Étienne Henri 'Stephen' II, Comte de Blois et Champagne

Medilands Central France: Blois, Tours (29 Jan 2022) Chapter 1-B. Comte de Blos (943)-1218

ETIENNE [Henri] de Blois, son of THIBAUT III Comte de Blois & his [first/second wife Gersende du Maine/Gundrada ---] (-murdered Ramla 19 May 1102).
The Liber Modernorum Regum Francorum names (in order) "Stephanus et Hugo" as sons of "comes Tetbaudus", specifying that Etienne "factus est Blesensium Carnotensium atque Meldensium comes" on their father's death[176].
Orderic Vitalis names “Stephanus Blesensis palatinus comes...Tedbaldi filius...palatini consulis et nepos Bertæ Britnum comitissæ et Cenomannensium” when recording his marriage[177].
“Stephanus comes” donated property to the abbey of Pontlevoy, for the souls of “Theobaldi comitis patris mei et matris meæ Gundreæ…” by charter dated 1089[178].
As noted above, it is possible that “Gundreæ” in this charter is in fact a distorted transcription of “Gersendæ”, the name of Thibaut’s known first wife. This cannot be verified unless another primary source emerges which names the mother of Comte Etienne. He succeeded his father in 1089 as ETIENNE Comte de Blois, de Chartres, de Châteaudun, de Sancerre et de Meaux. He joined the contingent of Robert II Count of Flanders on the First Crusade in Sep 1096, along with Robert "Curthose" Duke of Normandy.
Albert of Aix records the arrival in Constantinople of "Robertus Normannorum comes, Stephanus Blesensis, Eustachius frater prædicti Ducis", dated to early 1097 from the context[179].
Albert of Aix records that "Willelmus Carpentarius, Willelmusque alter, quondam familiaris et domesticus imperatoris Constantinopolis, qui et sororem Boemundi principis Siciliæ uxorem duxerat", escaped "out of fear", believing that the crusading army was doomed after it was besieged by Kerbogha atabeg of Mosul, from Antioch to Alexandretta where they met "Stephanus Blesensis" (who had left the siege "causa infirmitatis") and who thereupon prepared to leave for Europe by sea[180].
"Henricus comes cognomina Stephanus necnon et Adela uxor eius cum filiis nostris" granted immunities to Chartres Notre-Dame by charter dated [Oct 1100/1101], signed by "Stephani comitis, Adele comitisse, Guillelmi, Stephani, Odonis, Teobaldi"[181].
Albert of Aix records that "Stephanus comes Blesensium, pœnitentia ductus" made plans to return to Jerusalem, dated to late 1100 from the context[182].
The group appointed Comte Raymond as their overall leader when they arrived at Constantinople[183].
After the combined armies left Constantinople in May 1101, they captured Ankara from the Seljuk Turks 23 Jun 1101 but were scattered after their defeat by the Turks at Mersivan[184].
Albert of Aix records "…Stephanus Blesensis…" among those who spent Easter in Jerusalem with Baudouin I King of Jerusalem, dated to 1102 from the context[185].
Robert of Torigny records that "Stephanus comes Blesensis" was killed "1102 XV Kal Aug apud Ramulam"[186].
Albert of Aix records that "Conradus, Arpinus, Stephanus Blesensis itemque Stephanus de Burgundia" were captured at Ramla after being burned in a tower, and that "Stephano itemque Stephano" 'were beheaded', dated to mid-1102 from the context[187].
Two of his letters to his wife Adela, written during the First Crusade, have survived and provide a unique first-hand account of events[188].
The necrology of Chartres cathedral records the death "XIV Kal Jun" of "Stephanus palatinus comes"[189].
The necrology of Saint-Jean-en-Vallée records the death "XIV Kal Jun" of "Stephanus nomine Henricus comes palatinus"[190].
The necrology of Pontlevoy records the death "XIV Kal Jun" of "Henrici comitis"[191].
m (Betrothed Breteuil, Chartres 1081) ADELA of England, daughter of WILLIAM I "the Conqueror" King of England & his wife Mathilde de Flandre (Normandy [1066/67] – Marigney-sur-Loire 8 Mar 1138, bur Abbey of Holy Trinity, Caen).
She is listed by Orderic Vitalis last among the daughters of King William in his description of their careers[192].
She is named third in his list of the daughters of King William I by Matthew Paris[193], but this appears unlikely in view of Adela's child-bearing until her husband's death in 1102.
Her birth date is estimated bearing in mind that marriage frequently took place in early adolescence at the time, and also that Adela clearly continued to bear children right up to her husband's death.
Orderic Vitalis records the betrothal “apud Bretolium” of “Stephanus Blesensis palatinus comes” and “Guillelmo rege...Adelam eius filiam” and their marriage “apud Carnotum”, dated to 1081[194].

Orderic Vitalis records that she encouraged her husband to join the First Crusade and did not hide her shame when he deserted from Antioch in 1098[195]. Regent of Blois 1102-1107, after the death of her husband. She became a nun at the Cluniac priory of Marigney-sur-Loire in [1122].

