In the 11th and 12th centuries the Countship of Penthièvre ('' Breton: Penteur'') in

Brittany Brittany ( ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the north-west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica in Roman Gaul. It became an Kingdom of Brittany, independent kingdom and then a Duch ...

(now in the department of

Côtes-d'Armor The Côtes-d'Armor ( , ; ; , ), formerly known as Côtes-du-Nord until 1990 (, ), is a department in the north of Brittany, in northwestern France. In 2019, it had a population of 600,582.House of Brittany. It initially belonged to the House of Rennes.

Alan III, Duke of Brittany Alan III of Rennes (c. 997 – 1 October 1040) ( French: ''Alain III de Bretagne'') was Count of Rennes and duke of Brittany, by right of succession from 1008 to his death. Life Alan was the son of Duke Geoffrey I and Hawise of Normandy.Detlev ...

, gave it to his brother Eudes in 1035, and his descendants formed a

cadet branch A cadet branch consists of the male-line descendants of a monarch's or patriarch's younger sons ( cadets). In the ruling dynasties and noble families of much of Europe and Asia, the family's major assets (realm, titles, fiefs, property and incom ...

of the ducal house. The geographical region of Brittany that constituted the holdings of Penthièvre correlate closely with the territories that constituted the early Breton kingdom of

Domnonée Domnonée is the modern French form of Domnonia or Dumnonia (Latin for "Devon"; ), a historic kingdom in northern Armorica ( Brittany) founded by British immigrants from Dumnonia ( Sub-Roman Devon) fleeing the Saxon invasions of Britain in t ...

. The history of the title Count of Penthièvre included frequent dispossessions and restorations. Henri d'Avaugour, heir of this family, was dispossessed of the countship in 1235. The

Duke of Brittany This is a list of rulers of Brittany. In different epochs the rulers of Brittany were kings, princes, and dukes. The Breton ruler was sometimes elected, sometimes attained the position by conquest or intrigue, or by hereditary right. Hereditary ...

, Pierre Mauclerc, founder of the Breton House of Dreux, gave it as dowry to his daughter, Yolande, on her marriage in 1238 to Hugh XI of Lusignan,

Count of La Marche The County of La Marche (; ) was a medieval French county, approximately corresponding to the modern ''département'' of Creuse and the northern half of Haute Vienne. La Marche first appeared as a separate fief about the middle of the 10th cen ...

. John I, Duke of Brittany, Yolande's brother, seized the countship on her death in 1272. After the

Breton War of Succession The War of the Breton Succession (, ) or Breton Civil War was a conflict between the Counts of Blois and the Montforts of Brittany for control of the Duchy of Brittany, then a fief of the Kingdom of France. It was fought between 1341 and ...

the title was dispossessed twice by the reigning Dukes of Brittany, once by

John V John V may refer to: * Patriarch John V of Alexandria or John the Merciful (died by 620), Patriarch of Alexandria from 606 to 616 * John V of Constantinople, Patriarch from 669 to 675 * Pope John V (685–686), Pope from 685 to his death in 686 ...

and another time by Francis II.

Disputed heirs to the Ducal Crown of Brittany

In 1337 Joan the Lame, Duchess of Brittany, brought Penthièvre to her husband, Charles de Châtillon, Count of Blois. Joan was the daughter of Guy de Penthièvre, the younger full brother of John III. When John III died a dispute emerged regarding the inheritance of the Duchy of Brittany. John III had tried to prevent the inheritance of the duchy by his half brother

John of Montfort John of Montfort (, ) (1295 – 26 September 1345),Etienne de Jouy. Œuvres complètes d'Etienne Jouy'. J. Didot Ainé. p. 373. sometimes known as John IV, was Duke of Brittany and Earl of Richmond from 1341 to 1345 in dispute with his niece Jo ...

