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Baldwin of Béthune or Baldwin de Béthune (''French'': Baudouin de Béthune ''Dutch'': Boudewijn van Béthune) (c. 1158–1212), a French
knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...
from the House of Béthune in Artois and a crusader, was close companion to successive English kings and on marriage to Hawise of Aumale became Count of Aumale with extensive estates in England.


Origins

Baldwin was the third son of Robert V of Béthune, hereditary Lord of
Béthune Béthune ( ; archaic and ''Bethwyn'' historically in English) is a town in northern France, Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais Departments of France, department. Geography Béthune is located in the Provinces of Fran ...
and
advocate An advocate is a professional in the field of law. List of country legal systems, Different countries and legal systems use the term with somewhat differing meanings. The broad equivalent in many English law–based jurisdictions could be a ba ...
of the Abbey of Saint Vaast at
Arras Arras ( , ; ; historical ) is the prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department, which forms part of the region of Hauts-de-France; before the reorganization of 2014 it was in Nord-Pas-de-Calais. The historic centre of the Artois region, with a ...
, and his wife Alice, daughter of Hugh III,
Count of Saint-Pol The county of Saint-Pol (or ''Sint-Pols'') was a county around the French city of Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise (''Sint-Pols-aan-de-Ternas'') on the border of Artois and Picardy, formerly the county of Ternois. For a long time the county belonged to Fl ...
. His brothers included: :Robert VI of Béthune, Advocate of Arras and Lord of Béthune; : William II of Béthune, who succeeded his brother as Advocate of Arras and Lord of Béthune; : John of Béthune,
Bishop of Cambrai This is a List of bishops and archbishops of Cambrai, that is, of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cambrai. Bishops For the first bishops of Arras and Cambrai, who resided at the former place, see Roman Catholic Diocese of Arras. On the death ...
; and : Conon of Béthune, poet, crusader and Regent of the
Latin Empire The Latin Empire, also referred to as the Latin Empire of Constantinople, was a feudal Crusader state founded by the leaders of the Fourth Crusade on lands captured from the Byzantine Empire. The Latin Empire was intended to replace the Byzantin ...
of
Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...
. His date of birth is unknown but would have been shortly before 1160, probably at Béthune.


