House of Nesle

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The House of Nesle is a feudal family that spawned a long line of Counts of Soissons and eventually merged with the House of Clermont (see Counts of Clermont-en-Beauvaisis). Nesle is a commune in northern France near Saint-Quentin, Aisne.

The founder of the House of Nesle is Yves de Nesle [1] (d. after 1076) of unknown parentage. Yves had two children by an unknown wife:

Dreux or Drogon de Nesle (d. after 1098), had one son from an unknown wife: [2]

Raoul I, who some sources identify as the founder of the family, married Raintrude of Soissons, a daughter of William Busac, Count of Eu and Soissons, [3] and they had five children:

Yves II, the first Count of Soissons from the House of Nesle had no children and the lineage passed through his brother Raoul II, who married Gertrude of Monaigu, daughter of Lambert, Count of Montaigu and Clermont. Raoul II and Gertrude had four children:

Conon was without issue and the lineage of Counts and Countesses of Soissons continued through his brother Raoul as follows:

Conon's brother John de Nesle married Elizabeth van Peteghem, daughter of Jan I van Peteghem. John and Elizabeth had five children:

With the marriage of Gertrude and Raoul, the houses of Nesle and Clermont (see Counts of Clermont-en-Beauvaisais) were united, and sometimes referred to as the House of Clermont-Nesle.

In addition to the Clermont lineage, the son of John and Elizabeth, Raoul de Nesle, also achieved fame. Raoul married Alix de Roye, widow of John III, Count of Alençon (grandson of John I, Count of Alençon). Their son was John I de Nesle (d. 2 December 1292), who married Joan, Countess of Ponthieu, widow of Ferdinand III, King of Castile (the grandparents of Edward II, King of England). The youngest daughter of Raoul and Alix, Marie (d. after 1328), married John II, Seigneur d’Agimont, son of John I, Count of Looz and Chiny, and his second wife Isabelle de Condé. Drogo of Nesle and Ralph, Lord of Soissons, are likely related to the house but precise relationships are unknown.

Sources

Dormay, C., Histoire de la ville de Soissons et de ses rois, ducs, comtes et gouverneurs, Soissons, 1664 (available on Google Books)

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Raoul le Bon ', also known as Raoul III de Nesle, was the Count of Soissons from 1180. He was the third son of Raoul II de Nesle and Gertrude de Montaigu.

John II, Count of Soissons

John II, also known as Je(h)an de Nesle and by the sobriquet le Bon et le Bègue, was the tenth Count of Soissons, succeeding his father Ralph the Good, in 1235. He was the son of his father's second wife, Yolande. By marriage he also became Count of Chartres and Lord of Amboise. He was well-connected with the trouvères: his younger brother Raoul was one and he received the dedication of a song by Pierrekin de la Coupele. He was also a cousin by marriage of the historian Jean de Joinville. He is not to be confused with John II of Nesle, the burggrave of Bruges.

Guy I of Clermont

Guy I of Clermont-Nesle was a Marshal of France, Seigneur (Lord) of Offemont jure uxoris, and possibly of Ailly, Maulette and Breteuil. He might have been a Seigneur of Nesle also, or used the title "Sire of Nesle" due to his family. Difficulties about the seigneurie of Breteuil are present, and the status of Ailly and Maulette in relation to Breteuil.

Raoul II of Clermont

Raoul II/III of Clermont-Nesle was Seigneur (Lord) of Nesle in Picardy (de), Viscount of Châteaudun (de), Grand Chamberlain of France and Constable of France.

Simon II of Clermont

Simon II of Clermont-Nesle was Seigneur (Lord) of Ailly, Maulette and Nesle

Lambert, Count of Montaigu and Clermont, son of Conon, Count of Montaigu, and Ida of Boulogne. Lambert was also Seigneur de Rochefort, Avoué of Dinant, and Avoué of Saint-Symphorien-des-Bois.

William Busac (1020–1076), son of William I, Count of Eu, and his wife Lesceline, was Count of Eu and Count of Soissons, de jure uxoris. William was given the nickname Busac by the medieval chronicler Robert of Torigni.

Yves II le Vieux of Nesle , son of Raoul I, Seigneur of Nesle, and his wife Rainurde (Ermentrude) of Eu-Soissons. Seigneur of Nesle, Count of Soissons. Upon the death of Renaud III, Count of Soissons, Yves was chosen as the next count by the Bishop of Soissons, Joscelin de Vierzi.

Raoul II of Nesle, son of Raoul I, Seigneur of Nesle, and his wife Rainurde. Châtelain of Nesle and Bruges. Third generation of the House of Nesle.

Conon of Nesle, son of Raoul II of Nesle and Gertrude, daughter of Lambert, Count of Montaigu. Châtelain of Bruges, Count of Soissons. Conon became Count of Soissons upon the death of his uncle Yves II in 1178.

John III, son of John II, Count of Soissons, and Marie de Chimay. Count of Soissons and Seigneur of Chimay. John inherited the countship of Soissons upon his father’s death in 1272.

Hugh of Nesle, son of John IV, Count of Soissons, and his wife Marguerite of Rumigny. Count of Soissons. Hugh became count after the death of his brother John in 1304.

The House of Clermont is a noble family of the French region of Picardy dating from the 10th century and included both the early counts of Clermont-en-Beauvaisis as well as many Constables of France. The house eventually merged with the House of Nesle with the marriage of Raoul II of Clermont and Gertrude of Nesle. The family is the sometimes referred to as the House of Clermont-Nesle.

References

  1. ↑ "Comtes de Soissons (Nesle)".
  2. ↑ Baron de Reiffenberg (1848). Godefroid de Bouillon, suite du Chevalier au cygne: avec des recherches sur ... Brussels: Academie Royale de Belgique. p. 142.
  3. ↑ Baron de Reiffenberg (1848). Godefroid de Bouillon, suite du Chevalier au cygne: avec des recherches sur ... Brussels: Academie Royale de Belgique. p. 142.
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