Marie de Bar
Encyclopedia
Marie I de Coucy, Dame de Coucy and d'Oisy, Countess of Soissons (April 1366 – after 3 March 1405) was the wife of Henry of Bar
, and the granddaughter of King Edward III of England
and Philippa of Hainault
. She succeeded to the title of suo jure
Countess of Soissons, on 18 February 1397, upon the death of her father, Enguerrand VII de Coucy. In addition to her titles, she also owned numerous estates in North-Eastern France. Mary, Queen of Scots, King Henry IV of France
, and the Bourbon
kings of France were her direct descendants.
Marie was born in April 1366 at Coucy Castle, Picardy
, France. She was the eldest daughter of a powerful French nobleman, Enguerrand VII de Coucy
and Isabella of England
, daughter of King Edward III of England
and Philippa of Hainault
. She had a younger sister, Philippa de Coucy
(1367–1411), who married Robert de Vere, 9th Earl of Oxford, Marquess of Dublin, Duke of Ireland
.
When Marie was about a month old, she accompanied her parents to England, where on 11 May 1366 her father received the title of Earl of Bedford
and was inducted into the Order of the Garter
. In 1376 at the age of ten, Marie joined the household of the French queen, Jeanne de Bourbon and was educated alongside the Dauphin and his siblings.
, Marquis de Pont-à-Mousson (1362- October 1397 Treviso
, Italy), son of Robert I, Duke of Bar and Marie of Valois, sister of King Charles V of France
. The marriage produced two sons, Enguerrand (1387- c.1400) and Robert of Bar (1390- 25 October 1415 at the Battle of Agincourt
). Through her son Robert who married Jeanne de Béthune
, and had one daughter, Jeanne de Bar
(1415- 14 May 1462), Marie was the direct ancestress of Mary, Queen of Scots, King Henry IV of France
, and the Bourbon
kings of France.
. They had one daughter, Isabel. Upon Enguerrand's death on 18 February 1397 in a Turkish prison at Bursa, Anatolia
, five months after the ferocious Battle of Nicopolis
, Marie inherited his title and became the suo jure Countess of Soissons. Near the end of that same year, she was widowed. Following the Battle of Nicopolis, her husband Henry was also taken prisoner and later ransomed. In October 1397, on the lengthy journey home to France, Henry of Bar died at the Crusaders' camp in Treviso after having contracted the plague during his sojourn in Venice
. He was buried at the convent of the Celestines
in Paris.
Marie disputed the wealthy de Coucy inheritance with her stepmother, with Marie claiming the entire inheritance, while Isabelle insisted upon receiving half. Neither lady yielded. The rich barony was described as "having castles of grandeur, with its 150 towns and villages, its famous forests, fine ponds, many good vassals, much great nobility and inestimable revenues". The women lived in mutual hostility, each in a separate castle of the domain, with her own captains and entourage of relatives, both ladies endlessly pursuing lawsuits. Marie was coerced by Louis d'Orléans into selling the barony to him in 1404. She brought at least eleven lawsuits against Orléans in an attempt to recover her property, but following a wedding feast which she had attended in 1405, Marie died suddenly. There were persistent rumours that she had been poisoned, but nothing could be proven to substiantiate the allegations. Her son Robert continued the litigation, but eventually, the barony of Coucy passed to the French Crown.
Henry 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 the 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...
and Philippa of Hainault
Philippa of Hainault
Philippa of Hainault, or, Philippe de Hainaut was the Queen consort of King Edward III of England. Edward, Duke of Guyenne, her future husband, promised in 1326 to marry her within the following two years...
. She succeeded to the title of suo jure
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....
Countess of Soissons, on 18 February 1397, upon the death of her father, Enguerrand VII de Coucy. In addition to her titles, she also owned numerous estates in North-Eastern France. Mary, Queen of Scots, King Henry IV of France
Henry IV of France
Henry IV , Henri-Quatre, was King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. He was the first monarch of the Bourbon branch of the Capetian dynasty in France....
, and the Bourbon
House of Bourbon
The House of Bourbon is a European royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty . Bourbon kings first ruled Navarre and France in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Bourbon dynasty also held thrones in Spain, Naples, Sicily, and Parma...
kings of France were her direct descendants.
Family
Picardy
This article is about the historical French province. For other uses, see Picardy .Picardy is a historical province of France, in the north of France...
, France. She was the eldest daughter of a powerful French nobleman, Enguerrand VII de Coucy
Enguerrand VII de Coucy
Enguerrand VII de Coucy, KG , also known as Ingelram de Coucy, was a 14th century French nobleman, the last Sieur de Coucy, and the son-in-law of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault...
and Isabella of England
Isabella de Coucy
Isabella of England, also known as Dame Isabella de Coucy , was the eldest daughter of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault and the wife of Enguerrand VII, Lord of Coucy, by whom she had two daughters.She was made a Lady of the Garter in 1376.-Early years:Isabella was the royal...
, daughter 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...
and Philippa of Hainault
Philippa of Hainault
Philippa of Hainault, or, Philippe de Hainaut was the Queen consort of King Edward III of England. Edward, Duke of Guyenne, her future husband, promised in 1326 to marry her within the following two years...
