Godfrey I (, 1060 – 25 January 1139), called the Bearded, the Courageous, or the Great, was the

Landgrave of Brabant The Landgraviate of Brabant (Modern , Modern ) was a small imperial fiefdom west of Brussels, consisting of the area between the Dender and Zenne rivers in the Low Countries, then part of the Holy Roman Empire. Before 1085 the land had belonge ...

, Count of

Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...

and

Leuven Leuven (, , ), also called Louvain (, , ), is the capital and largest City status in Belgium, city of the Provinces of Belgium, province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located about east of Brussels. The municipalit ...

(Louvain) from 1095 to his death and

Duke of Lower Lorraine The kings and dukes of Lorraine have held different posts under different governments over different regions, since its creation as the kingdom of Lotharingia by the Treaty of Prüm, in 855. The first rulers of the newly established region were k ...

from 1106 to 1129. He was also

Margrave of Antwerp The Margraviate of Antwerp (or March of Antwerp) consisted since the eleventh century of the area around the cities of Antwerp and Breda. Origin Under Otto II, emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, several marches were created along the border w ...

from 1106 to his death.

Biography

Godfrey was the son of

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 ...

(c. 1020–1078) and Adela of Orthen (or Betuwe), a daughter of Count

Everard of Orthen Everard is a given name and surname which is the anglicised version of the old Germanic name Eberhard. Notable people with the name include: People First name *Everard Aloysius Lisle Phillipps (1835–1857), English East India officer awarded the V ...

. He succeeded his brother Henry III who died wounded in a

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 ...

in 1095, and only had young daughters. His widow Gertrude married Theodoric II, Duke of (upper) Lorraine. He first came into conflict in 1096 with Otbert, Bishop of Liège, over the county of

Brunengeruz The county of Brunengeruz (spelled in various ways such as Brugeron, Brunengeruuz, Brunengurt) existed in the 10th and 11th centuries in what is now eastern Belgium, between the town of Leuven on the river Dyle and Tienen on the river Gete. It was ...

that both claimed. In 1099,

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 ...

allotted the county to the bishop, who entrusted it to

Albert III, Count 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 Duk ...

. Godfrey arbitrated a dispute between

Henry III of Luxembourg Henri III, Count of Luxembourg (died 1096) was count of Luxembourg from 1086 until his death. He succeeded his father, Conrad I. His mother was Clementia of Aquitaine. Henry III was the first count known to have established his permanent residen ...

and

Arnold I, Count of Loon Arnold I (b. about 1045 – d. about 1130), Count of Loon (Looz) from about 1079, son of Emmo, Count of Loon, and Suanhildis, daughter of Dirk III, Count of Holland, and his wife Othelandis. He was an ally of Henry of Verdun and Otbert, both ...

, over the appointment of the abbot of

Sint-Truiden Sint-Truiden (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality located in the Provinces of Belgium, province of Limburg (Belgium), Limburg, Flemish Region, Belgium. With more than 41,500 inhabitants, it is on ...

. Godfrey was in favour with the emperor and defended his interests in Lorraine. In 1102, he stopped

Robert II of Flanders Robert II, Count of Flanders ( 1065 – 5 October 1111) was Count of Flanders from 1093 to 1111. He became known as Robert of Jerusalem (''Robertus Hierosolimitanus'') or Robert the Crusader after his exploits in the First Crusade. Early lif ...

"the Crusader", who was invading the

Cambraisis Cambrai (, ; ; ), formerly Cambray and historically in English Camerick or Camericke, is a city in the Nord department and in the Hauts-de-France region of France on the Scheldt river, which is known locally as the Escaut river. A sub-prefe ...

. After the death of the emperor in 1106, his son and successor,

Henry V Henry V may refer to: People * Henry V, Duke of Bavaria (died 1026) * Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (1081/86–1125) * Henry V, Duke of Carinthia (died 1161) * Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine (–1227) * Henry V, Count of Luxembourg (1216–1281 ...

, who had been in rebellion, decided to avenge himself on his father's partisans. Duke Henry of Lower Lorraine was imprisoned and his duchy confiscated and given to Godfrey. After Henry escaped from prison, he tried to retake his duchy and captured

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 ...

, but ultimately failed. In 1114, during a rift between the emperor and

Pope Paschal II Pope Paschal II (; 1050 1055 – 21 January 1118), born Raniero Raineri di Bleda, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 13 August 1099 to his death in 1118. A monk of the Abbey of Cluny, he was creat ...

