Charles of Blois

See also: Charles

Charles of Blois , also called Blois or happy Charles of Blois , born the 1319 with Blois, died the September 29th 1364 with Auray. Wire of Guy I {{er}} of Châtillon, count de Blois and of Marguerite de Valois, sister of Philippe de Valois.

He was Baron of Mayenne, lord of Own way and by marriage count baillistre of Penthièvre, and duke baillistre of Brittany. He was béatifié.

Biography

With Paris the June 4th 1337, Charles of Blois marries Jeanne de Penthièvre (known as Jeanne Lame the ), girl of Guy de Penthièvre, niece of the duke Jean III of Brittany and grand-daughter of Arthur II of Brittany. The conditions of the marriage provide that Charles of Blois will take the name and arm with Brittany and that it will succeed the duke Jean III, who did not have children.

The duke Jean III not having wanted to clarify his succession of alive sound, his death in 1341 starts between the candidates a bloody war which will last 23 years: the War of succession of Brittany. By the stop of Conflans, the king Philippe VI of France recognizes his Charles nephew of Blois duke Baillistre of Brittany and receives his homage. The majority of the lords and the barons lend faith to him and homage, as with the heir apparent to their sovereign, but Jean, count de Montfort, half-brother of Jean III, also claims to inherit diché sound. In October 1341, Charles of Blois goes following Jean, Duc of Normandy and heir apparent to the crown of France, to support its claims on the duchy of Brittany against Jean de Montfort.

In 1344, it takes Quimper. In 1347, it is made prisoner by the English with the seat of Vannes (or of the Rock-Derrien battles). Whereas it is locked up in the Tour of London, Jeanne de Penthièvre, continues the war against Jeanne of Flanders, marries of the count de Montfort. It is released the August 10th 1356, after nine years of captivity in England, after being itself committed to pour a ransom of 700.000 gold guilders, which are not entirely paid with its death.

During this long fight, in which the king of France supports Blois, while the England supports its rival, one sees shining several famous warriors, Bonabes IV, lord de Rougé and of Derval, Gautier de Mauni, Jean de Beaumanoir, Olivier de Clisson, Bertrand of Guesclin (who makes known himself in 1357 while taking part in the defense of Rennes besieged by the Duc of Lancaster) and John Chandos.

Charles of Blois adoube Bertrand of Guesclin, knight to the castle of Montmuran in the Yews, and appoints it captain of Pontorson and the Mont Saint-Michel.

Charles of Blois dies the September 29th 1364 at the time of the Bataille of Auray against Jean IV of Brittany. He will be béatifié in 1904, because of his piety without fault and his nine years of imprisonment in London.

His wife Jeanne de Penthièvre gives him five children:

* Jean Ier de Châtillon (1340 † 1404), count de Penthièvre, Viscount of Limoges.
* GUI, sent as an hostage in England, where he will die.
* Henri, deceased in 1400.
* Marie (1345 † 1040), countess of Own way, married in 1360 with Louis duke of Anjou (1339 † 1384), count of Maine, count de Provence and of Forcalquier.
* Marguerite, married in 1351 with Charles of Cerda († 1354), count d' Angoulême.

Charles of Blois, known as the Saint, had a natural son: Jean, lord d' Averoult, died with his/her father in 1364 with the battle of Auray.

See too

Random links:Desechos radioactivos | Heptarchie | Chèvrefeuille of the hedges | Gaston Boissier | Georges Matoré | Player of season LCH | Liste_de_compagnies_françaises