. Joan and Charles claimed the ducal crown and were subsequently proclaimed the Duchess and Duke of Brittany, which John of Montfort also claimed. Their dispute prompted the

War of the Breton Succession The War of the Breton Succession (, ) or Breton Civil War was a conflict between the Counts of Blois and the Montfort of Brittany, Montforts of Brittany for control of the Duchy of Brittany, then a fief of the Kingdom of France. It was fou ...

. In 1352, during that war, the Estates of Brittany were established. In 1364, Charles died and

John IV, Duke of Brittany John IV the Conqueror Order of the Garter, KG (in Breton language, Breton Yann IV, in French Jean IV, and traditionally in English sources both John of Montfort and John V) (1339 – 1 November 1399), was Duke of Brittany and Montfort of Britt ...

's son, was confirmed as duke. Joan was permitted to keep Penthièvre and use the title Duchess of Brittany until her death. Under the Treaty of Guerande (1365), Joan recognized John IV as the undisputed duke. When John went into exile in England in 1373,

Charles V of France Charles V (21 January 1338 – 16 September 1380), called the Wise (; ), was King of France from 1364 to his death in 1380. His reign marked an early high point for France during the Hundred Years' War as his armies recovered much of the terri ...

named his brother Louis, Duke of Anjou

lieutenant-general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was normall ...

of Brittany. Louis was also a son-in-law of Joan de Penthièvre. Under the Second Treaty of Guerande (1381), it was agreed that, in the event the House of Montfort failed to produce a male heir, the senior male heir of Joan would be recognized as duke. Joan died in 1384 and left Penthièvre to her oldest son,

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 ...

(1340–1404). In turn, John left the county to his son, Olivier, Count of Penthièvre (1389–1433), who forfeited the title in 1421 after kidnapping and attempting to blackmail

John V, Duke of Brittany John V, sometimes numbered as VI, (24 December 1389 – 29 August 1442) bynamed John the Wise (; ), was Duke of Brittany and Count of Montfort from 1399 to his death. His rule coincided with the height of the Hundred Years' War between Engla ...

. Olivier's brother John II (1393–1454) recovered the county but died childless, passing his titles on to Nicole (1424–1480), daughter of his brother Charles, Lord of Avaugour (1396–1434). In 1437, Nicole married Jean II de Brosse. She was deprived of Penthièvre by Francis II, Duke of Brittany in 1465, thus undermining the Penthièvre family's position in the duchy. When Francis died in 1488, Nicole's eldest son Jean III de Brosse (d. 1502) asserted his family's claim to the duchy against those of

Anne, Duchess of Brittany Anne of Brittany (; 25/26 January 1477 – 9 January 1514) was reigning List of rulers of Brittany, Duchess of Brittany from 1488 until her death, and List of French royal consorts, Queen of France from 1491 to 1498 and from 1499 to her death. ...

, who ultimately ascended to the title.

As Dukes of Penthièvre

The countship of Penthièvre was restored to Sébastien de Luxembourg, heir of the Brosse family through his mother, Charlotte de Brosse (1506-1540), great-granddaughter of Nicole de Blois through her son Jean (d. 1502) and grandson Rene (1470-1524). The countship was erected for him into a duchy in the

peerage of France The Peerage of France () was a hereditary distinction within the French nobility which appeared in 1180 during the Middle Ages. The prestigious title and position of Peer of France () was held by the greatest, highest-ranking members of the Fr ...

in 1569. Afterwards it was held by Sebastian's daughter, Marie de Luxembourg, (1562-1623), who also became Duchess of Mercœur by marriage. Philippe Emmanuel, Duke of Mercœur, brother-in-law of

Henry III of France Henry III (; ; ; 19 September 1551 – 2 August 1589) was King of France from 1574 until his assassination in 1589, as well as King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1573 to 1575. As the fourth son of King Henry II of France, he ...

