• Born: Between 1120 and 1125, Donjon Castle, Corbeil, Yerre-sur-Oise, France
• Married: Between 1135 and 1140
• Died: By about 1155

  Research Notes:

The identification of the family origin of the wife of “French Renaud” appears to be based only on the Chronicle of Alberic de Trois-Fontaines, which records that "domina de Monte-Argisi fuit soror vel neptis illius [=Guilelmus…archiepiscopus Bituricensis]" and names her as the wife of "Petro de Cortenaio regis Philippi patruo", but he appears to have belonged to the Berruier family: La Saussaye, in his early 17th century work on the bishops of Orléans names "Geraldus Berruyerius, frater beati Gulielmi Bituricensis archiepiscopi" as the father of Philippe Berruier who was bishop of Orléans from 1221 to 1236, citing “Historia Ecclesiæ Bituricensis” (a work which has not been identified). The primary source which confirms beyond doubt that the archbishop was the full brother of Gérard Berruier has not been identified. Bouchet says that “on apprend de quelques chartes que [Renaud] épousa la sœur de Guy du Donjon”, but he does not cite the charters in question although he says in a later passage that she “vivoit l’an 1148 et 1155”, presumably indicating the dates of two of the charters. The Scripta de Feodis records the holdings of “domini Guidonis et Petri de Donjone fratrum beati Guillermi Bituricensis quondam archiepiscopi” and their holdings, clearly showing that the archbishop was the brother of Guy and Pierre de Donjon. Reading all these documents together, we can identify a list of brothers and sisters: [Hawise] wife of Renaud de Courtenay (born [1120/25]), Guy de Donjon, Pierre de Donjon (born [1145/50]), Guillaume Archbishop of Bourges, Gérard Berruier. Clearly all five could not have shared the same mother and father. The suggested explanation is that Ferry [I] de Donjon was the father of Renaud de Courtenay’s wife by a first marriage, and the father of Guy and Pierre de Donjon by a second marriage; after he died (date maybe estimated to after 1174), his widow married secondly the father of Gerard Berruier. The precise identification of the father of Archbishop Guillaume (Ferry [I] de Donjon or --- Berruier?) is not necessary for the purposes of this explanation. A continuing close family connection between the Donjon and Courtenay families is indicated by (among other documents) the charter dated Nov 1217 under which “Gui du Donjon chevalier” guaranteed the loyalty of “Robert de Courtenai” to the king. French Renaud’s wife is named “Helvise” in Europäische Stammtafeln, but the primary source on which this name is based has not been identified. ¹