André de Chauvigny facts for kids
Andre de Chauvigny (also known as Andrew of Chauvigny) was a brave knight from a region in France called Poitou. He lived from about 1150 to 1202. Andrew was a loyal knight who served Richard I of England, who was also known as Richard the Lionheart. Andrew was related to King Richard; his mother, Haois of Châtellerault, was Richard's great-aunt, which made them second cousins.
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Serving Richard the Lionheart
Andrew's father, Pierre-Hélie of Chauvigny, worked for the bishops of Poitiers. Andrew himself owned land and possibly a small castle in Monthoiron, Poitou, before 1180. He was quite famous in the knightly tournaments of his time. Andrew joined King Richard's personal group of knights sometime after 1182, when Richard was still the count of Poitou.
In 1189, Richard teamed up with Philip II of France to attack Richard's father, the old King Henry II of England. They attacked Henry's hometown, Le Mans. Richard's forces set fire to the city. King Henry and his captain, William Marshal, managed to escape. William Marshal protected the rear of Henry's retreating army. Andrew was at the front of Richard's chasing force. Andrew and William Marshal fought, and William managed to knock Andrew off his horse. A famous book, "The History of William Marshal," says that Andrew broke his arm badly that day.
Later that year, after King Henry died, Richard became king. He rewarded Andrew for his service by arranging his marriage to Denise, Countess of Devon (1173–1221). She was a wealthy heiress. Denise brought Andrew control of the important border area of Châteauroux. This area included several castles like Châteauroux, Déols, Le Chatelet, La Châtre, and Saint-Chartrier. This made Andrew one of the most powerful lords in the Berry region of Poitou. This area was very important because it protected the roads to major cities like Tours, Poitiers, and Angers. King Richard also gave Andrew more lands in the county of Anjou.
Adventures in the Third Crusade
Andrew was one of King Richard's most important military leaders during the Third Crusade, which lasted from 1190 to 1192. He joined the King's army at Vezelay and sailed with them to Marseille on July 4, 1190. He was with King Richard in Sicily and proved to be a very skilled commander during the long Siege of Acre and the Battle of Arsuf.
A writer named Geoffrey de Vinsauf wrote that during one of the many fights against Saladin's forces, Andrew was wounded in the arm by a Muslim spear. King Richard trusted Andrew so much that he put him in charge of many other important crusader lords. Even powerful knights like Robert IV of Leicester and Hugh of Saint-Pol seemed to report to him. Andrew also appeared to lead the King's personal knights, known as the familia regis, which included knights like Peter de Preaux, William des Roches, and Gerard de Fournival. After the fighting stopped, Andrew was given the honor of leading the first group of pilgrims into Jerusalem.
Return from Crusade and Later Years
When Andrew returned from the crusade, he discovered that King Philip of France had taken much of his land in Poitevin Berry, including the important castle of Issoudun. Andrew remained loyal to King Richard. He helped Richard take back the castles of Loches and Châtillon-sur-Indre in 1194. Later, Andrew also fought with Richard's forces during an attack on Adhemar, the count of Angoulême.
In 1196, King Richard tried to end the war with the Treaty of Gaillon. This treaty mostly gave King Philip what he wanted in the regions of Vexin and Berry. The treaty said Andrew should become a vassal of the King of France for his lands in Berry. However, the treaty failed, and the war continued. Andrew stayed firmly on King Richard's side.
After King Richard died in 1199 during the siege of Chalus-Chabrol castle, Andrew had to make another big decision. Should he support Richard's younger brother, John of England, who had a difficult relationship with the French King? Or should he support Richard's nephew, Arthur of Brittany? Andrew chose to join Duke Arthur. King Philip had declared Arthur the rightful ruler of the Angevin lands. In October 1199, Andrew promised his loyalty to Arthur for his lands in Anjou and Poitou. He also promised loyalty to King Philip for his castles and lands in Berry.
Andrew fought with Duke Arthur against King John of England and William des Roches at the Battle of Mirebeau in 1202. Andrew was captured along with Arthur and many other nobles from Poitou and Brittany. He was sent to Rouen. Many of King John's prisoners were starved to death. Andrew may have been one of them, as he died that same year. King John then gave Andrew's widow's English lands back to the Earls of Devon.
Andrew's twelve-year-old son, William, took over as the baron of Deols-Chateroux after his father's death.
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