to expand his control. In 1215, his troops fought in an alliance with Milan against Monferrato, destroying the town of Casale. In 1222, he captured Cavour.

Thomas also worked through diplomatic and economic means to expand his control. The county of Savoy long enjoyed control over critical passes through the Alps. In his quest to gain more control over Turin, Thomas made an agreement with their rival Asti to reroute their French trade around Turin through Savoyard lands in a treaty on 15 September 1224. In 1226, Emperor Frederick II came to northern Italy and named Thomas Imperial Vicar of Lombardy. In this role, he mediated in a Genoese rebellion and a dispute between the town of Marseille and their bishop. Thomas also made a policy of granting franchises and charters to towns on key trade routes which enabled the merchant class to develop more wealth and built support for his rule.

Thomas died at Moncalieri, Savoy.

Family and children Edit

In 1195 he ambushed the party of Count William I of Geneva, which was escorting the count's daughter, Margaret of Geneva, to France for her intended wedding to King Philip II of France. Thomas carried off Marguerite and married her himself, producing some eight sons and six daughters.

Amedeo, his immediate successor
Umberto, d. between March and November 1223
Tommaso, lord and then count in Piedmont and founder of a line that became the Savoy-Achaea
Aimone, d. 30 August 1237, Lord of Chablais
Guglielmo (William of Savoy), Bishop of Valence and Dean of Vienne
Amadeo of Savoy, Bishop of Maurienne
Pietro, who resided much in England, became Earl of Richmond, and ultimately in 1263 became the disputed count of Savoy
Filippo, archbishop of Lyon, who resigned, through marriage became Count Palatine of Burgundy and ultimately in 1268 became the disputed count of Savoy
Bonifacio who became archbishop of Canterbury
Beatrice of Savoy, d. 1265 or 1266, married in December 1219 to Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Provence (1209-1245) and was mother of four Queens-consort
Alasia of Savoy, abbess of the monastery of St Pierre in Lyon (d.1250)
Ágatha of Savoy, abbess of the monastery of St Pierre in Lyon (d.1245)
Margherita of Savoy, d. 1273, married in 1218 to Hartmann IV of Kyburg
Avita of Savoy (1215-92) who married Baldwin de Redvers, 7th Earl of Devon and Robert Aguillon (d.1286).
He had illegitimate children too:

Aymon (+ 1243), who was Count of Larches, with Beatrice of Grisel married
Thomas "the big", who was count of Lioches
Giulio

Thomas married de Genève, Countess Marguerite Beatrix between 8 May and 7 Jun 1195 in Charbonnières, Savoie, Rhône-Alpes, France. Marguerite (daughter of de Genève, William I and of the Holy Roman Empire, Beatrice) was born in 1180 in Genève, Switzerland; died on 15 Apr 1257 in Pierre-Châtel, Isère, Rhône-Alpes, France. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Appointments / Titles: Comtesse Consort de Savoie
• FSID: K8YN-HGL