Guy III DE DAMPIERRE Count of Flanders & Namur

   Research Notes:

The Genealogica Comitum Flandriæ Bertiniana names (in order) "Guillelmum Guodnem et Iohannem" as the three sons of "Guillelmo domino de Dampetra [et] Margaretæ", specifying that "primo mortuo sine liberis in tornramento apud Trasegnies". Matthew of Paris specifies that his parents had "two others" when he records the parentage of his brother Guillaume, but does not name the other children. He succeeded his brother in 1251 as GUY joint Count of Flanders. Willem II Count of Holland, as king of Germany, pronounced that Count Guy and his mother had forfeited imperial Flanders by failing to do homage to him. His forces attacked Holland in 1253 and Count Guy was defeated at Westkappel, on the island of Walcheren, in Jul 1253 and captured. His mother sought help from Charles Duc d'Anjou, who agreed in return for receiving the county of Hainaut which he partially subjugated. A truce was negotiated between all parties 26 Jul 1254, which included an agreement to submit the dispute to Louis IX King of France for adjudication. Count Guy was ransomed in 1256, when King Louis IX confirmed his 1246 decision regarding the Hainaut/Flanders split between the Avesnes/Dampierre families. Guy bought the rights to Namur 20 Mar 1263 from Baudouin II titular Emperor of Constantinople.

He succeeded as sole Count of Flanders on the abdication of his mother 29 Dec 1278. Following complaints of maladministration, together with commercial difficulties following a long-running trading dispute with England, rebellions broke out in Bruges and Ypres in 1280/81. Conflicts with France arose after the accession in 1285 of King Philippe IV. In 1290, the emperor enfeoffed Jean d'Avesnes Comte de Hainaut with imperial Flanders, although he lacked the means to enforce it. Count Guy established closer ties with England, confirmed by the Treaty of Lier 31 Aug 1294 under which his daughter was betrothed to the future Edward II King of England. Philippe IV King of France summoned Count Guy to Paris, imprisoned him for four months with two of his sons, forced him to abandon the English betrothal, and obliged him to adhere to the French embargo of trade with England. In Mar 1296, Count Guy's acceptance of an invitation from Valenciennes, chief city of Hainaut, to annex it to Flanders provoked Jean d'Avesnes Comte de Hainaut into invading Flanders from Holland. King Philippe IV declared Flanders forfeit, but restored it on payment of a fine. Count Guy renounced homage to the French king, who attacked Flanders 15 Jun 1297. The Chronicle of Guillaume de Nangis records that "Karolus comes Valesii" captured "Guido comes Flandrensium...cum duobus filiis Roberto et Guillermo" in 1299. He attacked again 6 Jan 1300, incorporated Flanders into the royal domain, took Count Guy and his sons as prisoners to Paris, and appointed Jacques de Châtillon as royal lieutenant. An uprising followed in Bruges, prompting another French invasion which was heavily defeated at Courtrai 11 Jul 1302. The French navy defeated the Flemish at Zierikzee in 1304, and an indecisive battle at Mons-en-Pévèle followed 18 Aug 1304.

The Continuatio of the Chronicle of Guillaume de Nangis records the death in Feb 1305 of "Guido comes Flandrensis", while still in captivity, the return of his body to Flanders, and his burial "Marguetæ".

http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/FLANDERS,%20HAINAUT.htm#GuyFlandersdied1305B

   Marriage Information:

Guy married Dame Mahaut (Mathilde) DE BÉTHUNE de Tenremonde, Richebourg et Warneton, daughter of Seigneur Robert VII DE BÉTHUNE et Richebourg.. and Elisabeth DE MORIALMÉ Dame de Beloeil et de Fraire-La-Grande, on 2 Feb 1245-1246. (Dame Mahaut (Mathilde) DE BÉTHUNE de Tenremonde, Richebourg et Warneton was born about 1220 and died on 8 Nov 1264.)

   Marriage Notes:

Date of marriage contract.

   Marriage Information:

Guy also married Isabelle DE LUXEMBOURG Dame de Namur, daughter of Henri "le Blond" DE LUXEMBOURG Count of Luxemburg and Marguerite DE BAR-LE-DUC Countess, in May 1264-1265. (Isabelle DE LUXEMBOURG Dame de Namur was born about 1248 in Namur, Flanders, Belgium, Netherlands and died on 25 Sep 1298.)