• Born: 1046, Blois, Loir-et-Cher, Centre, France
• Married: After 1081, Chartes Cathedral, France
• Died: 19 May 1102, Ramulah, Palestine

  Research Notes:

The Liber Modernorum Regum Francorum names (in order) "Stephanus et Hugo" as sons of "comes Tetbaudus", specifying that Etienne "factus est Blesensium Carnotensium atque Meldensium comes" on their father's death. Orderic Vitalis names “Stephanus Blesensis palatinus comes...Tedbaldi filius...palatini consulis et nepos Bertæ Britnum comitissæ et Cenomannensium” when recording his marriage. “Stephanus comes” donated property to the abbey of Pontlevoy, for the souls of “Theobaldi comitis patris mei et matris meæ Gundreæ…” by charter dated 1089. As noted above, it is possible that “Gundreæ” in this charter is in fact a distorted transcription of “Gersendæ”, the name of Thibaut’s known first wife....

He succeeded his father in 1089 as ETIENNE Comte de Blois, de Chartres, de Châteaudun, de Sancerre et de Meaux. He joined the contingent of Robert II Count of Flanders on the First Crusade in Sep 1096, along with Robert "Curthose" Duke of Normandy. Albert of Aix records the arrival in Constantinople of "Robertus Normannorum comes, Stephanus Blesensis, Eustachius frater prædicti Ducis", dated to early 1097 from the context. Albert of Aix records that "Willelmus Carpentarius, Willelmusque alter, quondam familiaris et domesticus imperatoris Constantinopolis, qui et sororem Boemundi principis Siciliæ uxorem duxerat", escaped "out of fear", believing that the crusading army was doomed after it was besieged by Kerbogha atabeg of Mosul, from Antioch to Alexandretta where they met "Stephanus Blesensis" (who had left the siege "causa infirmitatis") and who thereupon prepared to leave for Europe by sea. "Henricus comes cognomina Stephanus necnon et Adela uxor eius cum filiis nostris" granted immunities to Chartres Notre-Dame by charter dated [Oct 1100/1101], signed by "Stephani comitis, Adele comitisse, Guillelmi, Stephani, Odonis, Teobaldi". Albert of Aix records that "Stephanus comes Blesensium, pœnitentia ductus" made plans to return to Jerusalem, dated to late 1100 from the context. The group appointed Comte Raymond as their overall leader when they arrived at Constantinople. After the combined armies left Constantinople in May 1101, they captured Ankara from the Seljuk Turks 23 Jun 1101 but were scattered after their defeat by the Turks at Mersivan. Albert of Aix records "…Stephanus Blesensis…" among those who spent Easter in Jerusalem with Baudouin I King of Jerusalem, dated to 1102 from the context.

Robert of Torigny records that "Stephanus comes Blesensis" was killed "1102 XV Kal Aug apud Ramulam". Albert of Aix records that "Conradus, Arpinus, Stephanus Blesensis itemque Stephanus de Burgundia" were captured at Ramla after being burned in a tower, and that "Stephano itemque Stephano" were beheaded, dated to mid-1102 from the context. Two of his letters to his wife Adela, written during the First Crusade, have survived and provide a unique first-hand account of events. The necrology of Chartres cathedral records the death "XIV Kal Jun" of "Stephanus palatinus comes". The necrology of Saint-Jean-en-Vallée records the death "XIV Kal Jun" of "Stephanus nomine Henricus comes palatinus". The necrology of Pontlevoy records the death "XIV Kal Jun" of "Henrici comitis". ¹