, Godfrey led a revolt in Germany. In 1118, the emperor and the duke were reconciled. In 1119,

Baldwin VII of Flanders Baldwin VII (1093 – 17 July 1119) was Count of Flanders from 1111 to 1119. Baldwin was the son of Count Robert II of Flanders and Clementia of Burgundy. He succeeded his father as count when he died on 5 October 1111. Reign Baldwin succeed ...

died heirless and Flanders was contested between several claimants, one of whom,

William of Ypres William of Ypres (; 1090 – 24 January 116524 January 1164 O.S., 1165 N.S.) was a Flemish nobleman and one of the first mercenary captains of the Middle Ages. Following two unsuccessful bids for the County of Flanders, William became Kin ...

, had married a niece of Godfrey's second wife. Godfrey supported William, but could not enforce his claim against that of

Charles the Good Charles the Good (10842 March 1127) was Count of Flanders from 1119 to 1127. His murder and its aftermath were chronicled by Galbert of Bruges. He was beatified by Pope Leo XIII in 1882 through ''cultus'' ''confirmation''. Early life Charles ...

. Also dead in that year was Otbert. Two separate men were elected to replace him and Godfrey again sided with the loser. By marrying his daughter Adeliza to

Henry I of England Henry I ( – 1 December 1135), also known as Henry Beauclerc, was King of England from 1100 to his death in 1135. He was the fourth son of William the Conqueror and was educated in Latin and the liberal arts. On William's death in 1087, Henr ...

, who was also the father-in-law of the emperor, he greatly increased his prestige. However, Henry V died in 1125 and Godfrey supported

Conrad of Hohenstaufen Conrad of Hohenstaufen ( – 8 November 1195) was the first hereditary Count Palatine of the Rhine. His parents were Frederick II of Swabia (1090–1147), Duke of Swabia, and his second wife Agnes of Saarbrücken, daughter of Frederick, ...

, the

duke of Franconia The Duchy of Franconia () was one of the five stem duchies of East Francia and the medieval Kingdom of Germany emerging in the early 10th century. The word Franconia, first used in a Latin language, Latin charter of 1053, was applied like the wo ...

, against

Lothair of Supplinburg Lothair III, sometimes numbered Lothair II and also known as Lothair of Supplinburg ( June 1075 – 4 December 1137), was Holy Roman Emperor from 1133 until his death. He was appointed Duke of Saxony in 1106 and elected King of Germany in 1125 be ...

. Lothair was elected. Lothair withdrew the

duchy of Lower Lorraine The Duchy of Lower Lotharingia, also called Northern Lotharingia, Lower Lorraine or Northern Lorraine (and also referred to as '' Lothier'' or '' Lottier''

and granted it to Waleran of

Limburg Limburg or Limbourg may refer to: Regions * Limburg (Belgium), a province since 1839 in the Flanders region of Belgium * Limburg (Netherlands), a province since 1839 in the south of the Netherlands * Diocese of Limburg, Roman Catholic Diocese in ...

(c. 1085 – 1139), the son of Henry, whom Henry V had deprived in 1106. Nonetheless, Godfrey maintained the margraviate of Antwerp and retained the ducal title (which would in 1183 become

Duke of Brabant The Duke of Brabant (, ) was the ruler of the Duchy of Brabant since 1183/1184. The title was created by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa in favor of Henry I, Duke of Brabant, Henry I of the House of Reginar, son of Godfrey III of Le ...

). After the assassination of Charles the Good in 1127, the Flemish succession was again in dispute.

William Clito William Clito (25 October 1102 – 28 July 1128) was a member of the House of Normandy who ruled the County of Flanders from 1127 until his death and unsuccessfully claimed the Duchy of Normandy. As the son of Robert Curthose, the eldest son o ...

prevailed, but was soon fraught with revolts. Godfrey intervened on behalf of

Theodoric of Alsace Theoderic (, , ; – 17 January 1168), commonly known as Thierry of Alsace, was the fifteenth count of Flanders from 1128 to 1168. With a record of four campaigns in the Levant and Africa (including participation in the Second Crusade, the faile ...

, who prevailed against Clito. Godfrey continued to war against

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 ...

and

Namur Namur (; ; ) is a city and municipality in Wallonia, Belgium. It is the capital both of the province of Namur and of Wallonia, hosting the Parliament of Wallonia, the Government of Wallonia and its administration. Namur stands at the confl ...

. Godfrey spent his last years in the abbey of

Affligem Affligem (; anciently written Afflighem) is a municipality located some west-north-west of Brussels in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant, not far from the city of Aalst and the important railway junction of Denderleeuw. Affligem is situa ...

