Jeanne de Béthune
Encyclopedia
Jeanne de Béthune, Viscountess of Meaux, Countess of Ligny (c.1397- late 1450), was a French noblewoman, the suo jure
Viscountess of Meaux, having inherited the title upon her father's death in 1408. Her father was Robert VIII de Béthune, Viscount of Meaux. Jeanne married twice; firstly to Robert of Bar, and secondly John II of Luxembourg, Count of Ligny
who held Joan of Arc
prisoner following her capture by the Burgundians in May 1430. Jeanne was one of the three women who cared for Joan during her imprisonment.
In 1408 her father died. As he had no male heirs, Jeanne, being his eldest daughter, succeeded to the title of suo jure Viscountess of Meaux. She was about eleven years of age.
and Marie de Coucy, Countess of Soissons. In August 1413, he was created Count of Marle and Soissons, and Sire d'Oisy, titles which he had inherited from his mother, a granddaughter of King Edward III of England
. Together Robert and Jeanne had one daughter:
Robert was one of the many French nobles killed at the Battle of Agincourt
on 25 October 1415, leaving Jeanne a widow of eighteen with an infant daughter who as sole heiress succeeded to her father's titles and estates. Jeanne married secondly on 23 November 1418, John II of Luxembourg, Count of Ligny. The marriage, however, did not produce any children.
as his prisoner following her capture by the Burgundians in May 1430. She was held in his castle of Beaurevoir
, close to Saint-Quentin
. Jeanne was one of the three women in whose custody Joan was placed. The other two ladies were Jeanne's daughter, Jeanne, and Jeanne of Luxembourg
, John's elderly aunt. Jeanne and the other ladies did all they could to comfort Joan, and they also tried to persuade her, to no avail, to discard her masculine clothing and adopt feminine attire. The ladies earned Joan's gratitude for their kindness to her whilst in their care. Due to pressure from England and Burgundy
, John sold Joan to the English for 10,000 livres despite the protests of the three women. Joan was tried by an ecclesiastical court and burned at the stake in Rouen
on 30 May 1431.
Jeanne married her only daughter to Louis of Luxembourg, Count of Saint-Pol, who was John's nephew and designated heir; he had been brought up under his uncle's provision at Beaurevoir Castle therefore the young couple were well-acquainted with one another. The marriage, which took place on 16 July 1435, produced seven children.
Jeanne de Béthune died in late 1450, almost ten years after her husband, John. Her daughter Jeanne succeeded her as suo jure Viscountess of Meaux.
Suo jure
Suo 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....
Viscountess of Meaux, having inherited the title upon her father's death in 1408. Her father was Robert VIII de Béthune, Viscount of Meaux. Jeanne married twice; firstly to Robert of Bar, and secondly John II of Luxembourg, Count of Ligny
John II of Luxembourg, Count of Ligny
John II of Luxembourg, Count of Ligny was a French nobleman and soldier, a younger son of John of Luxembourg, Lord of Beauvoir and Marguerite of Enghien....
who held Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc
Saint Joan of Arc, nicknamed "The Maid of Orléans" , is a national heroine of France and a Roman Catholic saint. A peasant girl born in eastern France who claimed divine guidance, she led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, which paved the way for the...
prisoner following her capture by the Burgundians in May 1430. Jeanne was one of the three women who cared for Joan during her imprisonment.
Family
Jeanne was born in about 1397, the eldest daughter of Robert VIII de Béthune, Viscount of Meaux, and Isabelle de Ghistelles. She had one younger sister, Jacqueline de Béthune who married Raoul d'Ailly, by whom she had issue. Her paternal grandparents were Jean I de Béthune, Seigneur de Locres, and Jeanne de Coucy, and her maternal grandparents were Jean VII de Ghistelles and Marguerite de Reingleset.In 1408 her father died. As he had no male heirs, Jeanne, being his eldest daughter, succeeded to the title of suo jure Viscountess of Meaux. She was about eleven years of age.
