André de Chauvigny

Andre de Chauvigny (or Andrew of Chauvigny) (1150–1202) was a Poitevin knight in the service of Richard I of England. He was the second son of Pierre-Hélie of Chauvigny and Haois of Châtellerault. Haois was the great-aunt of King Richard making Andrew and Richard second cousins.

Pierre-Hélie served the bishops of Poitiers as hereditary provost of Chauvigny. At some point prior to 1180, Andrew held land of the chateaux de Monthoiron in Poitou and perhaps even possessed a fortified manor there. Andrew was popular in the tournament circuit of the day. He was enlisted into the household of his cousin, King Richard while he was still just count of Poitou, presumably sometime after 1182.

When Richard was allied to Philip II of France in 1189, they had attacked the old King, Henry II of England at the town of his birth, Le Mans. Richard assaulted Le Mans and set fire to the city. Henry, with his captain William Marshal, was able to flee. William Marshal took up the rear of Henry's force. Andrew was in the lead of Richard's pursuit force. Andrew and William clashed, and on that day, William was able to unhorse Andrew. The "History of William Marshal" reported that Andrew suffered a severe break in his arm.

Later that year, after Henry had died, and Richard reconcilied the Angevin barons to him, he offered Andrew as a reward for his service, Denise, Countess of Devon (1173–1221), widow of the third Earl, who was the heiress of Raoul VII de Deols (d. 1176). Denise de Déols brought to Andrew the border barony of Châteauroux, which included castles at Châteauroux, Déols, Le Chatelet, La Châtre, and Saint-Chartrier. This immediately made Andrew one of the most powerful lords of Poitevin Berry, an important frontier zone of the Angevin Empire that protected the roads leading to the capital cities of Tours, Poitiers and Angers. At some point, Richard also granted Andrew fiefs at Bituresii in the county of Anjou.

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