Career

His career was as a knight in royal service, though not with the kings of his native France but with their English opponents. In 1170, still in his teens, he was with his lifelong friend,
William Marshal William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke (1146 or 1147 – 14 May 1219), also called William the Marshal (Norman French: ', French: '), was an Anglo-Norman soldier and statesman during High Medieval England who served five English kings: Henry ...
in the court of
Henry the Young King Henry the Young King (28 February 1155 – 11 June 1183) was the eldest son of Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine to survive childhood. In 1170, he became titular King of England, Duke of Normandy, Count of Anjou and Maine. Henry th ...
.Meyer, Paul (1891). Ed. ''L'histoire de Guillaume le Maréchal, Comte de Striguil et de Pembroke, Régent d'Angleterre de 1216 à 1219'', Paris, H.Laurens In 1180 at the great international
tournament A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses: # One or more competitions held at a single venue and concen ...
of
Lagny-sur-Marne Lagny-sur-Marne (, literally ''Lagny on Marne'') is a commune in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located in the Seine-et-Marne department in Île-de-France from the centre of Paris (20 minutes away from the centre of Paris). The ...
, he was a
knight banneret A knight banneret, sometimes known simply as banneret, was a medieval knight who led a company of troops during time of war under his own banner (which was square-shaped, in contrast to the tapering standard or the pennon flown by the lower- ...
, leading the Flemish team while William headed the English team. About 1187, he was rewarded with his first landholding in England and, once king,
Richard I of England Richard I (8 September 1157 – 6 April 1199), known as Richard the Lionheart or Richard Cœur de Lion () because of his reputation as a great military leader and warrior, was King of England from 1189 until his death in 1199. He also ru ...
added the lordship of several other manors. These not only gave him income but also, at least as important in those times, added to his rank of knight the status of a feudal landowner. In 1191 he was with Richard's contingent on the
Third Crusade The Third Crusade (1189–1192) was an attempt led by King Philip II of France, King Richard I of England and Emperor Frederick Barbarossa to reconquer the Holy Land following the capture of Jerusalem by the Ayyubid sultan Saladin in 1187. F ...
in
Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...
where his father Robert, who was with the Flemish contingent, died. When Richard set out on his incognito voyage home in 1192, Baldwin was with him. They were blown ashore in a December storm near
Aquileia Aquileia is an ancient Roman city in Italy, at the head of the Adriatic at the edge of the lagoons, about from the sea, on the river Natiso (modern Natisone), the course of which has changed somewhat since Roman times. Today, the city is small ( ...
and the disguised Richard was captured by his Austrian enemies at an inn near
Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
. Baldwin stood hostage for him, let loose to organise a
ransom Ransom refers to the practice of holding a prisoner or item to extort money or property to secure their release. It also refers to the sum of money paid by the other party to secure a captive's freedom. When ransom means "payment", the word ...
into which he put not only months of effort but much of his own money as well. As well as cash to free Richard,
Leopold V, Duke of Austria Leopold V (1157 – 31 December 1194), known as the Virtuous () was a member of the House of Babenberg who reigned as Duke of Austria from 1177 and Duke of Styria within the Holy Roman Empire from 1192 until his death. The Georgenberg Pact resul ...
wanted two princesses, including
Eleanor Eleanor () is a feminine given name, originally from an Old French adaptation of the Old Provençal name ''Aliénor''. It was the name of a number of women of royalty and nobility in western Europe during the High Middle Ages">Provençal dialect ...
, niece of Richard. Early in December 1194, Baldwin was sent with two princesses to Vienna and told that if he did not turn up with them his life would be forfeit. Before they arrived, the Duke died and with him the death threat. In 1195 Baldwin married Hawise of Aumale, a great Anglo-Norman heiress, gaining through his wife vast lands and the title of Count of Aumale. The lands of Aumale itself were however lost shortly after in 1196, when the French captured and kept them. In 1197 Baldwin was one of the English delegates to the election of Richard's nephew Otto IV of Germany as
Holy Roman Emperor The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans (disambiguation), Emperor of the Romans (; ) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period (; ), was the ruler and h ...
. When
John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...
succeeded Richard as king in 1199, Baldwin was initially in his immediate circle. In 1200 he was one of John's guarantors for the peace signed with the French king,
Philip Philip, also Phillip, is a male name derived from the Macedonian Old Koine language, Greek (''Philippos'', lit. "horse-loving" or "fond of horses"), from a compound of (''philos'', "dear", "loved", "loving") and (''hippos'', "horse"). Prominen ...
and the next year he was one of the signatories to a royal grant. After that he seems to have become less close to the king and no doubt occupied himself with running both his wife's and his own extensive estates in England. On 13 or 14 October 1212 he died, probably in Hawise's house at Burstwick in Yorkshire, and was buried in the chapter house at
Meaux Abbey Meaux Abbey (archaic, also referred to as ''Melsa'') was a Cistercian abbey founded in 1151 by William le Gros, 1st Earl of Albemarle ( Count of Aumale), Earl of York and 4th Lord of Holderness, near Beverley in the East Riding of Yorkshire, ...
, of which nothing remains. On 3 November 1212, Hawise promised the king 5000 marks (£3333 then, equivalent to over £3 million in 2014) to keep her lands and avoid a fourth marriage. On the death of his father in 1199 he had become Advocate of the Abbey of Chocques and guaranteed its rights and privileges. After he died, in memory of his donations, the abbot and monks prayed daily for his soul and held a solemn mass on the anniversary of his death.


