Eustache III of Boulogne

Other Events and Attributes:

• Alternate death: Bef 1142, Rumilly-le-Comte Priory, Rumilly, Pas-de-Calais, France

Notes:

Count of Boulogne and Lens.

Died as a monk at Rumilly-le Comte Priory, to which he retired by 1125.

Family/Spouse: Mary of Scotland. Mary (daughter of Malcolm III Canmore, King of Scotland (Alba) and St. Margaret of Scotland) died on 18 Apr 1118. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Maud of Boulogne, Queen Consort of England was born about 1072; died on 30 May 1151; was buried in Faversham Abbey, Kent, England.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Alternate death: Bef 1089
• Alternate death: 1093

Notes:

Count of Boulogne. Also known as Eustace aux Gernons (Eustace with the mustaches).

Fought at Hastings. Wikipedia: "In the following year, probably because he was dissatisfied with his share of the spoil, he assisted the Kentishmen in an attempt to seize Dover Castle. The conspiracy failed, and Eustace was sentenced to forfeit his English fiefs. Subsequently he was reconciled to the Conqueror, who restored a portion of the confiscated lands."

Peter Stewart notes that the Worcester (D) version of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles mentions Eustache II visiting England in 1051, and refers to him as having in the past been married to the sister of Edward the Confessor, i.e., his first wife Godgifu. He also argues that the year 1057 widely given for Eustache's marriage to Ida is "specious":

This comes from a forced interpretation by Jacques Malbrancq in the 17th century of an inscription in verse that had disappeared before his time from the collegiate church of Notre-Dame at Lens, stating that canons had been established there "Anno milleno ter deno bis minus uno". The plain interpretation of this is the year 1000+(3x10)-(1x2) = 1028, but Malbrancq took it to mean 1000+((3x10)x2)-1 = 1059. He thought that Ida had instituted the canons two years after marrying Eustace, but he overlooked their charter dated 1070 stating that this had been done by their predecessors, i.e. by his father Eustace I and his mother Mathilde of Louvain.

Eustache married St. Ida of Verdun before 1054. Ida (daughter of Godfrey "The Bearded" and Doda) was born about 1040; died on 13 Aug 1113. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Also called Ida of Lorraine; Ida of Bouillon.

From The Lives of the Saints, by Omer Englebert:

A daughter of the duke of Lorraine, Ida was married at the age of seventeen to Eustace II, count of Boulogne, like herself a descendant of Charlemagne. Among her numerous children a daughter became the wife of Henry IV, emperor of Germany, who, as is known, had to make honourable amends to the pope at Canossa.

Of her three sons the most celebrated is Godfrey, duke of Bouillon, who fought Gregory VII at his brother-in-law's side, then sold his duchy to go on the crusades and, after a series of exploits, was proclaimed king of Jerusalem in 1099. When he died the next year, his brother Baldwin succeeded him.

The Countess Ida had as her spiritual director St. Anselm, then abbot of Bec in Normandy. He sometimes visited her in Boulogne, and also wrote her edifying letters in which he sometimes calls her his "well-beloved sister," and sometimes his "very dear daughter in Jesus Christ."

Ida was humble and practised mortification and charity in proportion to her considerable wealth. Her favourite occupation was making fine ornaments for altars. After the death of her husband, with whom she was always on good terms, she consecrated all her disposable goods to found and endow religious establishments.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Alternate death: 1047

Notes:

Count of Boulogne.

He and his wife Mathilde of Louvain were fifth cousins through common descent from Aelfred "the Great" (848-899), king of Wessex, and fifth cousins once removed through common descent from Charles the Bald (823-877), Holy Roman Emperor, grandson of Charlemagne.

Eustace married Mathilde of Louvain. Mathilde (daughter of Lambert I "The Bearded" and Gerberga of Lorraine) was born about 993. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Alternate birth: Abt 1004, Louvain, Brabant, Belgium

Notes:

Also called Mahaut de Louvain; Maud de Leuven; Mathilda of Lens.

She and her husband Eustace I of Boulogne were fifth cousins through common descent from Aelfred "the Great" (848-899), king of Wessex, and fifth cousins once removed through common descent from Charles the Bald (823-877), Holy Roman Emperor, grandson of Charlemagne.

Godfrey married Doda. Doda died before 1053. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Also called Dada; Ida; Uoda. According to Peter Stewart (SGM, 9 Feb 2023), she may have been a member of the comital family of Toul.

Notes:

Also called Eustace. Count of Boulogne.

Baldwin married Adelvie de Gant. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Also called Adele of Holland; Adelvie of Guines.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Alternate death: 12 Sep 1015, Florennes, Namur, Belgium

Notes:

Count of Louvain.

"[K]illed at the Battle of Florennes defending his nephew's County of Hainault against the newly created Duke Godfrey of Brabant." [Ancestral Roots]

Lambert married Gerberga of Lorraine between 985 and 990. Gerberga (daughter of Charles of Lorraine and Adelheid) died after 1017. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Count of Verdun; Duke of Lower Lorraine; Duke of Upper Lorraine; Marquess of Antwerp.