Jean I de Grailly facts for kids
Jean I de Grailly (died around 1301) was an important knight and leader who served the King of England, Edward I. He was a "seneschal" (which means a chief officer or governor) in different places. He was seneschal of Gascony (a region in France that belonged to England) from 1266 to 1268, then of the Kingdom of Jerusalem from about 1272 to 1276, and again of Gascony from 1278 to 1286 or 1287.
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Early Life and Rise to Power
Jean was born near Lake Geneva in a place called Savoy. He likely came to England when Henry III of England was king, with Peter II of Savoy, who was Queen Eleanor of Provence's uncle.
By 1262, Jean was already a knight serving Prince Edward, who would later become King Edward I of England. He became a trusted advisor to the young prince by 1263. In 1266, he was given the castle and area of Benauges as a reward for his loyal service. He also gained other ways to earn money, like saltworks in Bordeaux and the right to collect tolls at Pierrefite. He also received the land of Langon and was made the seneschal of Gascony, which was Prince Edward's territory. Later, in 1280, he even started a new town called Cadillac to create a port for Benauges.
Adventures in the Crusades
In 1270, Jean joined Prince Edward on the Ninth Crusade to Syria. This was a journey to the Middle East to fight for control of the Holy Land. Jean stayed behind in the Crusader kingdom as a seneschal there. He returned to Gascony sometime before or during 1276. Even after he left, he always cared about what happened in Jerusalem.
In 1277, he went to England to warn King Edward about a plot against him. In 1278, he was given his old job back as seneschal of Gascony.
Working for the King in Europe
Jean was very busy working for King Edward I in Europe.
Negotiating Treaties
In 1279, Jean traveled to Amiens and England to help make the Treaty of Amiens. This treaty ended a war between King Edward of England and King Philip III of France. It also gave the Agenais region back to English control. Soon after, Jean worked to figure out if another region, Quercy, also belonged to England. He was put in charge of making sure the Agenais region was returned.
Jean also had to deal with taxes. King Philip of France wanted a tax called the fouage from Gascony. King Edward told Jean not to pay it right away. Jean was given special letters to show that the king planned to pay the tax later, after better harvests. In 1285, Jean even helped create a treaty that set the price for Bordeaux wine.
Travels and Diplomacy
Jean traveled a lot for his work. He went to Paris to talk about how to date official documents in Gascony. They agreed on a special way to write the dates, mentioning both the King of France and the King of England. He also went to Fuenterrabia to talk with Alfonso X of Castile, the King of Castile. In 1281, he was in Vienne to witness an agreement between two important leaders. Later that year, he was sent to Mâcon to advise Margaret of Provence, who was the widow of the French King Louis IX of France. King Edward used Jean often as his main helper in Europe.
The Bigorre Inheritance
Between 1280 and 1285, Jean was involved in long discussions about who would inherit the County of Bigorre. This happened after Countess Petronilla died. Eventually, it was decided that Joanna I of Navarre was the rightful heir. However, the question of who Joanna should promise loyalty to (the Duke of Aquitaine or the King of France) was put off. This issue caused problems between the English and French kings for many years.
Jean de Grailly eventually faced money problems because his expenses needed approval before he could get his salary. He started to manage funds incorrectly from the people, and their complaints reached King Edward I. He was removed from his job sometime between June 1286 and spring 1287. King Edward and Queen Eleanor of Castile were in Gascony and started an investigation into his actions. The investigation found that he had used money improperly in several towns. He was told to pay it back, but he could use money that was owed to him. He then went back to Savoy and left his lands in Gascony to his son, Pierre.
Final Campaigns in the Holy Land
Jean returned to the Levant (the eastern Mediterranean region) in the late 1280s. In 1289, he led French soldiers from Acre to help the city of Tripoli, which was under attack. However, Tripoli fell in April 1289.
After Tripoli fell, Jean was sent to Europe by King Henry of Cyprus. His mission was to warn European kings about the serious situation in the Holy Land. Jean met with Pope Nicholas IV, who shared his concerns. The Pope wrote letters to European leaders, asking them to help the Holy Land. However, most leaders were too busy with other problems to organize a new Crusade. King Edward I was also dealing with troubles at home. Only a small army of peasants and unemployed townspeople from Tuscany and Lombardy could be gathered. They sailed on 20 Venetian ships. They were led by Nicholas Tiepolo, the son of the Doge (leader) of Venice, Lorenzo Tiepolo. Jean and Roux of Sully helped lead them.
Jean was present as the commander of the French king's troops when Acre fell in 1291. He was wounded during the attack. His friend, Otho de Grandison, who also served King Edward, rescued him. Jean escaped on a ship to Cyprus. He then returned to Savoy, where he later died. His family continued to be important in Gascony for the next hundred years.
