Eustace III, Count of Boulogne

Notes:

Eustace III (died c. 1125) was the count of Boulogne from 1087, succeeding his father Count Eustace II.[1] His mother was Ida of Lorraine.

In 1088, Eustace supported the rebellion against William II of England in favour of Robert Curthose.[2]

Eustace participated in the First Crusade of 1096 along with his brothers Godfrey of Bouillon (duke of Lower Lotharingia) and Baldwin of Boulogne. It is unclear whether he travelled eastward with his brother Godfrey's or Robert Curthose's army. His contingent[3] included Hugh II of Saint-Pol and his son Engelrand, Eustace I Granarius, lord of Sidon and Caesarea, Fulk of Guãines, and Hugh of Robecq (Rebecques), lord of Hebron. Throughout the crusade Eustace assisted Godfrey.[4] Eustace was present at the Siege of Nicaea (May–June 1097), helped rescue Bohemund of Taranto's beleaguered troops at the Battle of Dorylaeum (July 1, 1097), defeated an enemy ambush during the Siege of Antioch and was one of the commanders during the capture of Antioch on June 3, 1098.[5]

Eustace was a member of the council held at Ruj on January 4, 1099, mediating in the conflict over the control of Antioch between Bohemund of Taranto and Raymond IV of Toulouse.[6][7] Early December 1098 Eustace joined Raymond's attack on Maarrat al-Nu'man and an attack on Nablus in July 1099. He gained notoriety for his actions during the Siege of Jerusalem fighting relentlessly from a siege tower along with his brother Godfrey and the warriors they commanded. They were among the first to breach Jerusalem's city walls and participated in the ensuing massacre. Finally Eustace commanded a division of the crusader army during the Battle of Ascalon.[8]

While his brothers stayed in the Holy Land, Eustace returned to administer his domains. To commemorate Eustace's crusading adventures the mint at Boulogne struck silver coins with a lion above the walls of Jerusalem stamped on the obverse.[9]

Eustace married Mary, daughter of King Malcolm III of Scotland and Saint Margaret of Scotland. Eustace and Mary had one daughter:

Matilda of Boulogne.

When his youngest brother king Baldwin I of Jerusalem died in 1118, the elderly Eustace was offered the throne. Eustace was at first uninterested, but was convinced to accept it; he travelled all the way to Apulia before learning that a distant relative, Baldwin of Bourcq, had been crowned in the meantime. Eustace returned to Boulogne and died about 1125.

On his death the county of Boulogne was inherited by his daughter, Matilda, and her husband Stephen de Blois, count of Mortain, afterwards king of England.

Eustace founded the Cluniac house of Rumilly and was patron of the Knights Templar.[10]

end of biography

Biography
Husband of Mary (Dunkeld) Scotland — married 1102 in Boulogne, Pas de Calais, France

Wikipedia Entry
Eustace III de Boulogne, Comte de Boulogne http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eustace_III_of_Boulogne -------------------- Eustace III of Boulogne From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Eustace III, was a count of Boulogne, successor to his father Count Eustace II of Boulogne. His mother was Ida of Lorraine. Eustace appeared at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 as an ally of William the Conqueror, and is listed as a possible killer of Harold II; he is also believed to have given William his own horse after the duke's was killed under him by Gyrth, brother of Harold. He succeeded to Count of Boulogne in 1087.[1] He went on the First Crusade in 1096 with his brothers Godfrey of Bouillon (duke of Lower Lotharingia) and Baldwin of Boulogne. He soon returned to Europe to administer his domains. He married Mary of Scotland, daughter of King Malcolm III of Scotland, and Saint Margaret of Scotland. Eustace and Mary had one daughter, Matilda of Boulogne. When his youngest brother king Baldwin I of Jerusalem died in 1118, the elderly Eustace was offered the throne. Eustace was at first uninterested, but was convinced to accept it; he travelled all the way to Apulia before learning that a distant relative, Baldwin of Bourcq, had been crowned in the meantime. Eustace returned to Boulogne and died about 1125. On his death the county of Boulogne was inherited by his daughter, Matilda, and her husband Stephen de Blois, count of Mortain, afterwards king of England, and at the death of Matilda in 1151 it was inherited by their son, Eustace IV of Boulogne, later their second son William and ultimately by their daughter Marie of Boulogne, since both sons died without children. [edit]References

^ NORTHERN FRANCE, NOBILITY. Retrieved on 2007-11-04. -------------------- Eustace III, was a count of Boulogne, successor to his father Count Eustace II of Boulogne. His mother was Ida of Lorraine.

Eustace appeared at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 as an ally of William the Conqueror, and is listed as a possible killer of Harold II; he is also believed to have given William his own horse after the duke's was killed under him by Gyrth, brother of Harold.