Marriage and family

King
Henry II Henry II may refer to: Kings * Saint Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor (972–1024), crowned King of Germany in 1002, of Italy in 1004 and Emperor in 1014 *Henry II of England (1133–89), reigned from 1154 *Henry II of Jerusalem and Cyprus (1271–1 ...
promised both William Marshal and Baldwin that he would find them rich heiresses to marry and in 1189 was arranging a match for Baldwin with the heiress of
Châteauroux Châteauroux ( ; ; ) is the capital city of the French department of Indre, central France and the second-largest town in the province of Berry, after Bourges. Its residents are called ''Castelroussins'' () in French. Climate Châteauroux te ...
in the French province of
Berry A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples of berries in the cul ...
when he died. His son and successor Richard gave her to a French noble instead, saying he would find someone better for Baldwin. It was not until 1194, when Richard got back to England from crusade and captivity, that he fulfilled the promise and gave Baldwin the twice-widowed Hawise of Aumale. Their wedding was in the cathedral of
Sées Sées () is a commune in the Orne department in north-western France. It is classed as a Petite Cité de Caractère. Geography The commune is spread over an area of with a maximum altitude of and minimum of It lies on the river Orne fr ...
in Lower Normandy, with Richard paying for both the celebrations and the honeymoon trip to England. Not long after, Baldwin and Hawise had a daughter Alice, no doubt named after his mother. While still a child, she was engaged in 1203 to
William Marshal William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke (1146 or 1147 – 14 May 1219), also called William the Marshal (Norman French: ', French: '), was an Anglo-Norman soldier and statesman during High Medieval England who served five English kings: Henry ...
the younger, son of William Marshal and Isabel of Pembroke. As Baldwin's heiress, it was specified in the contract that she would bring all his lands in England to her husband. (Hawise's lands were to go to her son William de Forz.) Alice did not long outlive her father, dying in her teens without having any children. Some sources have claimed Baldwin as the ancestor of the Béthunes in Scotland, who start appearing in records there shortly after his death. Though some are called John, the name of one of Baldwin's brothers, and some Robert, the name of another brother, none are ever called Baldwin. Baldwin did in fact have a son called Baldwin, whether legitimate from a brief early marriage or illegitimate is unrecorded. He seems to have settled in Northamptonshire, first at Greens Norton as a tenant of his brother-in-law William Marshal the younger, by then 2nd Earl of Pembroke, and later at Gayton, where in 1240 he exercised the right of presentation though the manor was held by his cousin Robert VII, Lord of Béthune. He married a woman called Joan de Traily but nothing is known of any children. He did not inherit the seigneurie of Chocques, which was in the hands of Baldwin's younger brother John in 1219. This Baldwin, described as ''Baldevinus filius Comitis de Albemarle'', may have been the Baldwin of Béthune, who became Lord of
Adrianople Edirne (; ), historically known as Orestias, Adrianople, is a city in Turkey, in the northwestern part of the Edirne Province, province of Edirne in Eastern Thrace. Situated from the Greek and from the Bulgarian borders, Edirne was the second c ...
in the
Latin Empire The Latin Empire, also referred to as the Latin Empire of Constantinople, was a feudal Crusader state founded by the leaders of the Fourth Crusade on lands captured from the Byzantine Empire. The Latin Empire was intended to replace the Byzantin ...
of
Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...
. Alternatively, Baldwin of Adrianople may have been a son of Conon of Béthune who held the Byzantine titles of ''
protovestiarios ''Protovestiarios'' (, ) was a high Byzantine court position, originally reserved for eunuchs. In the late Byzantine period (12th–15th centuries), it denoted the Empire's senior-most financial official, and was also adopted by the medieval Ser ...
'' and ''
sebastokrator ''Sebastokrator'' (, ; ; ), was a senior court title in the late Byzantine Empire. It was also used by other rulers whose states bordered the Empire or were within its sphere of influence (Bulgarian Empire, Serbian Empire). The word is a compound ...
''.


Landholdings

A list of lands held in his own right, rather than through his wife, by Baldwin of Béthune. In England, using county boundaries in force at the time:
In
Bedfordshire Bedfordshire (; abbreviated ''Beds'') is a Ceremonial County, ceremonial county in the East of England. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Hertfordshire to the south and the south-east, and Buckin ...
:
Luton Luton () is a town and borough in Bedfordshire, England. The borough had a population of 225,262 at the 2021 census. Luton is on the River Lea, about north-west of London. The town's foundation dates to the sixth century as a Saxon settleme ...
.
In
Berkshire Berkshire ( ; abbreviated ), officially the Royal County of Berkshire, is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Oxfordshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the north-east, Greater London ...
:
Wantage Wantage () is a historic market town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Vale of White Horse, Oxfordshire, England. Although within the boundaries of the Historic counties of England, historic county of Berkshire, it has been a ...
.
In
Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Berkshire to the north, Surrey and West Sussex to the east, the Isle of Wight across the Solent to the south, ...
: Ovington, Polhampton near Overton, Upper Clatford
In
Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and one of the home counties. It borders Bedfordshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Essex to the east, Greater London to the ...
:
Rushden Rushden is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the North Northamptonshire district, in the ceremonial county of Northamptonshire, England, around east of Northampton. The parish is on the border with Bedfordshire, north of B ...

