Hervé IV de Donzy de Vierzon, seigneur de Vierzo, Count of Nevers

From Medlands:

HERVE [IV] de Donzy (-Château de Saint-Aignan 23 Jan 1222, bur Abbaye de Pontigny near Auxerre). “Guillelmus Guoet dominus de Giem” donated property to Rigny abbey, with the support of “fratres mei Philippus, Gaufridus, Herveus et Rainaudus” by undated charter[3341]. He succeeded his father in 1187 as Seigneur de Donzy. Seigneur d’Alluyes: “Reginaldus Montismirabilis dominus, Herveii Danzeii filius” guaranteed the freedoms granted to “monachis S. Romani de Braiolo” by “Herveus frater meus Aloyæ dominus” by charter dated 31 Mar 1197[3342]. “Herveus Aloie dominus” confirmed the rights of the prior of Saint-Jean de Brou in his lands, with the consent of “Philippus de Danzeio...frater meus...”, by charter dated to [1197][3343]. Comte de Nevers, by right of his wife. He disputed possession of the château de Gien with Pierre de Courtenay, but defeated the latter and obliged him to agree to the hand of his daughter as well as the transfer of the county of Nevers. The arrangement was confirmed by Philippe II King of France in Nov 1199. His father-in-law invested him as Comte de Tonnerre before leaving France in early 1217 following his appointment as Emperor of Constantinople. He succeeded his father-in-law in 1219 as Comte d'Auxerre[3344]. The Chronique de Guillaume de Nangis records in 1222 the death by poison of "Henri comte de Nevers" and his burial first "dans le château de Saint-Aignan dans le territoire de Bourges, ensuite dans le monastère de Pontigny, ordre de Cîteaux"[3345].

m (contract Paris Oct 1199, Papal dispensation 20 Dec 1213) as her first husband, MATHILDE de Courtenay, daughter of PIERRE [II] Seigneur de Courtenay [later PIERRE I Emperor of Constantinople] & his first wife Agnes Ctss de Nevers, d'Auxerre et de Tonnerre ([1188]-29 Jul 1257, bur Abbaye de Réconfort, near Monceaux-le-Comte). The Chronicle of Alberic de Trois-Fontaines names "Mathildem" as only daughter of "comitis Petris" & his first wife, specifying that she married "Herveio Gaufridi filio de Giam et de Dunzeio"[3346]. She succeeded her mother in 1193 as Ctss de Nevers, d'Auxerre, Ctss de Tonnerre, under the guardianship of her father, but the latter declared himself Comte d'Auxerre et de Tonnerre in 1199. The Chronologia Roberti Altissiodorenses records the marriage in 1199 of "Petri Comitis Nivernensis filiam" and "Herveo de Giemo"[3347]. Philippe II King of France granted permission for the marriage of “Herveus dominus Donziaci” and “filiam Petri comitis Nivernensis, cum comitatu", for which "nos et Renaldus frater noster" granted "Giemum cum tota castellania" to the king, by charter dated Oct 1199[3348]. She married secondly (Jul 1226) as his third wife, Guy [IV] Comte de Forez.

Hervé [IV] & his wife had two children:

a) GUILLAUME de Donzy (-[1207/12]). The primary source which confirms his parentage and betrothal has not been identified. Betrothed (1207) to BEATRIX de Viennois, daughter of ANDRE Comte d’Albon [Bourgogne-Capet] & his first wife Beatrix de Sabran Ctss de Gap et d'Embrun ([1205]-18 Sep after 1248).

b) AGNES de Donzy (-1225). The Chronicle of Alberic de Trois-Fontaines records that "comiti Herveo Nivernensi…filia" was betrothed to "Philippo primogenitor domni Ludovici", and that after he died she married "Guido primogenitus Galtheri de Sancti Paolo"[3236]. “Herveus comes Nivernensis” confirmed the franchises granted by “Ludovicus...regis Franciæ primogenitus” in “terra...Montismirabilis, Aloye, Bracote, Autoin, Basochie et Froseii”, granted as dower to “filie nostre Agneti cum primogenito dicti Ludovici Philippo in maritagium”, by charter dated Jul 1218[3237]. A charter dated Dec 1219 names the guarantors for the marriage of “Hervei comitis Nivernensis…Agnete filia sua"[3238]. Dame de Donzy. The Chronique de Guillaume de Nangis records in 1222 the marriage of the daughter of "Henri comte de Nevers" and "Gui comte de Saint-Paul"[3239]. Her daughter was heiress of the county of Nevers. Betrothed (contract Melun Jul 1215) to PHILIPPE de France, son of LOUIS VIII King of France & his wife Infanta doña Blanca de Castilla (7 Sep 1209-1218, before Jul, bur Notre-Dame de Paris). m (1221) GUY [I] Comte de Saint-Pol, son of GAUCHER [III] Seigneur de Châtillon-sur-Marne Comte de Saint-Pol & his wife Elisabeth Ctss de Saint-Pol (-killed in battle Aug 1226).

