Enguerrand VII de Coucy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Enguerrand VII
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| Lord of Coucy | |
Arms of Enguerrand VII, Lord of Coucy, KG
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| Born | Enguerrand de Coucy 1340 Coucy castle, Picardy, France |
| Died | 18 February 1397 (aged 56–57) Bursa, Anatolia, Ottoman Empire In captivity, of bubonic plague |
| Title held | 25 August 1346 – 18 February 1397 |
| Other titles | Earl of Bedford Count of Soissons |
| Nationality | French |
| Locality | Coucy-le-Château-Auffrique |
| Spouse(s) | Isabella of England Isabelle of Lorraine |
| Issue | Marie de Coucy, Countess of Soissons Philippa de Coucy, Countess of Oxford Isabelle de Coucy, Countess of Nevers Perceval (illegitimate son) |
| Father | Enguerrand VI, Lord of Coucy |
| Mother | Catherine of Austria |
Enguerrand VII de Coucy (born in 1340 – died February 18, 1397) was a famous French nobleman. He was the last Lord of Coucy, a powerful family in medieval France. Enguerrand became a son-in-law to King Edward III of England when he married the king's daughter, Isabella. This marriage brought him important lands and the title of Earl of Bedford in England.
Enguerrand was a skilled knight and leader. He took part in many battles and campaigns, including the Battle of Nicopolis in 1396. This battle was part of a large Christian effort to fight against the Ottoman Empire. Sadly, Enguerrand was captured during this battle. He later died in captivity from a serious illness called the bubonic plague. After his death, there were disagreements over who would inherit his lands. In the end, his lordship of Coucy became part of the French royal lands.
Contents
Enguerrand's Early Life and Rise to Power
Enguerrand became the Lord of Coucy when his father, Enguerrand VI, Lord of Coucy, died in 1346. This happened during a series of battles that ended with the Battle of Crécy. He also gained other titles, like Lord Gynes and Sire de La Fère. His mother, Catherine of Austria, passed away in 1349 during the terrible Black Death plague.
Enguerrand first joined the war against England when he was fifteen. He served with other noblemen from Picardy. In 1358, at the age of eighteen, he helped stop a peasant uprising known as the Jacquerie. This showed his early leadership skills.
Living Between England and France
Enguerrand first met King Edward III of England in 1359. He was one of forty noble hostages sent to England to help secure the release of the captured French King John II of France. He remained a hostage in 1360 after the Treaty of Brétigny was signed. This treaty changed land borders and set the amount of money for King John's release.
Enguerrand spent the next five years as a guest at the English Royal Court. A writer from that time, Jean Froissart, said that Enguerrand was very popular. He was good at dancing and singing, and both the French and English liked him.
Marriage to an English Princess
In 1365, Enguerrand married Isabella of England. She was 33 years old and the daughter of King Edward III. Isabella was known for being strong-willed and loving expensive things. Her father gave her a lot of money and gifts, including castles and manors, to ensure she was well cared for. Isabella chose Enguerrand as her husband because she wanted to marry for love.
As part of their marriage agreement, Enguerrand got back some old Coucy lands in England. These were in Yorkshire, Lancaster, Westmorland, and Cumberland. He was also set free as a hostage, meaning no ransom had to be paid for him. After their wedding on July 27, 1365, the couple traveled to France.
Their first daughter, Marie de Coucy, was born in April 1366 in Coucy, France. Later, during a visit to England, Enguerrand was given the title Earl of Bedford. He also became a member of the Order of the Garter, a special group of knights. In 1367, their second daughter, Philippa de Coucy, was born in England. Enguerrand also received more French lands and the title Count of Soissons.
Loyalty During the Hundred Years' War
Enguerrand and Isabella lived mostly on their estate in northern France. Isabella often visited England, especially when Enguerrand was serving France. He was a very skilled knight and was offered the top military job in France, Constable of France, twice. However, he refused it.
Enguerrand was very good at diplomacy. He managed to stay loyal to both the King of France and his English father-in-law. This was during the Hundred Years' War, a long period of fighting between England and France. He often served as a captain, messenger, advisor, and peacemaker during this conflict. However, when King Richard II became king of England in 1377, Enguerrand gave up all his English titles.
Enguerrand's Campaigns and Later Life
In 1375, Enguerrand hired soldiers to take back some lands he claimed through his mother. But his troops were attacked while passing through Switzerland. After some setbacks, this plan had to be given up. This event is known as the Gugler War.
