Baldwin of Bethune

Baldwin of Bethune or Baldwin de Béthune (French: Baudouin de Béthune Dutch: Boudewijn van Bethune) (c. 1158–1212), a French knight from the House of Bethune in Artois and a crusader, was close companion to successive English kings and on marriage to Hawise of Aumale became Count of Aumale with extensive estates in England.

Baldwin was the third son of Robert V of Béthune, hereditary Lord of Béthune and Advocate of the Abbey of Saint Vaast at Arras, and his wife Alice, daughter of Hugh III, Count of Saint-Pol. His brothers included:

His date of birth is unknown but would have been shortly before 1160, probably at Béthune.

His career was as a knight in royal service, though not with the kings of his native France but with their English opponents.

In 1170, still in his teens, he was with his lifelong friend, William Marshal in the court of Henry the Young King. In 1180 at the great international tournament of Lagny-sur-Marne, he was a knight banneret, leading the Flemish team while William headed the English team.

About 1187, he was rewarded with his first landholding in England and, once king, Richard I of England added the lordship of several other manors. These not only gave him income but also, at least as important in those days, added to his rank of knight the status of a feudal landowner.

In 1191 he was with Richard’s contingent on the Third Crusade in Palestine where his father Robert, who was with the Flemish contingent, died. When Richard set out on his incognito voyage home in 1192, Baldwin was with him. They were blown ashore in a December storm near Aquileia and the disguised Richard was captured by his Austrian enemies at an inn near Vienna.

...
Wikipedia