. She had a younger sister, Philippa de Coucy
Philippa de Coucy
Philippa de Coucy, Countess of Oxford, Duchess of Ireland was a first cousin of King Richard II of England and the wife of his favourite, Robert de Vere, 9th Earl of Oxford, Marquess of Dublin, Duke of Ireland....
(1367–1411), who married Robert de Vere, 9th Earl of Oxford, Marquess of Dublin, Duke of Ireland
Robert de Vere, Duke of Ireland
Robert de Vere, Duke of Ireland, Marquess of Dublin, and 9th Earl of Oxford KG was a favourite and court companion of King Richard II of England.-Royal favour:...
.
When Marie was about a month old, she accompanied her parents to England, where on 11 May 1366 her father received the title of Earl of Bedford
Earl of Bedford
Earl of Bedford is a title that has been created three times in the Peerage of England. The first creation came in 1138 in favour Hugh de Beaumont. He appears to have been degraded from the title three or four years after its creation. However, the existence of the title altogether has been...
and was inducted into the Order of the Garter
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
. In 1376 at the age of ten, Marie joined the household of the French queen, Jeanne de Bourbon and was educated alongside the Dauphin and his siblings.
Marriage and issue
In November 1384, she married 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....
, Marquis de Pont-à-Mousson (1362- October 1397 Treviso
Treviso
Treviso is a city and comune in Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Treviso and the municipality has 82,854 inhabitants : some 3,000 live within the Venetian walls or in the historical and monumental center, some 80,000 live in the urban center proper, while the city...
, Italy), son of Robert I, Duke of Bar and Marie of Valois, sister of King Charles V of France
Charles V of France
Charles V , called the Wise, was King of France from 1364 to his death in 1380 and a member of the House of Valois...
. The marriage produced two sons, Enguerrand (1387- c.1400) and Robert of Bar (1390- 25 October 1415 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...
). Through her son Robert who married Jeanne de Béthune
Jeanne de Béthune
Jeanne de Béthune, Viscountess of Meaux, Countess of Ligny , 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...
, and had one daughter, Jeanne de Bar
Jeanne de Bar, Countess of Marle and Soissons
Jeanne 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...
(1415- 14 May 1462), Marie was the direct ancestress of Mary, Queen of Scots, King Henry IV of France
Henry IV of France
Henry IV , Henri-Quatre, was King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. He was the first monarch of the Bourbon branch of the Capetian dynasty in France....
, and the Bourbon
House of Bourbon
The House of Bourbon is a European royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty . Bourbon kings first ruled Navarre and France in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Bourbon dynasty also held thrones in Spain, Naples, Sicily, and Parma...
kings of France.
Legal disputes
Marie's mother, Isabella, died in 1379, and her father remarried in February 1386, a girl about thirty years his junior. Her name was Isabelle, and she was the daughter of John I, Duke of LorraineJohn I, Duke of Lorraine
John I was the duke of Lorraine from 1346 to his death. As an infant of six months, he succeeded his father, Rudolph, who was killed in the Battle of Crécy. His mother was Mary, daughter of Guy I of Blois....
. They had one daughter, Isabel. Upon Enguerrand's death on 18 February 1397 in a Turkish prison at Bursa, Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
, five months after the ferocious Battle of Nicopolis
Battle of Nicopolis
The Battle of Nicopolis took place on 25 September 1396 and resulted in the rout of an allied army of Hungarian, Wallachian, French, Burgundian, German and assorted troops at the hands of an Ottoman force, raising of the siege of the Danubian fortress of Nicopolis and leading to the end of the...
, Marie inherited his title and became the suo jure Countess of Soissons. Near the end of that same year, she was widowed. Following the Battle of Nicopolis, her husband Henry was also taken prisoner and later ransomed. In October 1397, on the lengthy journey home to France, Henry of Bar died at the Crusaders' camp in Treviso after having contracted the plague during his sojourn in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
. He was buried at the convent of the Celestines
Celestines
Celestines are a Roman Catholic monastic order, a branch of the Benedictines, founded in 1244. At the foundation of the new rule, they were called Hermits of St Damiano, or Moronites , and did not assume the appellation of Celestines until after the election of their founder to the Papacy as...
in Paris.
Marie disputed the wealthy de Coucy inheritance with her stepmother, with Marie claiming the entire inheritance, while Isabelle insisted upon receiving half. Neither lady yielded. The rich barony was described as "having castles of grandeur, with its 150 towns and villages, its famous forests, fine ponds, many good vassals, much great nobility and inestimable revenues". The women lived in mutual hostility, each in a separate castle of the domain, with her own captains and entourage of relatives, both ladies endlessly pursuing lawsuits. Marie was coerced by Louis d'Orléans into selling the barony to him in 1404. She brought at least eleven lawsuits against Orléans in an attempt to recover her property, but following a wedding feast which she had attended in 1405, Marie died suddenly. There were persistent rumours that she had been poisoned, but nothing could be proven to substiantiate the allegations. Her son Robert continued the litigation, but eventually, the barony of Coucy passed to the French Crown.
Ancestry
Sources
- Barbara W. Tuchman,A Distant Mirror published by Alfred A.Knopf, 1978
- Charles Cawley, Medieval Lands, Dukes of Bar