Count of Boulogne
Boulogne-sur-Mer became the centre of the
County of Boulogne in the
9th century. The founder of the dynasty of the counts of Boulogne seems to have been Hernequin of Boulogne, the son of Ragnhart; Hernequin married Bertha of Ponthieu around 850. Later that century it was frequently raided by the
Vikings. There is some uncertainly about the early counts; there are number of people called "count" but the first definite count does not appear until the
11th century.
Boulogne later became influential in the history of
England, when
Eustace II accompanied
William the Conqueror's
invasion in
1066. Boulogne was also a major participant in the
First Crusade;
Eustace III's brothers
Godfrey and
Baldwin both became
king of Jerusalem, and Eustace himself was offered but declined the title.
Count Renaud joined the
imperial side at the
Battle of Bouvines in
1214, and was defeated by
Philip II of France. Boulogne passed under nominal royal control in
1223 when it was given to Philip II's son Philip Hurepel. Hurepel revolted against
Blanche of Castile when
Louis VIII died in
1226. When Philip died in
1235, for unknown reasons the county passed to Adelaide of Brabant, Matilda's niece, and her husband William X,
count of Auvergne, rather than Matilda and Philip's descendants.
Boulogne was attacked numerous times during the
Hundred Years' War. In
1477 Bertrand VI of La Tour gave up the county to
Louis XI who incorporated it into France (except for a brief period of English rule under
Henry VIII; see
Siege of Boulogne).
Uncertain counts
*Hernequin
*Odakar V "Le Grand" (?-?)
*Inglebert I (?-?)
*Odakar VI (?-?)
*Arnoul II (?-?)
*
Baldwin I (
896-
918) (also
Count of Flanders)
*Adalolf (
918-
933)
*Guy (
933-
987)
*Hugh III (
987-?)
*Baldwin II (?-
1032)
Certain counts
*
Eustace I (
1032-
1049)
*
Eustace II (
1049-
1093)
*
Eustace III (
1093-
1125)
*
Matilda I (
1125-
1151)
**
Stephen (
1128-
1150)
*
Eustace IV (
1151-
1153)
*
William of Blois (
1153-
1159) (also
Earl of Surrey)
*
Marie (
1159-
1170)
**
Matthew I (
1160-
1173)
*
Ida (
1173-
1216)
**Matthew II (
1173-
1180)
**Gerard (
1181-
1182)
**Berthold (
1183-
1186)
**
Renaud (
1190-
1216)
*
Matilda II (
1216- c.
1260)
**
Philip Hurepel (also
Count of Clermont-en-Beauvaisis) (
1223-
1235)
**
Alphonse (
1235-
1253)
*Adelaide of
Brabant (c.
1260-
1261) (daughter of Matilda of Boulogne and her husband
Henry I, Duke of Brabant)
*Robert V of Auvergne (
1261-
1277)
*Robert VI of Auvergne (
1277-
1314)
*Robert VII of Auvergne (
1314-
1325)
*William XII of Auvergne (
1325-
1332)
*Joanna I of Auvergne (
1332-
1360)
**
Philip of Burgundy (
1338-
1346)
**
John II of France (
1350-
1360)
*
Philip (
1360-
1361) (also
Duke of Burgundy)
*John I of Auvergne (
1361-
1386)
*John II of Auvergne (
1386-
1404)
*Joanna II of Auvergne (
1404-
1424)
**John I of Berry (
1404-
1416)
**George of La Tremoille (
1416-
1424)
*Marie I of Auvergne (
1424-
1437)
*Bertrand V of La Tour (
1437-
1461)
*Bertrand VI of La Tour (
1461-
1497)