He succeeded to Count of Boulogne in 1087.[1]

He went on the First Crusade in 1096 with his brothers Godfrey of Bouillon (duke of Lower Lotharingia) and Baldwin of Boulogne. He soon returned to Europe to administer his domains. He married Mary of Scotland, daughter of King Malcolm III of Scotland, and Saint Margaret of Scotland. Eustace and Mary had one daughter, Matilda of Boulogne.

When his youngest brother king Baldwin I of Jerusalem died in 1118, the elderly Eustace was offered the throne. Eustace was at first uninterested, but was convinced to accept it; he travelled all the way to Apulia before learning that a distant relative, Baldwin of Bourcq, had been crowned in the meantime. Eustace returned to Boulogne and died about 1125.

On his death the county of Boulogne was inherited by his daughter, Matilda, and her husband Stephen de Blois, count of Mortain, afterwards king of England, and at the death of Matilda in 1151 it was inherited by their son, Eustace IV of Boulogne, later their second son William and ultimately by their daughter Marie of Boulogne, since both sons died without children.

Sources
Note NI3302 !SOURCES: 1. Scottish Kings, Scot. 28, p. 32
2. Scots Peerage, Scot 2b, v. 1, p. 2
3. Burke's Peerage, Eng. P, 1949, pref. p. 252, 286
4. Anderson's Royal Gen., Eng. 132, p. 388, 757

Note: Norman Crusaders
http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=image&guid=009c7bea-4894-4f88-b606-13ea9f80916c&tid=16692088&pid=1146649744
Note: House of Boulogne Coat of Arms
http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=image&guid=f236dfe1-0d67-4272-9001-6187b6d4a647&tid=16692088&pid=1146649744
Note: Eustace (shown with white hair) with his brothers
http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=image&guid=cbd946f1-5b10-4b63-a96d-6f15153a60a0&tid=16692088&pid=1146649744
Note: Eustace III, Count of Boulogne
http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=document&guid=930afcaa-fa8f-4273-ae50-890fcf49cefb&tid=16692088&pid=1146649744

end of this biography

Eustace married Mary of Scotland in 1102 in Boulogne, Pas-De-Calais, France. Mary (daughter of Malcolm III of Scotland, King of Scots and Margaret of Wessex, Queen of Scotland) was born in 1082 in Dumfermline, Scotland; died in 1116. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Matilda of Boulogne, Countess of Boulogne was born in ~1105; died on 3 May 1152.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Military: 1066; Battle of Hastings

Notes:

Eustace II, (c.? 1015 – c.?1087), also known as Eustace aux Gernons (with moustaches) [1][2][3] was Count of Boulogne from 1049–1087. He fought on the Norman side at the Battle of Hastings, and afterwards received large grants of land forming an honour in England. He is one of the few proven Companions of William the Conqueror. It has been suggested that Eustace was the patron of the Bayeux Tapestry.[4]

Origins

He was the son of Eustace I of Boulogne.

Career

In 1048 Eustace joined his father-in-law's rebellion against the Emperor Henry III. The next year Eustace was excommunicated by Pope Leo IX for marrying within the prohibited degree of kinship. Eustace and Ida were both descended from Louis II of France, and just within the prohibited seventh degree. However, since today not all their ancestors are known, there may have existed a closer relationship.[5] The Pope's action was possibly at the behest of Henry III. The rebellion failed, and in 1049 Eustace and Godfrey submitted to Henry III.

Eustace visited England in 1051, and was received with honour at the court of Edward the Confessor. Edward and Eustace were former brothers-in-law and remained political allies. On the other side of the political divide the dominant figure in England was Earl Godwin, who had recently married his son Tostig to the daughter of Eustace's rival the Count of Flanders. Furthermore, Godwin's son Sweyn Godwinson had been feuding with Eustace's stepson Ralph the Timid.

A brawl in which Eustace and his servants became involved with the citizens of Dover led to a serious quarrel between the king and Godwin. The latter, to whose jurisdiction the men of Dover were subject, refused to punish them. His lack of respect to those in authority became the excuse for his being outlawed together with his family. They left England, but returned the next year in 1052 with a large army, aided by the Flemish.

In 1052 William of Talou rebelled against his nephew Duke William of Normandy. Eustace may well have been involved in this rebellion, although there is no specific evidence, for after William of Talou's surrender he fled to the Boulonnais court.

The following years saw still further advances by Eustace's rivals and enemies. Count Baldwin of Flanders consolidated his hold over territories he had annexed to the east. In 1060 he became tutor of his nephew King Philip I of France. In contrast Eustace's stepson Walter of Mantes failed in his attempt to claim the County of Maine. He was captured by the Normans and died soon afterwards in mysterious circumstances.

