William des Roches facts for kids

William des Roches (died 1222), also known as Guillaume des Roches in French, was a brave French knight and a Crusader. He held important positions like the Seneschal (a high-ranking official) of Anjou, Maine, and Touraine. William first served the Angevin kings of England. However, in 1202, he switched his loyalty to King Philip II of France and became a key part of the French government.

Who Was William des Roches?

William des Roches was born around 1160. Not much is known about his early family life. He is thought to come from a knightly family near Château-du-Loir. Another famous person from this family was Peter des Roches, who became the Bishop of Winchester.

Early Adventures as a Knight

William des Roches started his career as a knight serving King Henry II of England. In 1189, Henry's son, Richard (who later became Richard I of England), teamed up with King Philip II of France. They attacked King Henry in Le Mans. William des Roches helped defend Le Mans alongside other famous knights like William Marshal. When King Henry had to flee the city, William des Roches rode at the front of the retreating army. He even bravely charged and unseated an enemy knight named Philip de Colombiers.

After King Henry died, William joined the service of Richard, who was now King of England. William was a trusted friend of King Richard. He joined Richard on the Third Crusade, fighting in places like Sicily, the Siege of Acre, the Battle of Arsuf, and the Battle of Jaffa. In 1192, he was sent on a special mission to get safe passage for the crusader army to enter Jerusalem. William stayed loyal to King Richard during his wars with King Philip of France from 1194 to 1199. Around this time, he likely married Marguerite de Sablé, who was the daughter of Robert IV de Sablé.

Choosing Sides: The Angevin War

After King Richard died in 1199, there was a big argument over who should be the next king. Richard's brother, John of England, and his nephew, Arthur of Brittany, both wanted the throne. Leaders in England and Normandy supported John. However, the barons (important noblemen) of Anjou and Brittany chose Arthur.

Serving Duke Arthur

William des Roches, who was in Le Mans, decided to support Arthur. Many powerful barons from Anjou also joined Arthur's side. William became Arthur's seneschal of Anjou, meaning he was in charge of defending Le Mans. The city of Tours also surrendered to Arthur.

In May 1199, King Philip of France met with William des Roches. Together, they attacked a fortress called Ballon. They captured it, but then King Philip and William argued over who should control the site. William believed it belonged to Duke Arthur, while King Philip wanted it for himself.

Working for King John

In June 1199, King John of England launched a big attack. Arthur's supporters were forced to make peace with John. William met with King John around September 18. John convinced William that King Philip was just using Arthur for his own plans. William decided to switch sides, and John promised him the seneschalship of Anjou.

In December 1199, King John officially made William the seneschal of Anjou. John then entered Angers in triumph in June 1200.

In the summer of 1201, William married Marguerite de Sablé. This marriage brought him a lot of land, making him one of the most powerful barons in Anjou and Maine.

In 1202, Arthur and other French knights tried to capture Eleanor of Aquitaine, King John's mother, near Poitiers. She took refuge in Mirebeau Castle. William agreed to help John rescue the castle, as long as any captured prisoners were treated fairly. William led many knights and helped King John win the Battle of Mirebeau. Duke Arthur of Brittany was captured in this battle.

However, many prisoners were treated very badly, and some even starved to death. Arthur himself disappeared while in John's prisons. Many people, including the French king, believed that King John had murdered his nephew, Arthur.

Joining King Philip's Side

Because of how the prisoners were treated and Arthur's disappearance, William immediately left King John's service in August 1202. He went to join Juhel de Mayenne. King John then removed William from his seneschalship.

William des Roches then attacked Angers and captured the city on October 30, 1202. In January 1203, King John tried to get his lands back. But many powerful barons in northern Maine, like the Count of Sees, rebelled and joined the French side.

While these barons kept King John busy, William and other nobles went to Paris. They swore loyalty to King Philip of France. With their help, King Philip launched attacks into Anjou. He captured Saumur in April 1203, and then Beaufort-en-Vallée and Châteauneuf-sur-Sarthe. William and his forces also captured Le Mans by May 17. King John tried to fight back, but he was losing many castles. It became clear that Angevin rule north of the Loire River was ending.

King Philip's Victory

William's family came from a less wealthy noble background. King Philip rewarded William for his loyalty. William exchanged his lordship of Le Mans for Berengaria of Navarre's castle at Château-du-Loir, making him the lord of that important site.

King Philip conquered Normandy in April 1204. He then marched through Anjou and entered Poitiers. In Poitiers, King Philip officially made William the hereditary seneschal of Anjou. This meant the title would pass down in William's family. William was given control of many important towns and castles in Anjou and Maine. He also received a share of the money from justice and was allowed to appoint officials to help him.

William des Roches and Dreux of Mello, another important French official, led attacks in Touraine. They captured King John's last castles in the region, Chinon and Loches, in June 1205.

In 1206, King John tried to regain control of his lands in Poitou. Many barons in Poitou preferred John's rule to King Philip's stricter rule. William des Roches led knights to defend the road connecting Tours and Poitiers. John was not able to make much progress north of the Loire River. After a two-year truce ended in 1208, William and Dreux de Mello launched many attacks on John's allies in Poitou.

Later Life and Crusades

William joined the Albigensian Crusade in 1209. This crusade was against a group called the Cathars in southern France. He fought in the sieges of Béziers in July and Carcassonne in August. He later returned to the Albigensian Crusade in 1219, fighting at the Siege of Marmande with Prince Louis (who later became Louis VIII of France).

In 1214, King John again attacked Anjou. He entered Angers but was stopped by a French army at La Roche-aux-Moines. William des Roches, along with Prince Louis, led the French forces. On July 2, 1214, William and Prince Louis won the Battle of La Roche-aux-Moines. This forced King John to retreat all the way to La Rochelle.

William des Roches died in 1222. His eldest daughter, Jeanne, inherited his lands and the important title of hereditary seneschal. She passed these on to her husband, Amauri de Craon.

See also

• List of Counts and Dukes of Anjou
• Angevin Empire
• Anjou