Joanna of Flanders Duchess Brittany 1295-1374

In 1290 [her father] Louis Dampierre I Count Nevers [aged 18] and [her mother] Joan Rethel Countess Nevers and Rethel were married. She by marriage Countess Nevers. He the son of [her grandfather] Robert Dampierre III Count Flanders [aged 41] and [her grandmother] Yolande Burgundy II Countess Nevers and Flanders. They were fifth cousin once removed.

Around 1295 Joanna of Flanders Duchess Brittany was born to Louis Dampierre I Count Nevers [aged 23] and Joan Rethel Countess Nevers and Rethel.

In 1320 [her brother] Louis Dampierre II Count Nevers I Count Flanders [aged 16] and [her sister-in-law] Margaret Capet Countess Nevers amd Flanders [aged 11] were married. She by marriage Countess Nevers, Countess Flanders. She the daughter of Philip V King France I King Navarre [aged 27] and Joan of Burgundy Queen Consort France [aged 28]. He the son of [her father] Louis Dampierre I Count Nevers [aged 48] and [her mother] Joan Rethel Countess Nevers and Rethel. They were fourth cousins. She a great x 5 granddaughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.

On 24th July 1322 [her father] Louis Dampierre I Count Nevers [aged 50] died. His son [her brother] Louis [aged 18] succeeded II Count Nevers.

On 17th September 1322 [her grandfather] Robert Dampierre III Count Flanders [aged 73] died. His grandson [her brother] Louis [aged 18] succeeded I Count Flanders.

In 1328 [her mother] Joan Rethel Countess Nevers and Rethel died.

In 1329 [her brother-in-law] John III Duke Brittany [aged 42] and Joan of Savoy Duchess Brittany [aged 19] were married. She by marriage Duchess Brittany 1221 Dreux. The difference in their ages was 23 years. She the daughter of Edward "Liberal" Savoy Count Savoy [aged 45] and Blanche Burgundy Countess Savoy [aged 41]. They were second cousins. He a great grandson of King Henry III of England. She a great x 4 granddaughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.

In 1329 John Montfort IV Duke Brittany [aged 34] and Joanna of Flanders Duchess Brittany [aged 34] were married at Chartres [Map]. She the daughter of Louis Dampierre I Count Nevers and Joan Rethel Countess Nevers and Rethel. He the son of Arthur II Duke Brittany and Yolande of Dreux Queen of Scotland [aged 65]. They were third cousin once removed. He a great grandson of King Henry III of England.

In 1331 [her brother-in-law] Guy Capet Count Penthièvre [aged 44] died. His daughter Joan [aged 12] succeeded Countess Penthièvre.

On 17th January 1334 John Capet 4th Earl Richmond [aged 68] died. His nephew [her brother-in-law] John [aged 47] succeeded 5th Earl Richmond.

In 1339 [her son] John Montfort V Duke Brittany was born to [her husband] John Montfort IV Duke Brittany [aged 44] and Joanna of Flanders Duchess Brittany [aged 44]. He a great x 2 grandson of King Henry III of England. He married (1) 3rd July 1361 his third cousin Mary Plantagenet Duchess Brittany, daughter of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainaut Queen Consort England (2) May 1366 his third cousin Joan Holland Duchess Brittany, daughter of Thomas Holland 1st Earl Kent and Joan "Fair Maid of Kent" Princess Wales (3) 2nd October 1386 his second cousin twice removed Joanna of Navarre Queen Consort England, daughter of Charles "Bad" II King Navarre and Joan Valois Queen Consort Navarre, and had issue.

In 1341 [her daughter] Joan Montfort was born to [her husband] John Montfort IV Duke Brittany [aged 46] and Joanna of Flanders Duchess Brittany [aged 46]. She a great x 2 granddaughter of King Henry III of England.

On 30th April 1341 [her brother-in-law] John III Duke Brittany [aged 55] died at Caen [Map]. Earl Richmond suspended. The succession of the Duchy of Brittany was disputed between Joan "Lame" Capet Countess Penthièvre [aged 22] and [her husband] John Montfort IV Duke Brittany [aged 46] leading to the War of the Breton Succession. His niece Joan succeeded Duchess Brittany 1221 Dreux. Charles of Blois Duke Brittany [aged 22] by marriage Duke Brittany 1221 Dreux. His half brother John succeeded IV Duke Brittany 1221 Dreux. Joanna of Flanders Duchess Brittany [aged 46] by marriage Duchess Brittany 1221 Dreux.

Bourgeois de Valenciennes. After the Count of Montfort had passed away and gone from life to death, as you have heard above, Charles of Blois soon afterward came into Brittany to take possession of the land in the name of his wife. He entered into his inheritance and established himself as lord of the country. And the Lady of Montfort [aged 50]¹, sister of the Count of Flanders, was compelled to depart from the land of Brittany with her son and daughter, and she went to dwell in England, where she was well received and honourably welcomed by the king and the queen.

Après ce que le conte de Montfort fut trespassé et allé de vie à mort, sy comme vous avez oy cy- dessus, tantost après Charles de Blois vint en Bretaingne prendre possession de la terre de par sa femme, et s'en ahérita et posa comme sire du pays. Et convint la dame de Monfort, suer du conte de Flandres, partir, entre son fils et sa fille, du pays de Bretaingne, et s'en alla demourer en Engleterre oîi elle fut bien venue et honnourablement rechue du roy et de la royne.

Note 1. Joan of Flanders, 1295-1374 sister of Louis, I Count of Flanders, married in 1329 [her husband] John of Montfort [aged 50].

