Jeanne de Fougères, Countess of La Marche and of Angoulême

Jeanne de Fougères
Suo jure Dame de Fougères Countess of La Marche and Angoulême Lady of Lusignan, Couhe, and Peyrat
Spouse(s)	Hugh XII of Lusignan, Count of La Marche and Angoulême, seigneur of Lusignan, Couhe, and Peyrat
Issue Yolande de Lusignan, Countess of La Marche Hugh XIII of Lusignan, Count of La Marche and Angoulême Guy I of Lusignan Jeanne of Lusignan Isabelle de Lusignan Marie de Lusignan
Noble family	de Fougères
Father	Raoul III, seigneur of Fougères
Mother	Isabelle de Craon
Born	Unknown Château de Fougères, Brittany, France
Died	After 1273

Jeanne de Fougères, suo jure Lady of Fougères, Countess of La Marche and Angoulême (died after 1273), was a Breton noblewoman and heiress. She was the wife of Hugh XII of Lusignan, Count of La Marche and Count of Angoulême. Jeanne was responsible for the later additions and fortifications of the Chateau of Fougères which provided a greater stability for the town.

Chateau of Fougères, the birthplace of Jeanne de Fougères

Family

Jeanne was born at the Chateau of Fougères, in Brittany on an unknown date, the only daughter and surviving child of Raoul III, seigneur of Fougères and Isabelle de Craon (born 1212). Her paternal grandparents were Geoffrey, seigneur of Fougères and Mathilde de Porhoet, and her maternal grandparents were Amaury I, seigneur of Craon (1175–1226) and Jeanne des Roches (c. 1195- 28 September 1238), daughter of Guillaume des Roches, seneschal of Anjou, and Marguerite de Sablé.

Jeanne had a brother Jean de Fougères, but he died immediately after his birth on 6 December 1230. As no more sons were born to her mother, Jeanne became the heiress to her father's lordship of Fougères, which she inherited suo jure upon the death of her father on 24 February 1256. She thereafter held the title of Dame de Fougères. That same year 1256, she issued orders for the expansion of the chateau of Fougères, adding the Melusine and Gobelin towers as well as fortifying the ramparts and gates. Her efforts provided a greater stability for the town.

Marriage and issue

On 29 January 1254, Jeanne was married to Hugh XII de Lusignan, seigneur of Lusignan, Couhe, and Peyrat, Count of La Marche and Angoulême. She became the Countess of La Marche and Angoulême upon her marriage, which was recorded in the Chronicon Savigniacense on 4 February 1254.

Hugh and Jeanne together had six children:

• Yolande de Lusignan (24 March 1257- 30 September 1314), suo jure Countess of La Marche, Heiress of Fougères, married firstly Helie-Rudel, seigneur of Pons, by whom she had issue; and secondly Robert, seigneur of Mathe.
• Hugh XIII of Lusignan, Count of La Marche and Angoulême (25 June 1259- 1 November 1303), on 1 April 1276 married Beatrice of Burgundy. Their marriage was childless.
• Guy I de Lusignan (died 1308), Count of La Marche and Angoulême, died unmarried and without legitimate issue.
• Jeanne of Lusignan (1260- 13 April 1323), married firstly Bernard Ezi III, Lord of Albret, by whom she had two daughters; she married secondly Sir Piers de Geneville of Trim and Ludlow, by whom she had another three daughters, including the eldest Joan de Geneville, who in her turn married Roger de Mortimer, 1st Earl of March.
• Isabelle de Lusignan (died 1309), before 1288 in Cognac married Jean de Vesci. She later became a nun at Fontevrault Abbey
• Marie de Lusignan (died 1322), in 1288 married Etienne II, Count of Sancerre.

Shortly after 25 August 1270, Jeanne became a widow when her husband Hugh was killed while on Crusade with King Louis IX of France. Jeanne was granted the wardship of her minor children in Nov. 1271. She died on an unknown date after 1273. She left a will dated 20 May 1269. She was buried in Savigny.

Upon Jeanne's death, her eldest daughter Yolanda became the Heiress of Fougères.

Ancestry

Ancestors of Jeanne de Fougères, Countess of La Marche and of Angoulême

Raoul II, seigneur of Fougères               Guillaume II de Fougères                       Mathilde de Mayenne               Geoffrey, seigneur of Fougères                             William II, seigneur of Le Hommet               Agathe du Hommet                       Agnès de Beaumont               Raoul III, seigneur of Fougères                                   Eudes II, Count of Porhoet               Eudes III, Count of Porhoet                       Jeanne de Léon               Mathilde de Porhoet                             Marguerite N.                       Jeanne de Fougères                                         Hughes I, seigneur of Craon               Maurice II, seigneur of Craon                       Marquise N.               Amaury I, seigneur of Craon                             Waleran de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Worcester, Count of Meulan               Isabelle de Meulan                       Agnès de Montfort               Isabelle de Craon                                   Baudoin des Roches               Guillaume des Roches, Seneschal of Anjou                       Alix de Châtellerault               Jeanne des Roches                             Robert de Sablé               Marguerite de Sablé                       Clémence de Mayenne

Notes

References

• Genealogist n.s. 21 (1905): 78–82, 163–171, 234–243.
• La Porta, Les Gens de Qualité en Basse-Marche 1(2) (1886): 1–60 (Généalogie de Lusignan).
• Schwennicke, Europäische Stammtafeln n.s. 3(4) (1989): 816 (sub Lusignan).
• Cawley, Charles, Brittany, Dukes and Nobility, Medieval Lands database, Foundation for Medieval Genealogy,
• Cawley, Charles, France, Southwest, Angoulême, La Marche, and Périgord, Medieval Lands database, Foundation for Medieval Genealogy,