Stephen I, Count of Sancerre facts for kids

Stephen I (born 1133, died 1190) was a count who ruled a place called Sancerre from 1151 to 1190. He got Sancerre when his father passed away. His older brothers, Henry and Theobald, received bigger areas like Champagne and Blois. Stephen's land was the smallest among his brothers. His youngest brother, William, didn't get any land and became a church leader instead.

Stephen I's Life Story

Stephen was born in 1133. He was the third son of Count Theobald II of Champagne and Matilda of Carinthia.

A Trip to Jerusalem

In 1169, some important people from Jerusalem came to France. They were looking for a husband for Sibylla. She was the daughter of King Amalric I of Jerusalem. Stephen agreed to marry her. He traveled east in 1170 with Duke Hugh III of Burgundy. He also brought money that King Louis VII of France had collected as a tax.

People thought Stephen might become king if he married Sibylla. This was because King Amalric's only son, Baldwin, was thought to have leprosy, a serious skin disease. The High Court of Jerusalem, a group of important nobles, asked Stephen to settle a land dispute. A man named Henry the Buffalo had died without sons. Stephen decided to divide Henry's land equally among his three daughters. But he ordered the two younger daughters to show respect and loyalty (called homage) to their eldest sister. After a few months in the Holy Land, Stephen decided not to marry Sibylla. He then returned home.

Back in France

Stephen built a strong castle with six towers on a local hill. He also made the town of Sancerre's defenses stronger. In 1153, he married Alice, the daughter of Godfrey of Donzy. By 1155, Stephen gave special rights, called the Customs of Lorris, to the merchants of Sancerre. He likely gave these rights to seven other towns too.

Stephen was a leader of powerful nobles who rebelled against King Philip II. This happened between 1181 and 1185. In 1184, Stephen and some soldiers for hire, called Brabançon mercenaries, were defeated. They were beaten by King Philip and his "Confrères de la Paix." This was a group of warriors formed in 1182 in Le Puy. Their goal was to stop fighting between nobles. By 1190, Stephen ended serfdom in his lands. Serfdom was a system where people were tied to the land and had to work for the lord.

Joining a Crusade

Stephen and his brother, Theobald, joined the Third Crusade in 1190. A crusade was a religious war to take back the Holy Land. Stephen died on October 21, 1190, during the Siege of Acre. Theobald died there a few months later in January 1191.

Stephen's Children

Stephen and Alice had these children:

• William I, who became Count of Sancerre after his father.
• Jean
• Stephen, who became lord of Saint-Brisson.