Helvide ‘Hawise’ du Donjon, Dame d'Yerres - Identification of the wife of Renauld de Courtenay, Seigneur de Courtenay

Erica Howton C

11/3/2022 at 4:23 PM

There’s a proposed clarification of the identify of the wife of Renauld de Courtenay, Seigneur de Courtenay & mother of Élisabeth de Courtenay

Tagging Sharon Doubell and anyone else interested.

From SGM post, Douglas Richardson, 8 November 2019 < GoogleGroups >

Starting at the beginning, Du Bouchet, Histoire généalogique de la Maison royale de Courtenay (1661): 11–12 states that "Renard" de Courtenay [living c.1149] married the sister of Guy du Donion, one of the celebrated knights of his time. On pages 377–378, he further identifies Elizabeth de Courtenay, wife of Pierre de France, as the daughter of Renaud, seigneur of Courtenay, by N... du Donjon, daughter of Ferry du Donjon, Seigneur of Yerre [Yerres].

The correct account is that Renaud de Courtenay (living c.1149) had a wife of unknown name and parentage, by whom he had two daughters, the younger being Elizabeth (or Isabelle), wife of Pierre of France.

Following Renaud's death, his widow married (2nd) Ferri de Donjon (living 1174), by which marriage she had Baudouin du Donjon, [Saint] Guillaume du Donjon [Archbishop of Bourges], Gui du Donjon, and Pierre du Donjon.

The relationship of the Donjon family to the family of Renaud de Courtenay's daughter, Elizabeth (or Isabelle), is established by the following pieces of evidence most of which were not available to Bouchet:

1. Recueil des Historiens des Gaules et de la France 18 (1879): 760 (Ex Chronico Alberici Trium-Fontium Monachi: “… Abbas Caroliloci Guillelmus [du Donjon] factus est archiepiscopus Bituricensis. Erat autem sanctis et piis moribus adornatus, et in vita sua, licet occulte, multa fecit miracula; non enim mundo fuit palam cognitus usque post mortem ipsius. Erat enim nobilis genere, ita quod domina de Monte-Argisi [Montargis] fuit soror vel neptis illius, quæ Petro de Cortenaïo, Regis Philippi patruo, peperit Comitem Petrum Comitem Autissiodorensem et Robertum de Cortenaïo et quemdam Guillelmum et sorores eorum. Una Alaïdis Comitis Guillelmo Joviniacensi peperit Comitem Petrum, et pòst Engolismensi Comiti peperit Isabellam modernam Angliæ Reginam ... Altera fuit mater Odonis de Marchia in Hungaria; tertia Clementia fuit mater Guidonis de Tyerno in Alvernia; quarta fuit dominade Charrosio in Bituria; quinta Constantia, cujus filia domina de Marli peperit abbatem Theobaldum de Sarnaïoita quod domina de Monte-Argisi [Montargis] fuit soror vel neptis illius, quæ Petro de Cortenaïo, Regis Philippi patruo, peperit Comitem Petrum Comitem Autissiodorensem et Robertum de Cortenaïo et quemdam Guillelmum et sorores eorum. Una Alaydis comiti Guilelmo Ioviniaci peperit comitem Petrum, et post Engolismensi comiti peperit Isabellam, modernam Anglie reginam, de qua in sequentibus habetur; alia fuit mater Hugonis de Marchia in Hungaria; tertia Clementia, fuit mater Guidonis de Tyero in Alvernia; quarta fuit domna de Charrosio in Bituria; quinta Constantia, cuius filia domna de Marli peperit abbatem Theobaldum de Sarnaio.”) (author here identifies [Elisabeth] wife of Pierre de Courtenay [uncle of King Philippe] is named as sister or niece [soror vel neptis] of Guillaume [du Donjon], Archbishop of Bourges).

2. Du Bouchet, Histoire généalogique de la Maison royale de Courtenay (1661): 11 (author states Baudouin du Donjon donated property to Barbeaux Abbey in 1203 with consent of his wife, Amice, his sons, Jean and Ferry, and his brother, Guillaume, Archbishop of Bourges).

3. La Thaumassière, Histoire de Berry 1 (1689): 310 (Gullaume de Donjon, Archbishop of Bourges [died 1209], styled “uncle” of Robert de Courtenay, seigneur of Mehun, by Simon de Sully, Archbishop of Bourges in charter dated 1223), 310 (Gullaume de Donjon, Archbishop of Bourges, styled “uncle” in charter of Mahaut de Courtenay, Countess of Nevers dated 1223), 311 (Donjon ped.) (author states Guy de Corbeil, dit du Donjon, styled “uncle” of Robert de Courtenay in charter dated 1227).

4. Martene & Durand, Veterum scriptorum et monumentorum 1 (1724): 1162 (Mahaut [de Courtenay], Countess of Nevers, styled “niece” [neptis] by Robert de Courtenay).

5. Teulet, Layettes du Trésor des Chartes 1 (1863): 453 (Robert [de Courtenay], seigneur of Champignelles, Butler of France styled “nephew” [nepos] by Guy du Donjon).

6. Recueil des Historiens des Gaules et de la France 23 (1894): 670 (Scripta de Feodis ad Regem Spectantibus: Guy and Pierre de Donjon styled “brothers” [fratrem] of the Blessed William, Archbishop of Bourges).

Given the above various statements of kinship and given the known chronology of the Courtenay and Donjon families, it is clear that Guillaume du Donjon, Archbishop of Bourges [died 1209], and his male siblings must have been younger half-brothers of Elizabeth (or Isabelle) de Courtenay, wife of Pierre of France.

