Arnould II d'Ardres

From French Wikipedia

Arnould II d'Ardres (died in 1138) Edit Arnould II d'Ardres, eldest son of the previous one, known as the Elder or the Old , was Lord of Ardres from 1094 to 1138 (we also say 1117 [ 28 ] ). Young Arnould II was introduced by Eustache, Count of Boulogne, to William the Conqueror, accompanied him on his expedition to England and showed his worth there. He remained in England for many years; appointed head of the gendarmerie, he received many lands there. Returning to Ardres, he collects the paternal inheritance and leaves the land of Marquise to his brother Geoffrey of Ardres against the property of Geoffrey in England. He must then bring to reason the lords Eustache de Hénin, and Baudouin de l'Écluse who refuse to return their duties to him [ 13] , and withdrew to Robert II of Flanders to relieve their land from him [ 29 ] . In retaliation, he deprived of all franchise rights and reduced to the status of serfs the people who came from these places to his town of Ardres [ 30 ] .

In 1094, he would have succeeded his father as Seneschal of Boulonnais [ 31 ] . In 1097, he was part of witnesses to a charter given by Manasses I st of Guines in favor of the abbey of Saint-Médard Andres [ 32 ] .

Arnould II, a great fan of games and tournaments, shines in military exercises. According to Lambert d'Ardres, he participated in the First Crusade in 1096, accompanied Robert II of Flanders there and distinguished himself at the siege of Antioch . On his return from the crusade, he signed several charters for the benefit of the Saint-Médard d'Andres abbey where he was called in 1110 " Arnoul d'Ardres le flamen [ 30 ] ", because of his grandfather Elbodon born in Flanders or because his father had become a vassal of the Count of Flanders.

He disputes with neighboring lords of Balinghem of Fiennes , the latter containing the questions already made overlooked Arnould I er , about the succession of Ardres [ 26 ] . They make frequent races and havoc on the subjects of Arnould II. The latter confronts them several times until the parties agree to reach an agreement [ 30 ] . He also faces the count of Guînes Manassès, his real overlord [ 13 ]which he refuses to recognize as such. Manassès waged a hard war, forced Arnould to retreat to his dungeon, burned down the houses and the church. Arnould succeeds in exiting, pushes back the people of Guînes and pursues them into their town. A truce is signed and Arnould takes the opportunity to repair and strengthen the fortifications of his city [ 30 ] , ensuring that the houses of the city and the nearby countryside are protected by the fortress, reinforced with towers, war machines, surrounded large hedges and shrubs [ 30 ] .

In December 1127, Manassès, count of Guînes, subscribes a charter, given to the castle of Tournehem , in the presence of Arnoul by which he declares that Guy d'Alembon renounces the right of county or justice which he had on the hosts of Saint-Bertin in Audenfort, Clarques , Sainghem and Atecloke [ 33 ] .

Arnould II fortified the village of Ferlinghem (current town of Brêmes ), completed and improved the defenses of Ardres, and had a large house built inside the Château d'Ardres, which could compete in size with the most beautiful houses. of Flanders with a chapel built at the highest place [ 13 ] , a large number of rooms, cabinets, attics, cellars, by an architect, called Louis de Bourbourg, who came from Bourbourg [ 30 ] .

Columnists have emphasized its harshness. He would have brought back from one of his stays in England with the king a bear of unusual size. His subjects enjoying seeing the spectacle of the bear fighting with the dogs offer a bread from each batch being baked in the ovens of the city to see the spectacle regularly, especially on holidays. This bread will continue to be demanded by Arnould even after the death of the bear, it will be called the bread of anguish, or even the furnace of the bear [ 28 ] .

He married Gertrude of Aalst , sister of Baudouin II of Ghent known as the Fat , Lord of Aalst, following a tournament in which Arnould II particularly distinguished himself. She received land in the castle of Bruges as a dowry from her brother . The return to Ardres gives rise to a solemn reception by the people and the clergy, then the wedding is celebrated with many rejoicings [ 30 ] .

Gertrude is as tough, as she looked proud, as her husband. Blamed for her avarice, wanting to increase her flock, she is given a lamb by each of her subjects. A woman with nothing but seven children and not the means to feed them, offers to give one to be fed and raised. Gertrude's people did not take it, but Gertrude had it handed over. She feeds and raises him, but once an adult, she reduces him to bondage as well as all his descendants. Likewise, she reduced free men and their children to serfdom having accompanied her to serve her until her son Baudouin freed them by handing them over to the abbot of the Abbey of Notre-Dame-la-Capelle , on the current parish of Les Attaques [ 34 ], provided that they and their descendants each pay the local abbots a denarius of cens per year and 4 on the days of their wedding and death [ 30 ] .

Grieved by the death of her son Manassès, Gertrude falls ill and dies. Arnould follows her shortly after in 1138. Both are buried in the church of Ardres [ 13 ] , [ 30 ] .