Marriages and issue
On 16 February 1409, Jeanne married her first husband, Robert of Bar, the son Henry of BarHenry of Bar
Henry of Bar was lord of Marle and the Marquis de Pont-à-Mousson. He was the eldest son of Robert I of Bar and Marie of Valois....
and Marie de Coucy, Countess of Soissons. In August 1413, he was created Count of Marle and Soissons, and Sire d'Oisy, titles which he had inherited from his mother, a granddaughter of King Edward III of England
Edward III of England
Edward III was King of England from 1327 until his death and is noted for his military success. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe...
. Together Robert and Jeanne had one daughter:
- Jeanne de Bar, Countess of Marle and SoissonsJeanne de Bar, Countess of Marle and SoissonsJeanne de Bar, suo jure Countess of Marle and Soissons, Dame d'Oisy, Viscountess of Meaux, and Countess of Saint-Pol, of Brienne, de Ligny, and Conversano was a noble French heiress and Sovereign Countess...
, Dame d'Oisy, Viscountess of Meaux suo jure (1415- 14 May 1462), married Louis de Luxembourg, Count of Saint-PolLouis de Luxembourg, Count of Saint-PolLouis de Luxembourg, Count of Saint-Pol, of Brienne, de Ligny, and Conversano belonged to the Ligny branch of the House of Luxemburg and was Constable of France....
, of Brienne, de Ligny, and Conversano by whom she had seven children.
Robert was one of the many French nobles killed at the Battle of Agincourt
Battle of Agincourt
The Battle of Agincourt was a major English victory against a numerically superior French army in the Hundred Years' War. The battle occurred on Friday, 25 October 1415 , near modern-day Azincourt, in northern France...
on 25 October 1415, leaving Jeanne a widow of eighteen with an infant daughter who as sole heiress succeeded to her father's titles and estates. Jeanne married secondly on 23 November 1418, John II of Luxembourg, Count of Ligny. The marriage, however, did not produce any children.
Joan of Arc
Jeanne's second husband, who was an ally of the English during the last phase of the Hundred Years War, received Joan of ArcJoan of Arc
Saint Joan of Arc, nicknamed "The Maid of Orléans" , is a national heroine of France and a Roman Catholic saint. A peasant girl born in eastern France who claimed divine guidance, she led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, which paved the way for the...
as his prisoner following her capture by the Burgundians in May 1430. She was held in his castle of Beaurevoir
Beaurevoir
Beaurevoir is a commune in the department of Aisne in Picardy in northern France.-Population:...
, close to Saint-Quentin
Saint-Quentin, Aisne
Saint-Quentin is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France. It has been identified as the Augusta Veromanduorum of antiquity. It is named after Saint Quentin, who is said to have been martyred here in the 3rd century....
. Jeanne was one of the three women in whose custody Joan was placed. The other two ladies were Jeanne's daughter, Jeanne, and Jeanne of Luxembourg
Jeanne of Luxembourg
Joan, Countess of Saint-Pol and Ligny , called the Demoiselle de Luxembourg, was the daughter of Guy of Luxembourg, Count of Ligny and Mahaut of Châtillon, Countess of Saint-Pol....
, John's elderly aunt. Jeanne and the other ladies did all they could to comfort Joan, and they also tried to persuade her, to no avail, to discard her masculine clothing and adopt feminine attire. The ladies earned Joan's gratitude for their kindness to her whilst in their care. Due to pressure from England and Burgundy
Duchy of Burgundy
The Duchy of Burgundy , was heir to an ancient and prestigious reputation and a large division of the lands of the Second Kingdom of Burgundy and in its own right was one of the geographically larger ducal territories in the emergence of Early Modern Europe from Medieval Europe.Even in that...
, John sold Joan to the English for 10,000 livres despite the protests of the three women. Joan was tried by an ecclesiastical court and burned at the stake in Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
on 30 May 1431.
Legacy and death
On 18 September 1430, John's aunt, Jeanne of Luxembourg died. She left him the county of Ligny, thus Jeanne was styled henceforth as Countess of Ligny.Jeanne married her only daughter to Louis of Luxembourg, Count of Saint-Pol, who was John's nephew and designated heir; he had been brought up under his uncle's provision at Beaurevoir Castle therefore the young couple were well-acquainted with one another. The marriage, which took place on 16 July 1435, produced seven children.
Jeanne de Béthune died in late 1450, almost ten years after her husband, John. Her daughter Jeanne succeeded her as suo jure Viscountess of Meaux.