This in turn means that Renaud de Courtenay (living c.1149) was survived by his unknown wife in France and that she remarried Ferri de Donjon, the apparent father of the Donjon siblings.

This re-arrangement of the Courtenay-Donjon families proves conclusively that Renaud de Courtenay (living c.1149) must be a completely different person from Reynold de Courtenay (died c.1191), of Sutton, Berkshire and Waddesdon, Buckinghamshire, which Reynold had an entirely different marital history and entirely different set of children than Renaud de Courtenay in France.

Erica Howton C

11/3/2022 at 4:48 PM

Here’s an alternative wife of Renauld de Courtenay, Seigneur de Courtenay with a biography that doesn’t match the relationships. I think I can place the children better now.

Erica Howton C

11/3/2022 at 5:21 PM

I think Hélène ou Élisabeth de Donjon can be merged into Helvide ‘Hawise’ du Donjon, Dame d'Yerres regardless of parents, given name, and proposed 2nd husband.

Thoughts?

Sharon Doubell C

7/30/2023 at 1:44 AM

FERRY [I] [de Donjon (-[after 1174])] & his [first] wife [NN] had one child:

i) [HELVISE de Donjon ([1120/25]-[after 1155?]). The identification of the family origin of the wife of “French Renaud” appears to be based only on the Chronicle of Alberic de Trois-Fontaines, which records that "domina de Monte-Argisi fuit soror vel neptis illius [=Guilelmus%E2%80%A6archiepiscopus Bituricensis]" and names her as the wife of "Petro de Cortenaio regis Philippi patruo"[266], assuming for the moment that “neptis” described the relationship not “soror”. Guillaume Archbishop of Bourges is often referred to in secondary sources as "Guillaume de Donjon", although this name is not used in his Vita[267], but he appears to have belonged to the Berruier family: La Saussaye, in his early 17th century work on the bishops of Orléans names "Geraldus Berruyerius, frater beati Gulielmi Bituricensis archiepiscopi" as the father of Philippe Berruier who was bishop of Orléans from 1221 to 1236, citing “Historia Ecclesiæ Bituricensis” (a work which has not been identified)[268]. The primary source which confirms beyond doubt that the archbishop was the full brother of Gérard Berruier has not been identified. Bouchet says that “on apprend de quelques chartes que [Renaud] épousa la sœur de Guy du Donjon”, but he does not cite the charters in question although he says in a later passage that she “vivoit l’an 1148 et 1155”, presumably indicating the dates of two of the charters[269]. The Scripta de Feodis records the holdings of “domini Guidonis et Petri de Donjone fratrum beati Guillermi Bituricensis quondam archiepiscopi” and their holdings”[270], clearly showing that the archbishop was the brother of Guy and Pierre de Donjon. Reading all these documents together, we can identify a list of brothers and sisters: [Hawise] wife of Renaud de Courtenay (born [1120/25]), Guy de Donjon, Pierre de Donjon (born [1145/50]), Guillaume Archbishop of Bourges, Gérard Berruier. Clearly all five could not have shared the same mother and father. The suggested explanation is that Ferry [I] de Donjon was the father of Renaud de Courtenay’s wife by a first marriage, and the father of Guy and Pierre de Donjon by a second marriage; after he died (date maybe estimated to after 1174), his widow married secondly the father of Gerard Berruier. The precise identification of the father of Archbishop Guillaume (Ferry [I] de Donjon or --- Berruier?) is not necessary for the purposes of this explanation. A continuing close family connection between the Donjon and Courtenay families is indicated by (among other documents) the charter dated Nov 1217 under which “Gui du Donjon chevalier” guaranteed the loyalty of “Robert de Courtenai” to the king[271]. French Renaud’s wife is named “Helvise” in Europäische Stammtafeln[272], but the primary source on which this name is based has not been identified. m ([1135/40]%29 as his first wife, RENAUD Seigneur de Courtenay, son of MILON Seigneur de Courtenay & his second wife Elisabeth de Nevers ([1105/20]-[27 Sep 1194]).] https://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/parcorroc.htm#HelvisDonjonMRenaudC...

Sharon Doubell C

7/30/2023 at 1:46 AM

Robert [d'Avranches (-before 1142)] & his second wife [MATILDA Avenell, daughter of RANDULF Avenell & his wife Alice --- (-21 Sep 1173)] had four children:

(a) HAWISE d’Avranches ([after 1132]-1 Aug 1209). The Fundationis et Fundatorum Historia of Ford Abbey records that “domina Alicia uxor domini Randolphi Avenell filia sua…unicam filiam…Matildam” had “filiam unam…Hawisiam, necnon duas alias, postea factas moniales” by her husband “Roberto de Abrincis” and that she married “Reginaldo de Courtenay” as “uxor eius secunda”[142]. Hawise must have been born after 1132 at the earliest as her father is recorded in [1129/30] with his first wife. The suggested date of her marriage is based on the approximate marriage date of her son Robert in [1174/75]. m ([1150/55]%29 as his second wife, RENAUD Seigneur de Courtenay, son of MILON Seigneur de Courtenay & his second wife Ermengarde de Nevers ([1105/20]-27 Sep 1194). https://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/normabc.htm#HawiseAvranchesdied1209

Sharon Doubell C

7/30/2023 at 1:47 AM

Just adding the documentation I need to have thoughts :-) Sorry about the delayed reply.

Helvide ‘Hawise’ du Donjon, Dame d'Yerres - Identification of the wife of Renauld de Courtenay, Seigneur de Courtenay

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