Geoffroy Ier de Joinville

Geoffroy Ier died in 1080 is a lord of Joinville . Wire of Etienne de Vaux, it took again on its account the bad habits of his father, and it did not hesitate to allot goods and incomes of the monks of which it had the avoueries, particularly those of the monks of the abbey of Montier-in-DER.

His/her Etienne father had already been threatened of Excommunication for his exactions towards the monks, the Pape Leon IX (Brunon, former bishop of Toul) reiterated his threats of Anathème against Geoffroy.

Two churches had been already returned by Etienne, and Geoffroy, later, a little more respectful of the monks, tested " to regularize the situation". He asked the abbot of DER to give up the benefit of some churches to him, and to show his good will, he restored that of Dommartin spontaneously to him.

The monks, extremely satisfied, granted to Geoffroy and two of his heirs, for their life, the churches of Trémilly, Ragecourt and Fays, (that Etienne had not returned his preceding spoliations), like that of Gourzon.

Was this generosity on behalf of the monks?

One can doubt it, because, on the charter of concession, one finds a formula which precedes the signature by number of the faithful companions of Geoffroy : " signum Goffridi, cum fidelibus sui"

Geoffroy makes sign after him, his friends… carrying the sword…

What could make the poor monks which had to deny themselves only the threats of excommunication against powerful knights? more especially as the Champagne Counts had put themselves, them also to plunder the grounds of the abbey regularly.

However, at the end of his life, Geoffroy changed his control completely. Realizing one day that the laic ones cannot have churches, it restored that of Wassy, that its aïeux had held of the bishops of Châlons.

Sources

Gallica Delaborde, Henri-François (1854-1927). '' Jean de Joinville and lords of Joinville ''

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