. He died of old age on 25 January 1139 and was buried in the left aisle of the abbey church. He is sometimes said to have passed in 1140, but this is an error.

Family and children

Godfrey married Ida of Chiny (1078–1117), daughter of

Otto II, Count of Chiny Otto II (1065 – after 1131), Count of Chiny, son of Arnold I, Count of Chiny, and Adélaïs. He succeeded his father in 1106 and completed the construction of the Abbey of Orval that his father had started in 1070, installing the canons in 1 ...

, (c. 1065 – after 1131) and Adelaide of Namur. They had several children: *

Adeliza of Louvain Adeliza of Louvain (also Adelicia, Adela, Adelais, and Aleidis; c. 1103 – March/April 1151) was Queen of England from 1121 to 1135 as the second wife of King Henry I. Adeliza was the eldest child of Godfrey I, Count of Louvain, and Ida ...

(b. 1103 – d. abbey of Affligem, 23 April 1151) married

Henry I, King of England Henry I ( – 1 December 1135), also known as Henry Beauclerc, was King of England from 1100 to his death in 1135. He was the fourth son of William the Conqueror and was educated in Latin and the liberal arts. On William's death in 1087, Henr ...

and later

William d'Aubigny, 1st Earl of Arundel William d'Aubigny (c. 110912 Oct 1176), also known as William d'Albini, William de Albini and William de Albini II, was an English nobleman. He was son of William d'Aubigny and Maud Bigod, daughter of Roger Bigod of Norfolk. William fought loy ...

(1109 – before 1151). * Godfrey II of Louvain (b. 1107 – d. 13 June 1142), Duke of Lower Lotharingia (Lower Lorraine),

, Count of Brussels and

Louvain Leuven (, , ), also called Louvain (, , ), is the capital and largest city of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located about east of Brussels. The municipality itself comprises the sub-municipalities of ...

. He married

Lutgardis of Sulzbach Lutgardis of Aywières (; 1182 – 16 June 1246; also spelled Lutgarde) is a saint from the medieval Low Countries. She was born in Tongeren, known as Tongres in French (which is why she is also called Lutgardis of Tongres or Luitgard of Tonger(e ...

(d.a. 1163), daughter of Berenger I of Sulzbach. * Clarissa (d. 1140). * Henry (d. in the abbey of

, 1141), monk. * Ida (d. 1162) married to

Arnold I, Count of Cleves The Duchy of Cleves (; ) was a Imperial State, state of the Holy Roman Empire which emerged from the medieval . It was situated in the northern Rhineland on both sides of the Lower Rhine, around its capital Cleves and the towns of Wesel, Kalkar, ...

(d. 1147). Later, he married

Clementia of Burgundy Clementia of Burgundy (c. 1078 – c. 1133) was countess of County of Flanders, Flanders by marriage to Robert II of Flanders. She acted as regent of Flanders from 1096 until 1100, while her spouse was on crusade, and in the name of their son Baldwi ...

(c. 1078 – c. 1133), daughter of

William I, Count of Burgundy William I (1020 – 12 November 1087), called the Great (''le Grand'' or ''Tête Hardie'', "the Stubborn"), was Count of Burgundy from 1057 to 1087 and Mâcon from 1078 to 1087. He was a son of Reginald I, Count of Burgundy and Alice of Normandy ...

, and widow of

Robert II, Count of Flanders Robert II, Count of Flanders ( 1065 – 5 October 1111) was Count of Flanders from 1093 to 1111. He became known as Robert of Jerusalem (''Robertus Hierosolimitanus'') or Robert the Crusader after his exploits in the First Crusade. Early lif ...

. They had no children. By an unknown mistress he had one son:Early Yorkshire Charters Percy by C T Clay ed Publication date 1963 https://archive.org/details/YASES9/page/6/mode/2up *

Joscelin of Louvain Joscelin of Louvain, also spelled Jocelin de Louvain and Jocelyn of Leuven, (1121/36–1180) was a nobleman from the Duchy of Brabant who settled in England after his half-sister Adeliza of Louvain married King Henry I. There Joscelin married a ...

, married Agnes De Percy and had issue.

References

Sources

*''Collins's Peerage of England'', ed. S.E. Brydges IX vols, London 1812. *Académie royale de Belgique, ''Biographie Nationale'', v. 7, Brussels, 1883. * {{Authority control Dukes of Lower Lorraine Counts of Louvain Margraves of Antwerp 1060s births 1139 deaths Year of birth uncertain House of Reginar 12th-century dukes in Europe 12th-century counts in Europe

Biography

Family and children

See also

References

Sources