Fights at Battle of Hastings

Supposed depiction of Eustace at the Battle of Hastings. Detail from Bayeux Tapestry. Inscription above Duke William: HIC EST WILLELMUS DUX ("Here is Duke William") and above the figure to the right of him E...TIUS (apparently a Latinised form of "Eustace")
These events evidently caused a shift in Eustace's political allegiances, for he then became an important participant in the Norman conquest of England in 1066. He fought at Hastings, although sources vary regarding the details of his conduct during the battle. The contemporary chronicler William of Poitiers wrote concerning him:

With a harsh voice he (Duke William) called to Eustace of Boulogne, who with 50 knights was turning in flight and was about to give the signal for retreat. This man came up to the Duke and said in his ear that he ought to retire since he would court death if he went forward. But at the very moment when he uttered the words Eustace was struck between the shoulders with such force that blood gushed out from his mouth and nose and half dead he only made his escape with the aid of his followers.[6]

The depiction in the Bayeux Tapestry shows a knight carrying a banner who rides up to Duke William and points excitedly with his finger towards the rear of the Norman advance. William turns his head and lifts up his visor to show his knights following him that he is still alive and determined to fight on. This conforms therefore with Eustace having somewhat lost his nerve and having urged the Duke to retreat whilst the Battle was at its height with the outcome still uncertain. Other sources suggest that Eustace was present with William at the Malfosse incident in the immediate aftermath of the battle, where a Saxon feigning death leapt up and attacked him, and was presumably cut down before he could reach William.

Eustace received large land grants afterwards, which suggests he contributed in other ways as well, perhaps by providing ships.

Rebellion[edit]
In the following year, probably because he was dissatisfied with his share of the spoil, he assisted the Kentishmen in an attempt to seize Dover Castle. The conspiracy failed, and Eustace was sentenced to forfeit his English fiefs. Subsequently he was reconciled to the Conqueror, who restored a portion of the confiscated lands.

Death

Eustace died circa 1087, and was succeeded by his son, Eustace III.

Marriage and progeny

Eustace married twice:

Firstly to Goda, daughter of the English king ¥thelred the Unready, and sister of Edward the Confessor.[7] Goda died circa 1047.[3]
Secondly in about 1049,[3] soon after Goda's death, he married Ida of Lorraine, daughter of Godfrey III, Duke of Lower Lorraine. Eustace and Ida had three sons:
Eustace III, Count of Boulogne
Godfrey of Bouillon, King of Jerusalem
Baldwin I of Jerusalem, King of Jerusalem

By his second wife, Eustace may also have had a daughter, Ida, wife of Conon, Count of Montaigu.

Eustace also had a son, Geoffrey fitz Eustace, who married Beatrice de Mandeville, daughter of Geoffrey de Mandeville. Geoffrey and Beatrice were parents of William de Boulogne and grandparents of William’s son Faramus de Boulogne.

end

Eustace married Ida of Lorraine in 1057 in Boulogne-Sur-Mer,Pas-De-Calais,France. Ida was born in 1040 in Bass Lorraine, France; died on 13 Apr 1113. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Ida of Lorraine (also referred to as Blessed Ida of Boulogne)[1] (c. 1040 – 13 April 1113)[2] was a saint and noblewoman.

She was the daughter of Godfrey III, Duke of Lower Lorraine and his wife Doda.[3] Ida's grandfather was Gothelo I, Duke of Lorraine and Ida's brother was Godfrey IV, Duke of Lower Lorraine.

Family

In 1049, she married Eustace II, Count of Boulogne.[2] They had three sons:

Eustace III, the next Count of Boulogne
Godfrey of Bouillon, first ruler of Kingdom of Jerusalem
Baldwin, second ruler of Kingdom of Jerusalem
A daughter, Ida of Boulogne, has also been postulated. She was married first to Herman von Malsen and second to Conon, Count of Montaigu.

Ida shunned the use of a wet-nurse in raising her children. Instead, she breast-fed them to ensure that they were not contaminated by the wet-nurse's morals, i.e. her mode of living.[4] When her sons went on the First Crusade, Ida contributed heavily to their expenses.[5]

Life

Ida was always religiously and charitably active, but the death of her husband provided her wealth and the freedom to use it for her projects. She founded several monasteries:

Saint-Wulmer in Boulogne-sur-Mer[1][6]
Our Lady of the Chapel, Calais[1]
Saint-Bertin[1]
Abbey of Cappelle[7]
Abbey of Le Wast[7]
She maintained a correspondence with Anselm of Canterbury. Some of Anselm’s letters to Ida have survived.[8][9]

She became increasingly involved in church life. However, current scholarship feels that she did not actually become a Benedictine Nun, but that she was a “Secular Oblate of the Benedictine Order”.[1][6]

Death and burial

Ida died on 13 April 1113, which is the date she is honoured. Traditionally, her burial place has been ascribed to the Monastery of Saint Vaast.[6] Her remains were moved in 1669 to Paris and again in 1808 to Bayeux.[1]

Her life story was written by contemporary monk of Saint Vaast Abbey.[6]

She is venerated in Bayeux.[1]

end