Agnes & her husband had two children:

i) YOLANDE de Châtillon ([1221/22]-1254). The estimated birth date of Yolande's first child is [1234/35]. If this is correct (bearing in mind that it would mean that Yolande was no older than 13 when she gave birth), she must have been her parents' first child, born soon after their marriage. Heiress of the county of Nevers. m ([30 May 1228]) ARCHAMBAUD de Bourbon, son of ARCHAMBAUD [VIII] "le Grand" Seigneur de Bourbon [Dampierre] & his first wife Guigone de Forez (-Cyprus 15 Jan 1249). Yolande & her husband had two children:

(a) MATHILDE de Bourbon ([1234/35]-[Mar/Sep] 1262). The primary source which confirms her parentage and marriage has not been identified. She succeeded her father in 1249 as Dame de Bourbon. She succeeded her great-grandmother Mathilde de Courtenay in 1257 as Ctss de Nevers, d'Auxerre et de Tonnerre.

(b) AGNES de Bourbon (1237-Foggia, Apulia [5 Sep 1287/30 Jun 1288], bur Champaigue-en-Bourbonnais, église des Cordeliers). The primary source which confirms her parentage and two marriages has not been identified. She succeeded her sister 1262 as Dame de Bourbon.

ii) GAUCHER de Châtillon (-Munyat Abu Abdallah, Egypt 6 Apr 1251). Seigneur de Montjay, de Broigny, de Donzy et de Saint-Aignan. Heir of the county of Nevers. Matthew of Paris records that "Gautherus quoque de Chasteillun" was captured in the battle in which Louis IX King of France was captured (Faraskur 6 Apr 1250) and brought to the caliph[3240]. m (contract Dec 1236, before 1241) JEANNE de France Ctss de Boulogne, daughter of PHILIPPE "Hurepel" de France Comte de Clermont et de Boulogne & his wife Mathilde Ctss de Dammartin et de Boulogne (1219-14 Jan 1252).

From Wikipedia:

ervé IV of Donzy (1173–1223) was a French nobleman and participant in the Fifth Crusade. By marriage in 1200 to Mahaut de Courtenay (1188–1257), daughter of Peter II of Courtenay, he became Count of Nevers.

In a dispute over the château de Gien with Peter of Courtenay, Hervé came to a settlement in 1199, having defeated and captured his overlord Peter at Cosne-sur-Loire. After Peter's death in 1219, he became Count of Auxerre and Tonnerre also; with Philip II, Marquis of Namur and Robert de Courtenay contesting Auxerre. He acquired Liernais also, in 1210.

Hervé and his countess were active in developing the Nivernais, his lands around Donzy adjoining the Nivernais and Burgundy. In 1209 they founded a Carthusian abbey at Bellary. He reconstructed the château Musard, Billy-sur-Oisy, around 1212-5. The priory at Beaulieu was founded in 1214.

In 1204–05 he supported the French side against the English in fighting in Normandy, Poitou and Touraine.

He was active against the Albigensians, taking part in the 1209 siege of Carcassonne. After his return from Egypt in 1219, he was at Marmande.

In 1214 he took part in the Battle of Bouvines, on the side of Emperor Otto IV.

In 1216 he took part in the French invasion of England during the First Barons' War. He commanded English baronial and French troops in the siege of Windsor Castle, but King John's constable, Engelard de Cigogné, successfully defended it.

His death has often been attributed to poison.

Family

The daughter of Hervé and Mahaut, Agnès de Donzy (1205–1225), married in 1217 Philippe de France, eldest son of the Dauphin, the future Louis VIII of France. Philippe died the following year. Agnès then married Guy de Châtillon (died 1226), with a daughter Yolande de Châtillon, who married Archambaud IX de Bourbon. Mahaut married Guy de Forez in 1226.