Aimery IV
viscount of Thouars ( 1024 – c. 1094) was a
companion of William the Conqueror
William the Conqueror had men of diverse standing and origins under his command at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. With these and other men he went on in the five succeeding years to conduct the Harrying of the North and complete the Norman conqu ...
on his
Invasion of England in 1066.
Life
He was the son of
Geoffrey II of Thouars, and Agnes de Blois, daughter of
Odo I, Count of Blois and
Bertha of Burgundy.
In 1055 he was allied with
Geoffroy Martel, Count of Anjou, against
William
William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...
,
Duke of Normandy
In the Middle Ages, the duke of Normandy was the ruler of the Duchy of Normandy in north-western France. The duchy arose out of a grant of land to the Viking leader Rollo by the French king Charles III in 911. In 924 and again in 933, Normand ...
, and he participated in the siege of
Ambrières
Ambrières () is a commune in the Marne department
Department may refer to:
* Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility
Government and military
*Department (administrative division), a geogra ...
, a castle built by William on the border of the
County of Maine.
After returning to
Thouars
Thouars () is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in western France. On 1 January 2019, the former communes Mauzé-Thouarsais, Missé and Sainte-Radegonde were merged into Thouars.
It is on the River Thouet. Its inhabitants are known ...
in 1056, he joined the army of the
Duke of Aquitaine
The Duke of Aquitaine ( oc, Duc d'Aquitània, french: Duc d'Aquitaine, ) was the ruler of the medieval region of Aquitaine (not to be confused with modern-day Aquitaine) under the supremacy of Frankish, English, and later French kings.
As su ...
to fight against the
Saracens
upright 1.5, Late 15th-century German woodcut depicting Saracens
Saracen ( ) was a term used in the early centuries, both in Greek and Latin writings, to refer to the people who lived in and near what was designated by the Romans as Arabia ...
in Spain. He participated in the
capture of Barbastro and brought a rich booty back to his hometown of Thouars.
In 1066, he was in England as part of the invading army of
William the Conqueror
William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England, reigning from 1066 until his death in 10 ...
. At the
Battle of Hastings
The Battle of Hastings nrf, Batâle dé Hastings was fought on 14 October 1066 between the Norman-French army of William, the Duke of Normandy, and an English army under the Anglo-Saxon King Harold Godwinson, beginning the Norman Conque ...
on 14 October 1066, he commanded a corps composed of
Poitevins,
Bretons
The Bretons (; br, Bretoned or ''Vretoned,'' ) are a Celtic ethnic group native to Brittany. They trace much of their heritage to groups of Brittonic speakers who emigrated from southwestern Great Britain, particularly Cornwall and Devon, ...
, and
Angevins. Aimery IV did not settle in England, however, but received ample reimbursement and returned to his continental lands.
In Thouars, he rebuilt the castle in 1080. Aimery IV was also lord of
La Chaize (near
La Roche-sur-Yon
La Roche-sur-Yon () is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France. It is the capital of the department. The demonym for its inhabitants is ''Yonnais''.
History
The town expanded significantly after Napo ...
), where he built a castle and a church dedicated to
St. Nicolas
Saint Nicholas of Myra, ; la, Sanctus Nicolaus (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greek descent from the maritime city of Myra in Asia Minor (; modern-day Demre ...
.
Early in 1090, he made war on Pierre de Mortagne and took his castle. The Viscount of Thouars was assassinated by two of his own knights in 1093. He was buried in the church of Saint Nicolas in
La Chaize.
Marriages and issue
In 1045, he married Aremgarde (died bef. 1088) and had:
* Aimery (died 1090)
* Raoul (1060–1092)
* Eleanor or Aenora (1050–1093), who married Boson II Viscount of Chatellerault (
fr) (1050–1092), parents of
Aimery I of Châttellerault Aimeric or Aymeric or Aimery (from '' Haimirich'' or ''Amalric'') is a male given name:
* Aimeric de Belenoi (fl. 1215–1242), troubadour
* Prince Aymeric of Belgium (born 2005)
* Aymeric Jaubert de Barrault (died 1613), mayor of Bordeaux.
* ...
*
Hildegarde, married
Hugh VI of Lusignan around 1065
He married secondly Ameline de Mauléon, daughter of
Geoffrey de Mauléon Geoffrey, Geoffroy, Geoff, etc., may refer to:
People
* Geoffrey (name), including a list of people with the name
* Geoffroy (surname), including a list of people with the name
* Geoffrey of Monmouth (c. 1095–c. 1155), clergyman and one of the ...
and sister of Raoul de Mauléon. They had:
*
Herbert II
*
Geoffroy III
See also
*
Viscounts of Thouars
References
Sources
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aimery 04 of Thouars
1020s births
1090s deaths
Year of birth uncertain
Year of death uncertain
11th-century French people
Companions of William the Conqueror
Norman conquest of England
Medieval French nobility
English people of French descent