Guy I of Clermont

Guy I of Clermont-Nesle (c. 1255 – 11 July 1302) was a Marshal of France, Seigneur (Lord) of Offemont jure uxoris, and possibly of Ailly, Maulette and Breteuil. He might have been a Seigneur of Nesle also, or used the title "Sire of Nesle" due to his family. Difficulties about the seigneurie of Breteuil are present, and the status of Ailly and Maulette in relation to Breteuil.

Biography

Guy was the youngest son of Simon II of Clermont (c. 1216 – 1286) by Adele of Montfort (d. 1279), daughter of Amaury VI of Montfort. He had three brothers and at least one sister, whose son was the famous Robert VIII Bertrand (fr), also Marshal of France.

In 1296 he became Marshal of France, when his elder brother Raoul of Clermont, Viscount of Châteaudun and Seigneur of Nesle was already the Constable and Grand Chamberlain of France. The French King Philip "the fair" (1268–1314) sent the two brothers to attack the enemy at the Siege of Lille (1297), where they were victorious and took a large number of prisoners. Some descendant to Guy is said have assisted in the conquest of Guyenne by Philip's grandson King Edward III of England (1312–1377).

Together with his brother, under Robert II, Count of Artois as commander, he fought in the Franco-Flemish War (1297–1305) against the County of Flanders. In 1302 in the Battle of the Golden Spurs at Kortrijk, the French army was utterly defeated, all three killed and the Flemish regained independence.

Marriage and issue

Guy married firstly c. 1268 Marguerite, a daughter probably of Guillaume or Dreux (d. 1249) Mello family, Seigneur of Saint-Bris. She was anyway a descendant of Dreux IV of Mello sr. (1137/38 – 1218), but the exact family relations are very difficult to determine.

Secondly, in c. 1285, he married Marguerite of Thourotte, Dame of Offemont and Thourotte, daughter of Ansould II of Thourotte (de) (d. c. 1294) and Jeanne (of Abbecourt?). They had five probable children with descendants:

A possible son, a probable alternative is that his cousin Jean of Tartigny, son of Raoul (II) of Tartigny (d. a. 1243), a brother of Simon II of Clermont, was the father:

Guillaume I and Jean I died in the disastrous Battle of Poitiers on 19 September 1356, where the French King Jean II "the good" was taken captive together with his son.

Note: The property of Breteuil had been inherited from Valeran III (fr) to his eldest daughter Alix, married to Count Raoul "the red" (fr), and then the youngest, Amicie. When Amicie died in 1226, there seems to have been no obvious legitimate heir and the property went to the French Crown. The same year the property was redeemed with 3000 pounds by "Clémence, wife of Simon of Beausault, and Jeanne of Dargies", assumed to be sisters, in accordance to a previous agreement between Amicie and the king. They are assumed to be relatives within the Clermont family, possibly daughters of Amicie's sister Mathilde or even Amicie herself. The connection with later Seigneurs like presumably Simon, Guy and Raoul is not clear. Several suggestions have been made to resolve the question. Also which distinction should be made between the titles Seigneur of Beausault or Breteuil in this context, and some heir can have one title and others the other in the genealogy. The property may have been divided or the title may have been used honorifically. Another possibility is that either the attribution of Seigneurs of Breteuil to the line of Guy I, or the family relationship is wrong. The Counts of Clermont-en-Beauvaisis belonged to this house of Clermont until the death of Raoul I "the red" (fr) in 1191. His daughter Catherine married Louis I, Count of Blois and their son Theobald VI, Count of Blois sold the County of Clermont-en-Beauvaisis to the French Crown in 1218. however links have shown of the house of Clermont engaging in marriage the Bellacors of Bath, showing the family have survived the generations For more about this problem, see Simon II of Clermont.
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