On 26th September 1345 [her husband] John Montfort IV Duke Brittany [aged 50] died at Hennebont. His son John [aged 6] succeeded V Duke Brittany 1221 Dreux. Mary Plantagenet Duchess Brittany by marriage Duchess Brittany 1221 Dreux.

Around 3rd July 1361 [her son] John Montfort V Duke Brittany [aged 22] and [her daughter-in-law] Mary Plantagenet Duchess Brittany [aged 16] were married. She the daughter of King Edward III of England [aged 48] and Philippa of Hainaut Queen Consort England [aged 51]. They were third cousins. He a great x 2 grandson of King Henry III of England.

In May 1366 [her son] John Montfort V Duke Brittany [aged 27] and [her daughter-in-law] Joan Holland Duchess Brittany [aged 16] were married. She by marriage Duchess Brittany 1221 Dreux. She the daughter of Thomas Holland 1st Earl Kent and Joan "Fair Maid of Kent" Princess Wales [aged 37]. They were third cousins. He a great x 2 grandson of King Henry III of England. She a great granddaughter of King Edward I of England.

In September 1374 Joanna of Flanders Duchess Brittany [aged 79] died.

Life of Charles VI by a Monk of St Denis. Returning now to the hostile raids of the English, which until now have been passed over in silence because of what has already been said, it seems fitting that our account should begin with the departure of the dukes from the duchy of Aquitaine. For after this the English, serving under the banners of Lord Thomas^{ENDNOTE1ENDNOTE}, the son of the king of England, became bolder in doing harm when they heard of their departure. From the month of September until now they had ridden out from Aquitaine through Touraine and from Marmoutier through Anjou^{ENDNOTE2ENDNOTE}, carrying out hostile incursions, violently driving off flocks and herds from every place and plundering the peasants of all their goods; nor did they cease to burn the suburbs until they had reached Brittany. They were indeed not unaware that the barons^{ENDNOTE3ENDNOTE} were working vigorously to bring the duke of Brittany^{ENDNOTE4ENDNOTE} into reconciliation with the king of France. But since they knew that he had not yet accepted the treaties of peace nor dissolved the longstanding bond of friendship recently contracted with them, they decided to spend the harshness of the winter in the duchy, not as enemies but as friendly allies. Although the barons had long refused this, at last, overcome by the duke's earnest pleas, they allowed it, though not without difficulty, on the condition that the English should be completely excluded from entering fortresses and towns. Instead, moving openly through the countryside and the suburbs, they were permitted to engage in trade according to the common law of commerce, and necessary goods were to be sold to them in fair measure and at a just price.

Ad discursiones hostiles Anglicorum, hucusque propter prescripta sub silencio sepultas, rediens stilus noster, racionabile videtur ut a recessu dominorum ducum de Acquitanie ducatu sumat exordium. Nam inde Anglici sub signis domini Thome, filii regis Anglie, militantes de eorum recessu audaciores effecti ad nocendum, et a mense septembri et hucusque de Acquitania per Turoniam et de Majori Monasterio per Andegaviam. discurrentes hostiliter, greges et armenta undique violenter abducentes, omnimoda supellectili spoliatis colonis, suburhia non desisterunt succendere, donec Britaniam attigissent. Equidem non ignorabant quin barones efficaciter laborarent ut dux Francie reconsiliaretur regi. Sed scientes eum non adhuc federa pacis. acceptasse, nec amoris inveteratum vinculum cum ipsis nuper contractum dissolvisse, in ducatu, non ut hostes, sed ut amicabiles consodales, hyemis transigere inclemenciam statuerunt. Quod cum diu barones denegassent, tandem victi vallidis precibus ducis, non sine difficultate permiserunt ut exclusi penitus ab ingressu municionum et urbium, palam patriam et suburbia perlustrando, commerciorum legem obtinerent communem, sibique equa mensura et justo precio necessaria venderentur.

Note 1. Thomas of Woodstock, Earl of Buckingham, later Duke of Gloucester, seventh son of Edward III.

1. Thomas de Woodstock, comte de Buckingham, puis duc de Glocester, septième filsd Édouard III.

Note 2. According to Froissart, after landing at Calais, the English crossed Artois, Vermandois, and Champagne, passed the Seine near Troyes, entered Burgundy, penetrated into the Gâtinais as far as Vendôme, and arrived in Brittany, Maine, and Anjou.

2. Suivant Froissart, les Anglais, après avoir débarqué à Calais, traversèrent l’Artois, le Vermandois, la Champagne, passèrent la Seine près de Troyes, entrèrent en Bourgogne, pénétrèrent dans le Gâtinais jusqu’à Vendôme, et arrivèrent en Bretagne etMaine et l’Anjou.

Note 3. According to Froissart, the chief among these barons were the Constable de Clisson, the Lord of Dinan, the Lord of Laval, the Viscount of Rohan, and the Lord of Rochefort. The last four were those whom the Duke of Brittany chose, some time afterwards, to negotiate peace with King Charles VI.

3. Suivant Froissart, les principaux d'entre ces barons étaient le connétable de Clisson, le sire de Dinan, le sire de Laval, le vicomte de Rohan et le sire de Rochefort. Ces quatre derniers furent ceux que le duc de Bretagne choisit, quelque temps après, pour négocier la paix avec le roi Charles VI.

Note 4. John IV de Montfort, 1339-1399, son of Joanna of Flanders, 1295-1374, celebrated for the siege she sustained at Hennebont in 1342.

4. Jean IV de Montfort, fils de Jeanne de Flandre, célèbre par le siége qu’elle soutint dans Hennebon en 1342.