Baldwin of Avesnes | |
---|---|
Spouse(s) | Felicitas of Coucy |
Noble family | House of Avesnes |
Father | Bouchard IV of Avesnes |
Mother | Margaret II of Flanders |
Born | September 1219 Oizy (today part of Bièvre) |
Died | 10 April 1295 Avesnes |
(aged 75)
Baldwin of Avesnes (September 1219 in Oizy – 10 April 1295 in Avesnes) was a son of Bouchard IV of Avesnes and his wife, Margaret II of Flanders. His parents' marriage was later declared illegal, because his father had already received minor orders. Baldwin was later declared legitimate by the pope, at the instigation of King Louis IX of France. In 1246, Baldwin received Beaumont as an apanage.
He fought his whole life, together with his brother John I, against his half-brothers from his mother's second marriage with William II of Dampierre. He was said to be responsible for the accident that killed his half-brother William III of Dampierre during a tournament in Trazegnies. After the Edict of Péronne and the death of his brother John, he reconciled with his mother, who sent him to Namur on a revenge expedition.
In 1287, Baldwin sold Dunkirk and Warneton to Guy, Count of Flanders. He is also known as a chronicler; he wrote the Chronique Universelle.
In 1243, Baldwin married Felicitas (1220-1307), the daughter of Thomas II of Coucy, Lord of Vervins, a son of Ralph I, Lord of Coucy. Baldwin was the father of: