Theobald III, Count of Blois

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Theobald III of Blois (French: Thibaut) (1012 – 1089) was count of Blois, Meaux and Troyes. He was son of Odo II of Blois and Ermengarde of Auvergne. (Eudes per Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists Who Came to America Before 1700 by Frederick Lewis Weis, Lines 136-21 and 137-21.

[edit] Succession

Theobald inherited amongst others the counties of Blois, Tours, Chartres. Chateaudun and Sancerre, and also in Champagne: Chateau-Thierry, Provins and St. Florentin. His brother Stephen inherited the counties of Meaux, Troyes and Vitry.

[edit] Life

Theobald conspired against the king of France Henry I, was beaten in 1044 and had to give up the county of Tours to regain his freedom. From then on the centre of power for the House of Blois moved to Champagne. Theobald found ways to become close to the royal court again and gain infuence. He got the title of Count Palatine, which his father had used before. He used this influence to get control over his brother's possessions in Champagne that were inherited by his minor nephew Odo of Troyes. Odo later joined the army of William the Conqueror, participated in the battle of Hastings, married a sister of William and became count of Aumale and Holderness.

Theobald had a position of considerable power, that increased when he married the daughter of Raoul de Valois. From 1074 onward, he left his son Henry in control of Blois, Chateaudun and Chartres.

[edit] Family and children

Theobald's first wife Gersende of Main, daughter of Herbert of Maine, Count of Maine, bore him one child:

1. Henry, who adopted the name of Stephen.

His second wife Alix de Crepy (Adela) or Adèle of Valois [see Note], daughter of Raoul II of Valois and Adélaide of Bar sur Aube, bore 3 children:

1. Philip, who became bishop of Chalons.
2. Odo, who inherited possessions in Champagne (Troyes). He died in 1093, leaving the possessions to his brother Hugh.
3. Hugh, who became the first to be called count of Champagne.

Note: Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists Who Came to America Before 1700 by Frederick Lewis Weis in Line 137-22 shows Alix de Crepy has the second wife. Roderick W. Stuart, in Royalty for Commoners, Line 133, p. 72, citing sources (1) Agiles, Raimundus de.Historia Francorum qui Ceperunt Iherusalem, trans by John Hugh Hill and Laurita L Hill (Philadelphia, American Philosophical Society,1968); (2) Chaume, Abbe Maurice:Recherches d'Histoire Christienne et Médiévale (Dijon, 1977), I:558; (3) Cockayne, George Edward:Complete Peerage (new edition, revised by Vicary Gibb. et al.)(1910-1959)V:156; and 7 others, does not say Theobald's second wife was Adèle of Valois. Rather, Adèle of Valois (de Vexin) was the dau. of Raul III "the Great" by wife Adèle, heiress of Bar-sur-Aube. Adèle of Valois (de Vexin) m. before 1068, Herbert IV, Count of Vermandois. See Stuart (vide supra), Line 268:145. Here he cites authorities (1) Anselm, Pere Augustin Dechausse:Histoire Genealogique et Chronologique de la Maison Royale de France, et des Grands Officiers de la Couronne et de la Maison du Rois, 9 vols (Paris, 1726-1733; repeated 1879-1890; (2) Brandenburg, Eric von:Die Nachkommennen Karl des Grossen (Leipzig, 1935; (3) Bur, Michael: De Quelques Champenois dans l'Entourage Francais des Rois d'Angleterre aux XIe et XII Siecles, Family Trees and Roots of Politics (Woodbridge, Suffolk,1977); and six others.

Preceded by: Odo III	Count of Troyes 1066–1089	Succeeded by: Odo IV
	Count of Meaux 1066–1089	Succeeded by: Stephen Henry
Preceded by: Odo II	Count of Blois 1037–1089