Conon (also Cono or Cuno; died 1 May 1106) was a

Lotharingia Lotharingia was a historical region and an early medieval polity that existed during the late Carolingian and early Ottonian era, from the middle of the 9th to the middle of the 10th century. It was established in 855 by the Treaty of Prüm, a ...

n nobleman and military leader of the

First Crusade The First Crusade (1096–1099) was the first of a series of religious wars, or Crusades, initiated, supported and at times directed by the Latin Church in the Middle Ages. The objective was the recovery of the Holy Land from Muslim conquest ...

. He was one of the most prominent lords of the

Ardennes The Ardennes ( ; ; ; ; ), also known as the Ardennes Forest or Forest of Ardennes, is a region of extensive forests, rough terrain, rolling hills and ridges primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, extending into Germany and France. Geological ...

, being the count of Montaigu, lord of

Rochefort Rochefort () may refer to: Places France * Rochefort, Charente-Maritime, in the Charente-Maritime department ** Arsenal de Rochefort, a former naval base and dockyard * Rochefort, Savoie in the Savoie department * Rochefort-du-Gard, in the G ...

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 ...

(defender) of the city of

Dinant Dinant () is a City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality of Wallonia located in the Namur Province, province of Namur, Belgium. On the shores of river Meuse, in the Ardennes, it lies south-east of Brussels, south ...

from 1064. He was also one of the most important vassals of the

bishop of Liège A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of dioceses. The role ...

. His chief seat was the castle of Montaigu..

Family

Conon was the eldest son of Gozelo, count of Montaigu, and his wife Ermentrude of Harenzey. His younger brother Henry was the dean of the Cathedral of Saint Lambert in Liège. Conon's only known wife was named Ida. According to the medieval English historian

Orderic Vitalis Orderic Vitalis (; 16 February 1075 – ) was an English chronicler and Benedictine monk who wrote one of the great contemporary chronicles of 11th- and 12th-century Normandy and Anglo-Norman England.Hollister ''Henry I'' p. 6 Working out of ...

, Conon married a sister of

Godfrey of Bouillon Godfrey of Bouillon (; ; ; ; 1060 – 18 July 1100) was a preeminent leader of the First Crusade, and the first ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem from 1099 to 1100. Although initially reluctant to take the title of king, he agreed to rule as pri ...

. Godfrey is not otherwise known to have had a sister, but his mother was

Ida of Lorraine Ida of Lorraine (also referred to as Blessed Ida of Boulogne) () was a saint and noblewoman. She was the daughter of Godfrey III, Duke of Lower Lorraine and his wife Doda. Ida's grandfather was Gothelo I, Duke of Lorraine and Ida's brother was G ...

. In contrast, the '' Cantatorium'', the chronicle of the abbey of Saint-Hubert, records that Conon's wife was the daughter of Lambert the Old, a nobleman from the region of

Liège Liège ( ; ; ; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality of Wallonia, and the capital of the Liège Province, province of Liège, Belgium. The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east o ...

who was buried at Saint-Hubert. Conon and his wife Ida had four children, in order of birth: * Gozelo (died 1097), who died in the

* Lambert (died 1140 or after), his father's successor as count of Montaigu * Henry (died 1128 or after), archdeacon and provost of

Fosses Fosses () is a commune in the Val-d'Oise department in Île-de-France in northern France. Population Heraldic Education Schools in Fosses:, the family of Godfrey of Bouillon's mother.

Succession

Conon first appears in 1055 alongside his father and his brother Rudolf confirming the diploma by which the

Emperor Henry III Henry III (, 28 October 1016 – 5 October 1056), called the Black () or the Pious, was Holy Roman Emperor from 1046 until his death in 1056. A member of the Salian dynasty, he was the eldest son of Conrad II and Gisela of Swabia. Henry was rais ...

transferred the church of to the abbey of Florennes. In 1064, Conon, his father and his brother witnessed the confirmation of the foundation of the priory at Longlier by Duke Frederick of Lower Lorraine.. The ''Cantatorium'' of Saint-Hubert, in recording Conon's father's death in 1064, only accords him the title "count of Behogne" and not of Montaigu. It has been hypothesised that the elder Gozelo had already ceded the castle of Montaigu to his eldest son and moved his residence to the more secure and central village of Behogne, where he proceeded to erect the castle later known as Rochefort. Whatever the case, Conon inherited his father's lands and titles after his death. A document dated 1 January 1071 in the archives of the abbey of Waulsort records Conon as count under Duke Godfrey IV and under the

Emperor Henry IV Henry IV (; 11 November 1050 – 7 August 1106) was Holy Roman Emperor from 1084 to 1105, King of Germany from 1054 to 1105, King of Italy and Burgundy from 1056 to 1105, and Duke of Bavaria from 1052 to 1054. He was the son of Henry III, Holy ...

