Isabelle de Craon
Encyclopedia
Isabelle de Craon, Dame de Fougères (born 1212), was a French noblewoman, being the daughter of Amaury I, Sire de Craon
, a wealthy baron who was the possessor of many lordships in Anjou
and Maine. She was the wife of Raoul III, Sire de Fougères, by whom she had one daughter, Jeanne de Fougères
, who became the heiress to her father's seigneury.
(c.1195- 28 September 1238). She had a younger brother, Maurice IV, Sire de Craon (1213–1250), who married Isabelle de Lusignan, a half-sister of King Henry III of England
by whom he had three children. She had an elder sister, Jeanne who was bethrothed to the three-year old Arthur of Brittany in 1223. Arthur died that same year, and nothing further is known about Jeanne.
Isabelle's paternal grandparents were Maurice II de Craon and Isabelle de Meulan
. Her maternal grandparents were Guillaume des Roches, Seneschal of Anjou and Marguerite de Sablé
. Being the husband of Jeanne, eldest daughter of Guillaume des Roches, the hereditary seneschalship of Anjou and the vast Sablé barony passed to Isabelle's father upon the death of her maternal grandfather on 15 July 1222. Amaury died in 1226, when Isabelle was fourteen years old.
in Brittany
became their principal residence.
Together Raoul and Isabelle had two children:
Isabelle died on an unknown date. Her husband Raoul died on 24 February 1256, and his seigneury of Fougères was inherited by their only surviving child, Jeanne who thereafter held the title of suo jure Dame de Fougères.
Craon family
The Craon family was a French noble house, known to date back to the 11th century. Its most famous member is Pierre de Craon, and its last representative governed Burgundy for a time under Louis XI, after the death of Charles le Téméraire. When the Craon family died out, the Beauvau family took...
, a wealthy baron who was the possessor of many lordships in Anjou
Anjou
Anjou is a former county , duchy and province centred on the city of Angers in the lower Loire Valley of western France. It corresponds largely to the present-day département of Maine-et-Loire...
and Maine. She was the wife of Raoul III, Sire de Fougères, by whom she had one daughter, Jeanne de Fougères
Jeanne de Fougères
Jeanne de Fougères, suo jure Lady of Fougères, Countess of La Marche and Angoulême , was a Breton noblewoman and heiress. She was the wife of Hugh XII of Lusignan, Count of La Marche and Count of Angoulême...
, who became the heiress to her father's seigneury.
Family
Isabelle was born in 1212, the youngest daughter of Amaury I, Sire de Craon and Jeanne des RochesJeanne des Roches
Jeanne des Roches, Dame de Sablé, de La Suze, de Briollay, de Mayet, de Loupeland, de Chateauneuf-sur-Sarte, de Genneteil, de Precigné, de Agon, and de Craon was a wealthy French noblewoman and heiress. She was also the suo jure seneschal of Anjou, which she had inherited from her father,...
(c.1195- 28 September 1238). She had a younger brother, Maurice IV, Sire de Craon (1213–1250), who married Isabelle de Lusignan, a half-sister of King Henry III of England
Henry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
by whom he had three children. She had an elder sister, Jeanne who was bethrothed to the three-year old Arthur of Brittany in 1223. Arthur died that same year, and nothing further is known about Jeanne.
Isabelle's paternal grandparents were Maurice II de Craon and Isabelle de Meulan
Isabelle de Meulan
Isabelle de Meulan, Dame de Mayenne, Dame de Craon was a French noblewoman, being the daughter of Waleran de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Worcester, Count of Meulan. Isabelle married twice; firstly to Geoffroy, Seigneur de Mayenne, and secondly to Maurice II, Sire de Craon...
. Her maternal grandparents were Guillaume des Roches, Seneschal of Anjou and Marguerite de Sablé
Marguerite de Sablé
Marguerite de Sablé, Dame de Sablé , was a French noblewoman and one of the wealthiest heiresses in the counties of Anjou and Maine...
. Being the husband of Jeanne, eldest daughter of Guillaume des Roches, the hereditary seneschalship of Anjou and the vast Sablé barony passed to Isabelle's father upon the death of her maternal grandfather on 15 July 1222. Amaury died in 1226, when Isabelle was fourteen years old.
Marriage and issue
On an unknown date sometime before 1230, Isabelle married Raoul III, Sire de Fougères, the son of Geoffrey, Seigneur de Fougères and Mathilde de Porhoet. The marriage was documented in a charter dated February 1233. The chateau of FougèresFougères
Fougères is a commune and a sub-prefecture of the Ille-et-Vilaine department in Brittany, in north-western France.-Sights:Fougères' major monument is a medieval stronghold built atop a granite ledge, which was part of the ultimately unsuccessful defence system of the Duchy of Brittany against...
in Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
became their principal residence.
Together Raoul and Isabelle had two children:
- Jean de Fougeres (born and died 6 December 1230)
- Jeanne de FougèresJeanne de FougèresJeanne de Fougères, suo jure Lady of Fougères, Countess of La Marche and Angoulême , was a Breton noblewoman and heiress. She was the wife of Hugh XII of Lusignan, Count of La Marche and Count of Angoulême...
, suo jureSuo jureSuo jure is a Latin phrase meaning "in her [or his] own right".It is commonly encountered in the context of titles of nobility, especially in cases where a wife may hold a title in her own right rather than through her marriage....
Dame de Fougères (died after 1273), on 29 January 1254 married Hugh XII of LusignanHugh XII of LusignanHugh XII de Lusignan, Hugh VII of La Marche or Hugh III of Angoulême or Hugues XII & VII & III de Lusignan . He succeeded his father Hugh XI as seigneur of Lusignan, Couhe, and Peyrat, Count of La Marche and Count of Angoulême in 1250.He married at Fougères 29 January 1253/4 Jeanne de Fougères...
, Count of La Marche, Count of Angoulême, by whom she had six children.
Isabelle died on an unknown date. Her husband Raoul died on 24 February 1256, and his seigneury of Fougères was inherited by their only surviving child, Jeanne who thereafter held the title of suo jure Dame de Fougères.