(last living male-line grandson of Claude, Duchess of Brittany), and a leader of the Catholic League, was made

governor of Brittany This page is a list of royal governors of Brittany during the Ancien Régime. *Nominoe (841-851) *Enguerrand VII, Lord of Coucy (1380–1397) *Jean de Laval, Mayenne, Laval, husband of Françoise de Foix (1528-1554) *Jean IV de Brosse (1554-1565) * ...

by the king in 1582. Invoking the hereditary rights of his wife, Marie de Luxembourg, he endeavoured to make himself independent in that province from 1589 onwards, and organized a government at

Nantes Nantes (, ; ; or ; ) is a city in the Loire-Atlantique department of France on the Loire, from the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. The city is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, sixth largest in France, with a pop ...

, proclaiming their young son, Philippe de Lorraine-Mercœur, (d. 1590), "prince and duke of Brittany". He allied with Spain and defeated

Henry IV of France Henry IV (; 13 December 1553 – 14 May 1610), also known by the epithets Good King Henry (''le Bon Roi Henri'') or Henry the Great (''Henri le Grand''), was King of Navarre (as Henry III) from 1572 and King of France from 1589 to 16 ...

's attempts to subjugate Brittany until 20 March 1598 when Mercœur was forced to surrender and subsequently went in exile to Hungary. Philippe died young, leaving his sister, Françoise de Lorraine-Mercœur the duchy of Penthièvre.

Later dukes from various houses

The Duchess of Vendôme's grandson, Louis Joseph, duc de Vendôme, inherited Penthièvre in 1669, but it was taken from him by decree in 1687 and adjudged to Marie Anne de Bourbon, Princess de Conti. In 1696, it was sold to Louis-Alexandre de Bourbon, Count de Toulouse, whose son, Louis de Bourbon, bore the title Duke de Penthièvre. This title passed by inheritance to the House of Orléans.

Counts of Penthièvre

House de Rennes

* Eudes (1035–1079), son of

Geoffrey I, Duke of Brittany Geoffrey I (c. 980 – 20 November 1008), also known as Geoffrey of Rennes and Geoffrey Berengar, was Duke of Brittany from 992 until his death, and also Count of Rennes (ruler of the Romano-Frankish ''civitas'' of Rennes) by right of successi ...

*Geoffrey I (1079–1093), son of Eudes * Stephen I (1093–1125), son of Eudes, brother of Geoffrey I *Geoffrey II (1125–1148), son of Stephen I *Rivallo (1148–1162), son of Geoffrey II *Stephen II (1162–1164), son of Rivallo *Geoffrey III (1164–1177), son of Geoffrey II, brother of Stephen II *Alan I (1177–1212), cousin of Geoffrey III, grandson of Stephen I through his son Henry, called Henry I *Henry II of Avagour (1212–1230), son of Alan I, was dispossessed of Penthièvre by

Peter I, Duke of Brittany Peter I (; 1187 – 26 May 1250), also known as Peter Mauclerc and Peter of Dreux, reigned as Duke of Brittany alongside his wife Alix, Duchess of Brittany, Alix from 1213 to 1221, and was regent of the Duchy of Brittany, duchy for his minor so ...

, who gave it to his daughter Yolande on her marriage to Hugh XI of Lusignan

Lords of Avaugour

*Alan II (1230–1267), son of Henry II *Henry III (1267–1301), son of Alan II *Henry IV (1301–1334), son of Henry III * Joan (1334–1384), granddaughter of Henry IV

Capetian House of Dreux

* Peter Mauclerc (1230–1237), son of

Robert II of Dreux Robert II of Dreux (1154 – 28 December 1218), List of Counts of Dreux, Count of Dreux and Braine, was the eldest surviving son of Robert I, Count of Dreux, and Agnes de Baudemont, countess of Braine, and a grandson of King Louis VI of France. ...

* Yolande (1237-1272), daughter of Peter *

John I John I may refer to: People Religious figures * John I (bishop of Jerusalem) * John Chrysostom (349 – c. 407), Patriarch of Constantinople * John I of Antioch (died 441) * Pope John I of Alexandria, Coptic Pope from 496 to 505 * Pope John I, P ...

