The Genealogica comitum Buloniensium names "Iacobum Avesnensem" as son of "Mathildis [filiam Henricum comitem de Rupe]". The Chronicle of Alberic de Trois-Fontaines names (in order) "Iacobum et Idam castellanam Sancti Audemari" as children of "Nicolao de Avenes" & his wife. The Chronicon Hanoniense names "Iacobum" as son of "Nicholaus filius [Walteri…de Avethnes]" & his wife. The late 13th century genealogy by Balduinus de Avennis names "Jacobum et Fastradum" as the two sons of "Nicolaus Plukellus". The Chronicon Hanoniense of Gislebert names "Widrico de Walecourt" as brother of "Iacobus…de Avethnis", when recording that the latter claimed “comitatu de Roka” for the former and for himself.
Seigneur d'Avesnes, de Leuze et de Condé. The Chronicon Hanoniense records "Iacobus de Avethnis, Egidius de Sancto Oberto, Rasso de Gaura" among the knights who served Baudouin V Comte de Hainaut at the siege of "castrum Bretenghes" [Brettingen] in the war with “Henricus comes Namurcensis et Lusceleborch”, dated to 1172 in a later passage.
Seigneur de Guise, by right of his wife: “Elbert Jacob seigneur de Guise et Lesquielles et Adeline sa femme” recognised the freedoms of the forest adjacent to the monastery of Eparcy by charter dated 1174. The Breve Chronicon Buciliensis records that “Nicolaus dominus de Rumigniaco” settled disputes with the church of Bucilly in 1181, with the agreement of “Hugo frater ipsius Nicolai”, and with “dominus Jacobus de Guisia, dominus Raynaldus de Roseto et dominus Nicolaus de Barbenchon” as guarantors. "The bravest knight in Flanders", he left on crusade in [Sep] 1189. He arrived off Acre in [Nov] 1189 and took part in the siege of the town.
He was killed in battle fighting Saladin with Richard I King of England. The Chronicon Hanoniense names "Iacobus de Avethnia" among those who died in Palestine in [1191]. The Chronicle of Ernoul records that "Jakemes d'Avesnes li bons chevaliers" was killed fighting the Muslims at Arsuf. The Annales Aquicinctini record that "Iacobus de Avesnis" was killed by Saracens in 1192. The necrology of Brogne records the death "VII Id Sep" of "domnus Jacobus de Avenes". 1
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