After Isabella of England died in 1379, Enguerrand married Isabelle of Lorraine in 1386. She was the daughter of John I, Duke of Lorraine. They had one daughter named Isabel de Coucy. Enguerrand also took part in the Barbary Crusade in 1390.
The Battle of Nicopolis and Capture
Enguerrand died at age 56 on February 18, 1397, in Bursa, Ottoman Empire. He had been part of the last major medieval crusade against the Ottoman army. This crusade ended with the terrible Battle of Nicopolis on September 28, 1396. It was one of the biggest military defeats in European history.
During the battle, Enguerrand and other experienced knights suggested taking a break to regroup. But younger, more eager knights disagreed. They thought they had already beaten the main Ottoman army. They chased the fleeing Turks, only to run into a fresh group of Ottoman soldiers. A desperate fight followed. When the Ottoman Sultan's ally arrived with more soldiers, the Christian forces were completely defeated. Thousands of Crusader soldiers were killed, and almost all the knights, including Enguerrand, were either dead or captured.
Enguerrand and many other nobles were taken prisoner. The next day, the Ottoman Sultan forced the knights to watch the beheading of hundreds of captured Crusader soldiers. The prisoners were then stripped of most of their clothes and forced to march a long distance to Gallipoli. Enguerrand almost died from the cold during this march, but another captive saved him by giving him his coat. From Gallipoli, the prisoners were taken to Turkey to await ransom payments.
Death in Captivity
Even though great efforts were made in France to free the captives, Enguerrand died before his ransom could be paid. He caught the bubonic plague, which was spreading among the Turks. He was likely already weakened by his battle wounds and the hard march. His body was returned to Europe and buried at the Abbey of Villeneuve, near Soissons, France.
Enguerrand's Family
Enguerrand had two children with his first wife, Isabella of England:
- Marie de Coucy, Countess of Soissons (1366-1405), who married Henry of Bar.
- Philippa de Coucy (1367-1411), who married Robert de Vere.
With his second wife, Isabelle of Lorraine, Enguerrand had one child:
- Isabelle de Coucy (1386-1411), who married Philip II, Count of Nevers.
Enguerrand's Military Campaigns
Enguerrand took part in many important military actions:
- 1358: Helping to stop the Jacquerie peasant revolt.
- 1369: A campaign in Alsace.
- 1372-73: A campaign against the Papal Visconti family.
- 1375: The Gugler war.
- 1378: A campaign in Normandy during the Hundred Years' War.
- 1379: Defending Picardy during the Hundred Years' War.
- 1382: Helping to stop a Flemish uprising at the Battle of Roosebeke.
- 1384: A campaign in Italy.
- 1386: Preparing for an invasion of England during the Hundred Years' War.
- 1388: A campaign in Guelders.
- 1390: The Barbary Crusade.
- 1395: A campaign against Genoa.
- 1396: The Battle of Nicopolis.
The Coucy Estate
Enguerrand inherited one of the most impressive fortresses in Europe when his father died in 1346. This castle is known as the Château de Coucy. It was an amazing building for its time. Enguerrand was in charge of keeping the castle in good condition and building more on his family's lands. These lands included the fortress, 150 towns and villages, famous forests, and ponds, all bringing in a lot of money. The main part of the estate was in the area of Coucy Le Château Auffrique, in modern-day France.
When Enguerrand returned from England in 1366, his estate was facing tough times. Buildings and farms had been damaged by the war. Mills, storage buildings, and breweries needed to be rebuilt. There weren't enough workers because of the Black Death and war. Also, many serfs (people tied to the land) had left to find work and safety elsewhere.
In August 1368, Enguerrand gave freedom to people in 22 towns and villages under his control. He wrote that his father had wanted to do this but died too soon. Enguerrand set up a system of rents and payments to help the estate become rich again and attract workers.
After Enguerrand's death, his vast Coucy lands became part of the royal estates of France. This happened after a long disagreement over who should inherit them.
The Castle's Fate
The famous Coucy castle was repaired in the 1800s by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc. However, in 1917, during World War I, it was deliberately blown up. German General Erich Ludendorff ordered 28 tons of explosives to destroy it. This was done to spite Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria, who had asked Ludendorff to protect the castle from war damage.
Enguerrand in Books and Culture
Enguerrand and his first wife are important characters in the novel The Lady Royal by Molly Costain Haycraft. This book tells a romantic story about Princess Isabella of England. They are also supporting characters in the book The First Princess of Wales by Karen Harper. Enguerrand's life is the main topic of Barbara Tuchman's 1978 history book, A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th century.