(1272–1286), son of Peter * John II (1286–1305), son of John I * Arthur II (1305–1312), son of John II *Guy (1312–1331), son of Arthur II * Joan (1331–1384), Countess of Penthièvre ''

suo jure ''Suo jure'' is a Latin phrase, used in English to mean 'in his own right' or 'in her own right'. In most nobility-related contexts, it means 'in her own right', since in those situations the phrase is normally used of women; in practice, especi ...

''; daughter of Guy, granddaughter of Henry IV of Avagour, married Charles de Blois-Châtillon, lost

, but retained the county with all rights under the Treaty of Guerande of 1365

House of Blois-Châtillon

(1384–1404), son of Joan; his widow would join in attempting the abduction and imprisonment of the duke of Brittany, only to be imprisoned herself by the duchess. * Olivier (1404–1433), son of John - lost the countship and the rights of Penthièvre to the duke of Brittany after attempting his imprisonment and presumed overthrow in 1420. * John II (1433–1454), second son of John - some aspects of Penthièvre were restored. * Nicole (1454–1479), granddaughter of John through his third son, Charles. She married Jean II de Brosse

House of Brosse

(1454–1482), husband of Nicole, Count of Penthièvre ''jure uxoris'' * John III (1482–1502), son of John V and Nicole * René (1502–1524), son of John VI * John IV (1524–1566), son of René

Dukes of Penthièvre

House of Luxembourg

* Sebastian (1566–1569), nephew of John IV. Sebastian was son of Charlotte de Brosse, daughter of René. * Marie (1569–1623), daughter of Sebastian, married Philippe Emmanuel de Lorraine.

House of Lorraine The House of Lorraine () originated as a cadet branch of the House of Metz. It inherited the Duchy of Lorraine in 1473 after the death without a male heir of Nicholas I, Duke of Lorraine. By the marriage of Francis of Lorraine to Maria Ther ...

* Philippe Emmanuel de Lorraine (1576–1602) * Françoise de Lorraine (1602–1669), married César de Bourbon

House of Bourbon-Vendôme

* César de Bourbon (1608–1665), legitimised son of

* Louis II de Bourbon-Vendôme (1665–1669), son of César de Vendôme * Louis III Joseph de Vendôme (1669–1712), son of Louis II de Bourbon-Vendôme **Sold to Marie Anne, ''légitimée'' de Bourbon in 1696.

House of Bourbon-Penthièvre

* Louis Alexandre de Bourbon (1697–1737),

Count of Toulouse The count of Toulouse (, ) was the ruler of Toulouse during the 8th to 13th centuries. Originating as vassals of the Frankish kings, the hereditary counts ruled the city of Toulouse and its surrounding county from the late 9th century until 12 ...

, Duke of Rambouillet,

legitimised Legitimation, legitimization ( US), or legitimisation ( UK) is the act of providing legitimacy. Legitimation in the social sciences refers to the process whereby an act, process, or ideology becomes legitimate by its attachment to norms and val ...

son of

Louis XIV of France LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...

* Louis de Bourbon (1737–1793), son of Louis Alexandre de Bourbon, Count of Toulouse

House of Orléans The 4th House of Orléans (), sometimes called the House of Bourbon-Orléans () to distinguish it, is the fourth holder of a surname previously used by several branches of the House of France, Royal House of France, all descended in the legitimat ...

Second Restoration

* Charles d'Orléans (1820–1828), son of Louis Philippe d'Orléans, Duke of Orléans (the future King of the French)

July Monarchy The July Monarchy (), officially the ''Kingdom of France'' (), was a liberalism, liberal constitutional monarchy in France under , starting on 9 August 1830, after the revolutionary victory of the July Revolution of 1830, and ending 26 Februar ...

* Pierre d'Orléans (1845–1919), son of François d'Orléans, prince de Joinville

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Counts and dukes of Penthievre