Jean I de Croÿ, Seigneur of Croÿ et d'Araines, Baron of Renty and of Seneghem (around 1365 – 25 October 1415), was the founder of the

House of Croÿ The House of Croÿ () is a family of European mediatized nobility, which held a seat in the Imperial Diet from 1486, and was elevated to the rank of Princes of the Holy Roman Empire in 1594. In 1533 they became Dukes of Arschot (in Belgium) and ...

Biography

Jean's parents were Guillaume I, Seigneur of Croÿ (†1384) and Isabeau of Renty. He was responsible for the ascendancy of his family to a position of supreme power in

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

Burgundy. He served

Philip the Bold Philip II the Bold (; ; 17 January 1342 – 27 April 1404) was Duke of Burgundy and ''jure uxoris'' Count of Flanders, Artois and Burgundy. He was the fourth and youngest son of King John II of France and Bonne of Luxembourg. Philip II w ...

and his son

John the Fearless John I (french: Jean sans Peur; nl, Jan zonder Vrees; 28 May 137110 September 1419) was a scion of the French royal family who ruled the Burgundian State from 1404 until his death in 1419. He played a key role in French national affairs durin ...

in the capacity of councillor and

chamberlain Chamberlain may refer to: Profession *Chamberlain (office), the officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign or other noble figure People *Chamberlain (surname) **Houston Stewart Chamberlain (1855–1927), German-British philosop ...

. In 1384, Jean married a wealthy heiress, Marguerite de Craon (ca 1370–1420), successfully suing her first husband's family upon her death. In 1397, Jean acquired the lordship of Chimay, which was to become a core dominion of the Croÿ family. Four years later, he was appointed Governor of

Artois Artois ( ; ; nl, Artesië; English adjective: ''Artesian'') is a region of northern France. Its territory covers an area of about 4,000 km2 and it has a population of about one million. Its principal cities are Arras (Dutch: ''Atrecht'') ...

and led the ducal armies against the rebellious citizens of Liège. He was recorded as the

Grand-Bouteiller The Great Officers of the Crown of France (french: Grands officiers de la couronne de France) were the most important officers of state in the French royal court during the '' Ancien Régime'' and Bourbon Restoration. They were appointed by the ...

of King

Charles VI of France Charles VI (3 December 136821 October 1422), nicknamed the Beloved (french: le Bien-Aimé) and later the Mad (french: le Fol or ''le Fou''), was King of France from 1380 until his death in 1422. He is known for his mental illness and psychotic ...

in 1412, when he laid siege to Bourges. The following year,

Isabeau of Bavaria Isabeau of Bavaria (or Isabelle; also Elisabeth of Bavaria-Ingolstadt; c. 1370 – September 1435) was Queen of France from 1385 to 1422. She was born into the House of Wittelsbach as the only daughter of Duke Stephen III of Bavaria-Ingols ...

had Jean apprehended and incarcerated in the castle of

Montlhéry Montlhéry () is a commune in the Essonne department in Île-de-France in northern France. It is located from Paris. History Montlhéry lay on the strategically important road from Paris to Orléans. Under the Merovingians, it was owned by the ...

, whence he escaped. Jean, together with one of his sons, was killed at the Battle of Agincourt on 25 October 1415. He had seventeen children, including: * Antoine I de Croÿ, Count of Porcéan (1385–1475) *Archambaud de Croÿ (1386–1412) *Jean de Croÿ (1387 – 1415 at Battle of Agincourt) *

Jean II de Croÿ Jean II de Croÿ (1390? – Valenciennes, 25 March 1473) was Count of Chimay and progenitor of the line of Croÿ-Solre. Jean belonged to the powerful House of Croÿ. Life Jean was the second surviving son of Jean I de Croÿ and Marie de Crao ...

(1395–1473),

Prince of Chimay Prince of Chimay is a title of Belgian and Dutch nobility associated with the town of Chimay in what is now Belgium. The title is currently held by Philippe de Caraman-Chimay, 22nd Prince de Chimay. The main residence of the princely family is Ch ...

, progenitor of the House of Croÿ-Solre. *Agnès de Croÿ (1386?), mistress of

Duke of Burgundy Duke of Burgundy (french: duc de Bourgogne) was a title used by the rulers of the Duchy of Burgundy, from its establishment in 843 to its annexation by France in 1477, and later by Holy Roman Emperors and Kings of Spain from the House of Habsburg ...

, by whom she had a natural son, John of Burgundy (Jean de Bourgogne), the future

Bishop of Cambrai The Archdiocese of Cambrai ( la, Archdiocesis Cameracensis; French: ''Archidiocèse de Cambrai'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France, comprising the arrondissements of Avesnes-sur-Help ...

. *Jeanne de Croÿ (1390–?), married Jean de Lannoy (c. 1370–1415), also killed at Agincourt, mother of

Jan van Lannoy Jean II de Lannoy or Jan van Lannoy (1410–1493), lord of Lannoy, Lys and Sébourg, was a nobleman from the County of Hainaut who played a prominent role in the politics of the Burgundian Netherlands. Life Jean was a member of the noble de La ...

, Stadtholder of Holland.

References

Sources

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Croy, Jean I de Military personnel killed in action People of the Hundred Years' War 1360s births 1415 deaths

Jean I de Croÿ Jean I de Croÿ, Seigneur of Croÿ et d'Araines, Baron of Renty and of Seneghem (around 1365 – 25 October 1415), was the founder of the House of Croÿ. Biography Jean's parents were Guillaume I, Seigneur of Croÿ (†1384) and Isabeau of Renty. ...