Cardinal William "White Hands" Blois 1135-1202

In 1123 [his father] Theobald Blois II Count Champagne IV Count Blois [aged 33] and [his mother] Matilda Carinthia Countess Champagne and Blois were married. She by marriage Countess Champagne, Countess Blois. He the son of [his grandfather] Stephen Blois II Count Blois and Chartres [aged 78] and [his grandmother] Adela Normandy Countess Blois [aged 56].

In 1135 Cardinal William "White Hands" Blois was born to Theobald Blois II Count Champagne IV Count Blois [aged 45] and Matilda Carinthia Countess Champagne and Blois. He a great grandson of King William "Conqueror" I of England.

Chronicle of William Nangis. At this time flourished Theobald, count of Champagne, father of orphans, judge of widows, eye of the blind, foot of the lame, singularly generous in supporting the poor, and incomparable in his liberality toward all religious in the building of monasteries. He built the abbey of Saint-Florent of Saumur and the Cistercian abbey of l’Aumône¹, as well as many others. By his wife Matilda², of noble German lineage, he begot Henry, count of Champagne; Theobald, count of Blois; Stephen, count of Sancerre; William, first elected bishop of Chartres, then archbishop of Sens, afterwards of Reims; and also Adela, queen of the Franks³, [Matilda] countess of Perche, [Agnes] countess of Bar, and [Marie] wife of the duke of Burgundy.

Note 1. The author here is mistaken. The abbey of l’Aumône, called the little Cîteaux, may have been founded by Count Thibaut; its origin goes back to about the year 1121. But the abbey of Saint-Florent, founded around the middle of the seventh century in the castle of Saumur, had already been rebuilt near the town at the beginning of the eleventh century.

Note 2. Matilda, countess of Champagne, was the daughter of Engelbert II, duke of Carinthia and margrave of Friuli.

Note 3. Adela, third wife of King Louis the Younger. his first two wives being Eleanor of Aquitaine, and Constance of Castile.

Florebat hoc tempore Theobaldus comes Campanise, pater orphanorum, judex viduarum, cæcorum oculus) pes claudorum, in pauperibus sustentandis singulariter munificus, in extruendis monasteriis et erga religiosps quosque largitate incomparabilis. Hic abbatiam sancti Florentii Salmuriensis et abbatiam Eleemosinæ Cisterciensis (2) ac multas alias construxit. Genuit autem ex Mathilde uxore sua, nobili genere Teuthonicorum progenita (3), Henricum comitem Campanise, et Theobaldum comitem Blesensem, ac Stephanum comitem Sacri-Cæsaris, Guillermum primo Carnotensem electum, deinde Senonensem archiepiscopum, post Remensem; item Adelam reginam Francorum (4) comitissam de Pertico, etcomitissam Barri, ac uxorem ducis Burgundiæ.

1. II y a ici une erreur que je ne puis m'expliquer. L'abbaye de l'Aumône, dite le petit Cîteaux, peut avoir été fondée par le comte Thibaut; son origine remonte a l'année 1121 environ. Mais l'abbaye de Saint-Florent, fondée vers le milieu du Vile siècle dans le château de Saumur, avait déjà été rebâtie près de la ville vers le commencement du Xl^e.

2. Mathilde, comtesse de Champagne, était fille d'Engilbert II, duc de Carinthie et marquis de Frioul.

3. Troisieme femme de Louis-le-Jeune

Around 1150 [his uncle] William "Simple" Blois Count Blois Count Chartres [aged 65] died. His brother [his father] Theobald [aged 60] succeeded II Count Champagne, IV Count Blois.

On 8th January 1152 [his father] Theobald Blois II Count Champagne IV Count Blois [aged 62] died. His son [his brother] Henry [aged 24] succeeded I Count Champagne. His son Theobald [aged 22] succeeded V Count Blois.

In 1155 [his brother-in-law] Renauld of Bar II Count of Bar and [his sister] Agnes Blois Countess of Bar were married. She by marriage Countess Bar. She the daughter of [his father] Theobald Blois II Count Champagne IV Count Blois and [his mother] Matilda Carinthia Countess Champagne and Blois.

In 1160 [his mother] Matilda Carinthia Countess Champagne and Blois died.

In 1164 [his brother] Henry Blois I Count Champagne [aged 36] and [his sister-in-law] Marie Capet Countess Champagne [aged 19] were married. She by marriage Countess Champagne. She the daughter of [his brother-in-law] Louis VII King of the Franks [aged 44] and Eleanor of Aquitaine Queen Consort Franks and England [aged 42]. He the son of [his father] Theobald Blois II Count Champagne IV Count Blois and [his mother] Matilda Carinthia Countess Champagne and Blois. They were fourth cousins. He a great grandson of King William "Conqueror" I of England.

In 1164 [his brother] Theobald "Good" Blois V Count Blois [aged 34] and [his sister-in-law] Alix Capet Countess Blois [aged 13] were married. She by marriage Countess Blois. The difference in their ages was 20 years. She the daughter of [his brother-in-law] Louis VII King of the Franks [aged 44] and Eleanor of Aquitaine Queen Consort Franks and England [aged 42]. He the son of [his father] Theobald Blois II Count Champagne IV Count Blois and [his mother] Matilda Carinthia Countess Champagne and Blois. They were fourth cousins. He a great grandson of King William "Conqueror" I of England.

In 1176 Cardinal William "White Hands" Blois [aged 41] was appointed Archbishop of Reims.

In 1179 Cardinal William "White Hands" Blois [aged 44] was appointed Cardinal.

On 16th March 1181 [his brother] Henry Blois I Count Champagne [aged 53] died. His son [his nephew] Henry [aged 14] succeeded II Count Champagne.

In 1191 [his brother] Stephen Blois I Count Sancerre [aged 58] died at Acre [Map].

On 20th January 1191 [his brother] Theobald "Good" Blois V Count Blois [aged 61] died. His son [his nephew] Louis [aged 19] succeeded I Count Blois.

In 1202 Cardinal William "White Hands" Blois [aged 67] died.