Joan of Ponthieu, Dame of Epernon facts for kids

Joan of Ponthieu was a French noblewoman who lived in the 1300s. She was known as the Dame d'Épernon and was also the Countess of Vendôme and of Castres. Joan was the youngest daughter of Jean II de Ponthieu, who was the Count of Aumale.

She married Jean VI de Vendôme, who was the Count of Vendôme and Castres. Joan also played an important role as a regent for her baby granddaughter, Jeanne. A regent is someone who rules a country or an area when the rightful ruler is too young or unable to do so. Joan was regent from 1371 until her granddaughter sadly passed away in 1372.

Early Life and Family

Joan was born in France sometime before the year 1336. Her parents were Jean II de Ponthieu, the Count of Aumale, and Catherine d'Artois. Joan had an older sister named Blanche de Ponthieu. Blanche became the Countess of Aumale in 1340 after their father died.

Joan was also known as the Dame d'Épernon. This title meant she was the lady of a place called Épernon. She had many royal ancestors, including King Ferdinand III of Castile and King Louis VIII of France. The area of Épernon became part of her family's land around 1256. This happened when her grandmother, Laure de Montfort, who was the Dame d'Épernon, married a Spanish prince.

The ruins of the medieval castle of Vendôme, which was home to the Counts of Vendôme.

Marriage and Children

Before 1351, Joan married Jean VI de Vendôme. He was the Count of Vendôme and of Castres. When his father died in 1354, Jean took over these important titles. From that time on, Joan was known as the Countess of Vendôme and of Castres.

Joan and Jean had two children together:

• Bouchard VII de Vendôme, who became the Count of Vendôme and of Castres. He was born around 1351 and passed away in 1371. Bouchard married Isabelle de Bourbon and they had one daughter, Jeanne. Sadly, Jeanne died in 1372 when she was very young.
• Catherine de Vendôme, born in 1354, became the Countess of Vendôme and of Castres in her own right. In 1364, she married John I, Count of La Marche. They had seven children, including Charlotte de Bourbon-La Marche, who later became a queen.

In 1362, the castle and town of Vendôme were attacked by soldiers. Joan was captured during this attack. Luckily, she was later set free after a payment was made to her captors. In 1367, Joan personally took charge of making the castle walls stronger. She wanted to make sure the castle was well protected.

After her husband, Jean, died in 1364, their son Bouchard became the Count. When Bouchard passed away in 1371, his baby daughter, Jeanne, inherited the titles. Joan de Ponthieu then became the regent for her granddaughter. This meant Joan was in charge until Jeanne's death in 1372. After Jeanne's death, the titles went to Joan's only other child, Catherine. Catherine held the titles with her husband, and later with her son, Louis.

Joan of Ponthieu passed away on May 30, 1376, when she was about 40 years old.