The necrology of Chartres cathedral records the death "VIII Id Mar" of "Adela comitissa"[196], and in another manuscript the death "VIII Id Mar" of "Adela nobilis Blesensium comitissa regis Anglorum Willelmi filia"[197].

Mistress (1): ---. The name of Comte Etienne's mistress is not known.

Comte Etienne & his wife had [eleven] children:

1. [HUMBERT de Blois (-young). Comte de Vertus....
2. [AGNES (-after 1129)....
3. GUILLAUME de Blois ([1090/93]-[1150])...
4. THIBAUT de Blois ([1090/95]-10 Jan 1152, bur Lagny)...
5. EUDES de Blois (-25 Dec [after 1107])....
6. MATHILDE de Blois (-drowned off Barfleur, Normandy 25 Nov 1120)....
7. [ADELAIDE] de Blois....
8. ELEONORE de Blois (-after 1148)....
9. ETIENNE de Blois (Blois [1096/97]-Dover 25 Oct 1154, bur Faversham Abbey, Kent)....
10. [ALIX de Blois.]
11. HENRI de Blois (Winchester [1098/99]-Winchester 1 Jul 1171, bur Winchester Cathedral

Comte Etienne had [one illegitimate daughter by Mistress (1)]:
12. [EMMA. The Hyde Register lists "Herbertus camerarius, Arnulfus filius eius, Emma uxor eius" immediately after the names of King Henry I and his first wife[239]. Secondary sources state that the wife of Herbert FitzHenry was Emma de Blois, illegitimate daughter of Etienne Comte de Blois. This is presumably based on the Chronicle of Meaux, in Yorkshire, which names "comitis --- Herberti filius, ex Emma sorore regis Anglorum Stephani progenitus"[240]. As this source is dated to [1394/1400], it is unlikely to be conclusive in relation to events which occurred 250 years earlier, in the absence of other corroborative evidence. Eyton includes no reference to any wife of Herbert FitzHenry in his article on the barony of FitzHerbert[241]. Until further evidence comes to light, it is suggested that the information should be treated with caution. If it is correct, the chronology of the FitzHerbert family dictates that Emma must have been born while her supposed father was still young, probably before his marriage to Adela of England in 1080. m HERBERT FitzHenry the Chamberlain, son of HENRY & his wife --- (-[1129/30]).]

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enWikipedia (8 Feb 2022) Second Battle of Ramla (1102)

"Almost all of the meagre force was immediately slain including Stephen of Blois, who finally restored the honour that he lost when he deserted the Siege of Antioch four years previously."

Stephen II Henry, Étienne Henri

From WIkipedia:

Stephen II Henry (c. 1045 – 19 May 1102), (in French, Étienne Henri), Count of Blois and Count of Chartres, was the son of Theobald III, count of Blois, and Garsinde du Maine. He married Adela of Normandy, a daughter of William the Conqueror around 1080 in Chartres.

Count Stephen was one of the leaders of the First Crusade, often writing enthusiastic letters to Adela about the crusade's progress. He returned home in 1098 during the lengthy siege of Antioch, without fulfilling his crusading vow to forge a way to Jerusalem. He was pressured by Adela into making a second pilgrimage, and joined the minor crusade of 1101 in the company of others who had also returned home prematurely. In 1102, Stephen was killed in the Battle of Ramla at the age of fifty-seven.

Stephen and Adela's children were:

1. William, Count of Sully (d.1150), Count of Chartres married Agnes of Sulli (d. aft 1104) and had issue.
2. Theobald II, Count of Champagne
3. Odo, died young.
4. Stephen, King of England
5. Lucia-Mahaut, married Richard d'Avranches, 2nd Earl of Chester. Both drowned on 25 November 1120.
6. Agnes, married Hugh III of Le Puiset
7. Eléonore (d. 1147) married Raoul I of Vermandois (d. 1152) and had issue; they were divorced in 1142.
8. Alix (d. 1145) married Renaud III of Joigni (d. 1134) and had issue
9. Lithuise (d. 1118) married Milo de Brai, Viscount of Troyes (divorced 1115)
10. Henry, Bishop of Winchester
11. Humbert, died young.

Lithuise, who married Milon of Troyes, viscount of Troyes, was possibly his sister and not his daughter, judging from the dates of her children.

He had an illegitimate daughter Emma, who was the mother of William of York, archbishop of York.

Personnages des Croisades: Premième Croisade - 1096-1099

[http://www.templiers.net/personnages-croisades/index.php?page=perso...]

"Comte de Blois, fils de Thibaut III, comte de Troyes, fit deux fois le voyage d'outre-mer, où il s'illustra par ses exploits et sa prudence. Armes de la maison de Champagne, dont il était un rejeton: d'azur, à une bande d'argent, accompagnée de deux doubles cotices potencées et contre-potencées d'or de treize pièces."

"Count of Blois, son of Thibaut III, Count of Troyes, made the trip overseas twice, where he distinguished himself by his exploits and his prudence. Arms of the House of Champagne, of which he was an offshoot: Azure, a bend Argent, accompanied by two double cotices potent and counter-potentiated or of thirteen pieces "