Lotharingian politics

On 30 August and 1 September 1080, an important regional assembly was held to decide on the construction of a stone bridge over the

Meuse The Meuse or Maas is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a total length of . History From 1301, the upper ...

at Dinant. As suzerain over the city, Bishop Henry of Liège was present, as was Conon, the lay advocate of the city, and Count

Albert III of Namur Albert III ( 1027 – 22 June 1102) was the Count of Namur from 1063 until his death. He was the son of Count Albert II and Regelinde of Verdun. Although he was not formally a duke, Albert is considered to have played the role of an acting Duke ...

, who retained some rights in Dinant, including a right to tribute. Isaac, the mayor of Dinant, and Frewald, its

provost Provost may refer to: Officials Ecclesiastic * Provost (religion), a high-ranking church official * Prince-provost, a high-ranking church official Government * Provost (civil), an officer of local government, including the equivalent ...

, were also in attendance. It was necessary to get the permission of Godescalc, abbot of Waulsort, for the construction of a bridge, since it would obviate the need for the ferry, which was operated by the abbey and provided substantial revenues. A deal was struck, and the bridge was built. Conon was among the barons under the spiritual jurisdiction of the bishop of Liège who assented to the

Truce of God The Peace and Truce of God () was a movement in the Middle Ages led by the Catholic Church and was one of the most influential mass peace movements in history. The goal of both the ''Pax Dei'' and the ''Treuga Dei'' was to limit the violence o ...

(''treuga Dei'') being proclaimed throughout the diocese in 1082. This was the first time the truce had been proclaimed in the Holy Roman Empire. In 1086, Conon also subscribed to the bishop's charter establishing a permanent tribunal to try high crimes such as abduction, rape, assault, robbery, arson and murder. The 15th-century chronicler Jean de Stavelot, records that Dodon, the count of Laroche, refused to accede to the charter and besieged by the forces of the assenting nobles. After a siege of seven months, the besiegers gave in and recognised the exemption of Laroche from the jurisdiction of the tribunal. In 1087, Conon was present in

Aachen Aachen is the List of cities in North Rhine-Westphalia by population, 13th-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, 27th-largest city of Germany, with around 261,000 inhabitants. Aachen is locat ...

when the Emperor Henry IV took the collegiate church of Saint Servatius in

Maastricht Maastricht ( , , ; ; ; ) is a city and a Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the southeastern Netherlands. It is the capital city, capital and largest city of the province of Limburg (Netherlands), Limburg. Maastricht is loca ...

under his protection, confirmed its liberties and exempted its provostship from any other ecclesiastical jurisdiction. When Bishop Henry died in 1091, he was succeeded by Otbert, a man devoted to the cause of Henry IV and the Antipope

Clement III Pope Clement III (; 1130 – 20 March 1191), was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 December 1187 to his death in 1191. He ended the conflict between the Papacy and the city of Rome, by allowing the electi ...

against the legitimate pope,

Urban II Pope Urban II (; – 29 July 1099), otherwise known as Odo of Châtillon or Otho de Lagery, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 12 March 1088 to his death. He is best known for convening the Council of Clermon ...

. When Otbert attempted to depose Theoderic II, abbot of Saint-Hubert, and appoint in his place Hildebrand, a monk of

Lobbes Lobbes (; ) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. On 1 January 2006 Lobbes had a total population of 5,499. The total area is 32.08 km2 which gives a population density of 171 inhabitants per km2. The m ...

, Conon led the noble opposition. The legal proceedings as recorded in the ''Cantatorium'' present Conon as a confident and unyielding lover of justice. In 1095, Conon assisted at a

judicial duel Trial by combat (also wager of battle, trial by battle or judicial duel) was a method of Germanic law to settle accusations in the absence of witnesses or a confession in which two parties in dispute fought in single combat; the winner of the ...

between champions representing the inhabitants of

Olne Olne (; ) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Liège, Belgium. On January 1, 2006, Olne had a total population of 3,793. The total area is 15.99 km2 which gives a population density of 237 inhabitants per km2. Olne was ...

and the

abbey of Stavelot The Princely Abbey of Stavelot-Malmedy, also Principality of Stavelot-Malmedy, sometimes known with its German name Stablo, was an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire. Princely power was exercised by the Benedictine abbot of t ...

