Arnould III “dit le Jeune” d’Ardres, seignuer de Ardres

From French Wikipedia

Arnould III d'Ardres Edit Arnould III d'Ardres, known as the Younger to distinguish him from his father or the Roux because of the color of his hair, succeeded his father in 1138. He has a proud look, a noble extraction, and a certain opulence [ 38 ] . He acquired a great reputation for his warlike virtues which made him admired above all the knights of the county of Guînes, well beyond the limits of the latter. This reputation perhaps explains the attitude of Eustache, Lord of Hénin: Arnould meets him at the court of the Count of Flanders Thierry d'Alsace.and challenges him to a duel, Eustache had neglected to pay the homage due to the Lords of Ardres and had taken back his land thanks to the Count of Flanders. Despite this support, Eustache prefers to flee. Arnould meets him again in Boulogne, in the presence of the Count of Boulogne and provokes him again. Eustache flees again [ 38 ] .

Arnould III was of a tall stature or stature, said to be handsome, renowned for handling arms, wealthy in goods and illustrious extraction [ 38 ] .

Arnould establishes a commune in Ardres, which therefore has aldermen and a certain communal autonomy, on the model of that of Saint-Omer itself granted by Thierry d'Alsace , count of Flanders [ 39 ] .

It is part of the entourage of Arnould I er of Guines when, around 1145, it is in favor of the abbey of Clairmarais [ 40 ] .

Arnould III is as magnificent, even lavish, for the organization of tournaments and fights as he is uncompromising and inhuman in the collection of his rights and income. This too great a rigor earned him a reputation for avarice and the hatred of some of his subjects. He is killed on the day of the Holy Innocents , a priori therefore aDecember 28, while he goes into a wood with the intention of surprising a lumberjack at fault, but it was actually an ambush, set by the people of his own house [ 13 ] , [ 41 ] .

He had married Pétronille or Perenelle de Bouchain , of whom it is said that she was still a child, that she was "a simple lady, fearing God" with whom he had no children (it is also said that he had children). a son Robert who died young [ 28 ] ). The marriage would have been arranged by the count of Flanders Thierry of Alsace , Pétronille or Pérenelle being the niece of this one [ 42 ] , Thierry thus wishing to mark the esteem which he had for Arnould III [ 38 ] . Petronille was able to win by the gentleness of his manners the affection of her husband's subjects [ 38 ] .

Died without an heir, his brother Baudouin succeeded him [ 13 ] . Arnould III's body is buried in Brêmes , in the chapel built by the monks of the Abbey of Capelle. Arnould IV below will have it brought back to the church of Ardres [ 43 ] .

Arnould III had two illegitimate children, born before his marriage. A son Robert, born to a daughter of Herchen, named Helvide, married Mahaut, noble and rich lady of Colsberg ( Colembert ). Born of this Arnould d'Ardres couple married to Chrétienne, daughter of Lambert d'Ardres , whose descendants. A Mabille daughter known as La Rousse , born of a daughter of Ardres, married Jean d'Oudeland near Licques, whose descendants [ 41 ] .