| House of Ham | |
|---|---|
 Arms of the House of Ham | |
| Founded | First House: 10th Century Second House: 12th Century |
| Estate(s) | Château de Ham |
| Dissolution | First House: 12th Century Second House: 15th Century |
The House of Ham was an ancient noble family from Picardy whose power was reinforced by a castle whose existence is attested in the 10th century.
Ham is located in Santerre, on the eastern edge of the Somme department with that of Aisne. Le château de Ham is mentioned from the 10th century, then held by a lord of the House of Ponthieu.
The oldest lord of Ham is a certain Erard I, son of Count Helgaud de Ponthieu. He was still lord of Ham in 932 when Count Herbert II of Vermandois besieged and then took the castle of Ham. [1] Herbert II used the citadel as a base to devastate the regions of Noyon and Soissons. [2] It is very likely that the castle of Ham remained in the possession of the counts of Vermandois for some generations.
No period document gives it any posterity, but this has not prevented not very rigorous historians from asserting the existence of a House of Ham from Erard I who held Ham for two generations, before extinguishing in the person of Pavie of Ham [note 1] .
A second house of Ham appeared with certainty at the beginning of the 12th century in the person of Eudes/Otto, Lord of Ham cited in 1106 and in 1144. The origin of Eudes is not known.
The lords of this house were:
Marie married to Enguerrand VII, Lord of Coucy. [4] After her death, the Lordship was hold by her descendants, the Lords of Coucy.
From the House of Coucy, the Lordship of Ham passed to the House of Orleans, Bar, Luxembourg then Boubon-Vendôme, until Henri IV inherited it and united it to the Crownlands. [3] [5]