. The men of Olne were renting land at Fraipont from the abbey, and disagreements between the parties had led to violence. Giselbert, champion of the abbey, won the duel.

Crusade

In 1083, Bishop Henry of Liège gave Conon the advocacy of the domain of

Nandrin Nandrin () is a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality of Wallonia located in the Liège Province, province of Liège, Belgium. On January 1, 2006, Nandrin had a total population of 5,539. The total area is 35.90 km2 which gives a populati ...

, a possession of the church of Saint Paul of Liège in the county of Montaigu, because it had repeatedly suffered the depredations of the neighbouring count of . In 1095, Henry's successor, Bishop Otbert, purchased the county of Clermont from its count,

Giselbert Giselbert is the name of: * Gilbert, Duke of Lorraine (c. 890 – 939), also known as ''Giselbert'' * Giselbert I of Roussillon (d. 1013 or 1014) * Giselbert II of Roussillon (d. 1102) * Giselbert, Count of Clermont (d. after 1097) * Giselbert of Lo ...

, and enfeoffed Conon's son Lambert with it. Conon participated in the

, along with his sons Gozelo and Lambert and their erstwhile enemies Giselbert of Clermont and his ally Fredelo. They travelled with the

army of Godfrey of Bouillon The army of Godfrey of Bouillon, the duke of Lower Lorraine, in response to the call by Pope Urban II to both liberate Jerusalem from Muslim forces and protect the Byzantine Empire from similar attacks. Godfrey and his army, one of several Franki ...

. Conon's lord, Bishop Otbert, had purchased the castle of Bouillon from Godfrey to finance the latter's crusade. Thirty-four

marks Marks may refer to: Business * Mark's, a Canadian retail chain * Marks & Spencer, a British retail chain * Collective trade marks A collective trademark, collective trade mark, or collective mark is a trademark owned by an organization (such ...

for the purchase came from the poor church of Saintes-Marie-et-Perpétue in Dinant. In compensation, Otbert transferred some rents and tolls to the church and apparently persuaded Conon to transfer one of his rents as well.. The army of Godfrey of Bouillon, with Conon's smaller retinue, was one of the first to arrive in Constantinople. There the

Byzantine emperor The foundation of Constantinople in 330 AD marks the conventional start of the Eastern Roman Empire, which Fall of Constantinople, fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 AD. Only the emperors who were recognized as legitimate rulers and exercised s ...

Alexios I and Godfrey had different views of the goals of the crusade, and Godfrey was unwilling to commit to the emperor's demands until the remaining crusaders arrived. He camped outside the city, while Conon, Baldwin of Le Bourg and Godfrey of Esch (Fredelo's son) met with Alexios in the palace.. Conon and Baldwin subsequently received Alexios' representative, John Komnenos of Dyrrhachium. Conon's son Gozelo died in the East, but he and his son Lambert continued on to Jerusalem, after they considered their vows fulfilled and returned to Montaigu before the end of the year 1099.

Alberic of Trois-Fontaines Alberic of Trois-Fontaines ( or ''Aubry de Trois-Fontaines''; ) (, died 1252) was a medieval Cistercian chronicler who wrote in Latin. He was a monk of Trois-Fontaines Abbey in the diocese of Châlons-sur-Marne. He died after 1252. He wrote a ch ...

and

Giles of Orval Giles of Orval (; ; ) was a Cistercian monk and historian. Originally from the prince-bishopric of Liège, he lived and worked in the abbey of Orval in the archdiocese of Trier. His major work was the '' Gesta episcoporum Leodiensium'' he compiled ...

record the tradition that Conon was returning on a ship with

Peter the Hermit Peter the Hermit ( 1050 – 8 July 1115 or 1131), also known as Little Peter, Peter of Amiens (French language, fr. ''Pierre d'Amiens'') or Peter of Achères (French language, fr. ''Pierre d'Achères''), was a Roman Catholic priest of Amiens and ...

and some men of

Huy Huy ( ; ; ) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Liège, Belgium. Huy lies along the river Meuse, at the mouth of the small river Hoyoux. It is in the '' sillon industriel'', the former industrial backbone of Wall ...

when they encountered a severe storm and vowed to build a church if they survived. The storm immediately subsided, and the promise was kept when Conon and Peter founded the Augustinian canonry of Neufmoustier, dedicated to the

Holy Sepulchre The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, also known as the Church of the Resurrection, is a fourth-century church in the Christian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. The church is the seat of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Some ...

and John the Baptist. According to the tradition kept at Neufmoustier, Peter lived there until his death in 1115.

Family

Succession

Lotharingian politics

Crusade

Notes

References

Further reading