In
Kent Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...
:
Brabourne Brabourne is a village and civil parish in the Ashford district of Kent, England. The village centre is east of Ashford town centre. Geography The village originated around the village church and this area is now usually referred to as E ...
,
Kemsing Kemsing is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Sevenoaks (district), Sevenoaks district of Kent, England. The parish lies on the scarp face of the North Downs, 20 miles south east of Central London and north east of ...
,
Sutton Valence Sutton Valence (in the past also called Sudtone, Town Sutton and Sutton Hastings, see below) is a village about five miles (8 km) SE of Maidstone, Kent, England on the A274 road going south to Headcorn and Tenterden. It is on the Greensand ...
.
In
Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...
: Foulsham, an unidentified place written as ''Roltesham''.
In
Northamptonshire Northamptonshire ( ; abbreviated Northants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It is bordered by Leicestershire, Rutland and Lincolnshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshi ...
: Greens Norton, Wollaston.
In
Somerset Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east ...
: Haselbury Plucknett.
In
Worcestershire Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Shropshire, Staffordshire, and the West Midlands (county), West ...
: Severn Stoke.
In
Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ) is an area of Northern England which was History of Yorkshire, historically a county. Despite no longer being used for administration, Yorkshire retains a strong regional identity. The county was named after its county town, the ...
:
Hedon Hedon is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in Holderness in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately east of Kingston upon Hull, Hull city centre. It lies to the north of the A1033 road at the cross ...
, which may have been held jointly with his wife. In France:
Chocques,
Eecke,
Lapugnoy,
Westrozebeke Westrozebeke is a ...

St Pierre Mesnil and St Sauveur.


References


Ancestry

{{ahnentafel , collapsed=yes , align=center , boxstyle_1=background-color: #fcc; , boxstyle_2=background-color: #fb9; , boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc; , boxstyle_4=background-color: #bfc; , boxstyle_5=background-color: #9fe; , 1= 1. Baldwin of Béthune, Count of Aumale , 2= 2. Robert V of Béthune, Advocate of Arras & Lord of Béthune , 3= 3. Alice of St Pol , 4= 4. William I of Béthune, Advocate of Arras & Lord of Béthune , 5= 5. Clemency of Oisy , 6= 6. Hugh III, Count of St Pol , 7= 7. Beatrice , 8= 8. Robert IV of Béthune, Advocate of Arras & Lord of Béthune , 9= 9. Alice of Warneton , 10= 10. Hugh II of Oisy, Castellan of Cambrai , 11= 11. Hildegard of Mons , 12= 12.
Hugh II, Count of Saint-Pol Hugh II ( French, ''Hugues'') (died 1130) was the count of St. Pol in Artois, after having succeeded his brother Guy I who died without issue. He was the son of Hugh I, Count of Saint-Pol. He participated in the First Crusade (1096–99) with his ...
, 13= 13. Elisande of Montreuil , 14= 14. , 15= 15. , 16= 16. Robert III of Béthune, Advocate of Arras & Lord of Béthune , 17= 17. , 18= 18. Robert II of Warneton , 19= 19. , 20= 20. Hugh I of Oisy, Castellan of Cambrai , 21= 21. Ada of Rumigny , 22= 22. Goswin I of Mons , 23= 23. Ermengarde of Chaumont , 24= 24. Manasses of St Pol , 25= 25. , 26= 26. Enguerrand II, Count of Ponthieu , 27= 27. Adelaide of Normandy , 28= 28. , 29= 29. , 30= 30. , 31= 31. 1150s births 1212 deaths Medieval French knights Christians of the Third Crusade People from Béthune 12th-century French nobility 13th-century French nobility 12th-century Roman Catholics 13th-century Roman Catholics Knights banneret of France Jure uxoris counts