Renard I, also spelled Reynald, Raynald, Rainard or Renaud (died 1190/1), was the lord or count of
Dampierre-le-Château in the
Astenois Astenois (Latin ''pagus Stadunensis'') was a ''pagus'', the most basic division of territory in the Roman Empire, Roman and Francia, Frankish empires. In the Middle Ages, it comprised the parishes of the deaconries of Sainte-Menehould and Possesse. ...
and a vassal of the
count of Champagne. He succeeded his father
Henry sometime between 1161 and 1163.
In 1163, Count
Henry I of Champagne made himself a hostage of the
German emperor Frederick I on behalf of his lord, King
Louis VII of France
Louis VII (1120 – 18 September 1180), called the Younger, or the Young (french: link=no, le Jeune), was King of the Franks from 1137 to 1180. He was the son and successor of King Louis VI (hence the epithet "the Young") and married Duchess ...
. When Louis did not appear for a scheduled meeting, Henry was forced to do
homage
Homage (Old English) or Hommage (French) may refer to:
History
*Homage (feudal) /ˈhɒmɪdʒ/, the medieval oath of allegiance
*Commendation ceremony, medieval homage ceremony Arts
*Homage (arts) /oʊˈmɑʒ/, an allusion or imitation by one arti ...
to Frederick for several castles, including Dampierre, that lay along the Franco-German border. This had the result of placing Renard's lordship in Germany, and the border thus ran through the county of Champagne. Afterwards, Louis VII claimed that Henry's cession had been unauthorised, but it was not reversed.
Also in 1163,
Pope Alexander III
Pope Alexander III (c. 1100/1105 – 30 August 1181), born Roland ( it, Rolando), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 September 1159 until his death in 1181.
A native of Siena, Alexander became pope after a con ...
issued a
bull confirming the acquisitions of the monastery of
Monthiers-en-Argonne
The Abbey of Monthiers-en-Argonne (also spelled Montiers-en-Argonne, from Latin ''Monasterium in Argona'', "monastery in the Argonne") was a Cistercian monastery located in Possesse in the diocese of Châlons-sur-Marne in the County of Champagne. ...
. Included among them was the donation of Bouillemont (now part of
Rapsécourt) by Guillaume de Sommièvre and his sons and daughters, which had been confirmed by Renard as Guillaume's lord. The pope refers to Renard as a count and not merely a lord. Renard also stood as surety for the priory of
Saint-Martin-des-Champs when the prior donated a rent to the abbey of Monthiers.
Renard was married sometime before 1163 to one Euphemia, with whom he had two sons:
Renard II, who succeeded him, and Henry. They also had a daughter named Marie.
In 1172, Renard appeared in the first edition of the ''
Feoda Campaniae'', a list of all the
fiefs of the county of Champagne. He was listed as a
liegeman
A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerain. W ...
in the castellany of
Vitry.
Notes
Sources
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1190s deaths