Guillemette of Neufchâtel facts for kids

Guillemette of Neuchâtel (born 1260, died 1317) was an important noblewoman from France. She was the daughter of Amadeus, Count of Neuchâtel and Jordanna of Arberg. Guillemette became the Countess of Montbéliard in her own right, which means she inherited the title herself, not through her husband.

Guillemette's Family Life

Guillemette married Reginald of Burgundy in 1282. Together, they had five children. Their children played important roles in the history of the region.

Their Children

• Othenin "the Mad" (died 1339): He took over as Count of Montbéliard after his mother, Guillemette.
• Agnes of Montbéliard (died 1377): She married Henry I, Count of Montbéliard. Henry inherited Montbéliard after Othenin passed away.
• Joanna (died 1347): She married three times. Her husbands were Ulrich III, Count of Pfirt; Rudolf Hesso, Margrave of Baden-Baden; and William, Count of Katzenelnbogen.
• Margaret: She married William of Antigny, Prince of Sainte-Croix.
• Adelaide: She married John II, Count of Chalon-Auxerre.

Becoming Countess of Montbéliard

In 1283, Guillemette's great-grandfather, Theodoric III, Count of Montbéliard, passed away. He had outlived all his own children. In his will, he decided to leave the County of Montbéliard to his great-granddaughter, Guillemette. This was a very important inheritance.

Challenges to the Inheritance

However, not everyone was happy with this decision. Theobald III of Neuchâtel, who was also a grandchild of Theodoric III, wanted Montbéliard for himself. He worked with Reginald's brother, Otto IV, Count of Burgundy, to try and make Montbéliard a "fief" of Burgundy. A fief was like a piece of land held under the loyalty of a powerful lord. To solve this problem, Reginald gave up some lands, Blamont and Châtelot, to Theobald. This helped to settle the dispute and secure Guillemette's position as Countess.