Stephen King of England
STEPHEN OF BLOIS, Count of Boulonge, who seized upon the throne at the death of Henry 1., and was crowned by William Archbishop of Canterbury, 22 Dec. 1135, was second son of Stephen, Count of Blois, by Adela, his wife, dau. of WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR. He pretended that the deceased monarch had expressed an intention that he should follow him on the throne, and he sustained this feeble claim by the most dauntless energy and courage. At length, after many changes of fortune, Stephen having lost his son, Eustace, entered into a compact with Henry Plantagenet, son of his rival, the Empress Maud, by which it was agreed that Stephen should enjoy the throne in peace during his life, and that Henry should succeed him.
GELLO, a prince of the Northmen, who invaded Normandy under Rollo the Dane, was the first Count of Blois, being so created by Charles the Simple. He d. in 928, leaving a son,
THEOBALD 1., Count of Blois, who in. the sister of the Emperor Conrad, and was succeeded by his eldest son,
EUDES, Count of Blois, Chartres, Tourairi, Brie, and Champaigne, a turbulent noble of his time, slain at Lorraine, in 1032. He m. 1st, Emelia, dau. of the Emperor Conrad II, and 2ndIy, Matilda, dau. of Richard 1., Duke of Normandy. His eldest son,
THEOBALD II., Count of Blois, Chartres, and Tourain, was defeated and slain in battle near Tours, by Godfrey Martel, Count of Anjou, A.D. 1013 ; and as he left no issue, his inheritance delved on his brother,
STEPHEN, Count of Champaign, Blois, Chartres, and Tourain, a crusader under Godfrey de Bouillon, who fell, gallantly fighting against the Infidels, at Barnes, in 1101. He m. Adela, the favourite dau. of WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR, King of England, and had issue:
i. THEOBALD III., Count of Blois, and 3rd Count Palatine of Champaign. who m. Matilda, a German Princess, and dying in 1151, left with several daughters, of whom Alisa was third wife of Louis VII. of France, four sons, viz.
1. HENRY, Count of Champaign and Brie, a crusader, m. Mary, dau. of Louis VII., King of France, and left with a dau. Mary, m. to Baldwin, Count of Flanders, Emperor of Constantinople, two sons, viz.:
HENRY II., Palatine of Champaign and Brie, accompanied Philip Augustus and Richard Coeur de Lion, to Palestine, and was made King of Jerusalem. He d. at his palace at Acre, in 1196, leaving by Isabel, his wife, widow of Conrad, Margrave of Montferrat, two daus. ; the elder, wife of Hugh, King of Cyprus, and the younger, of Heyrard, Count of Brienne.
THEOBALD, Palatine of Champaign, m. Blanca, sister and heir of Sanctius VII., King of Navarre, and became in consequence King of that country. He d. in 1201, leaving with two daus., Blanca, wife of Odo, Duke of Meran, and Beatrice, wife of Hugh IV., Duke of Burgundy, a son and successor,
THEOBALD I., King of Navarre, and Count of Champaign, whose son, HENRY I King of Navarre, and Count of Champaign, left at his decease, in 1274, an only dau. and heiress, JOHANNA, wife of PHILIP IV., King of France.
2. THEOBALD IV, Count of Blois and Chartres, Seneschal of France; d. at the siege of Acre, 1190, leaving by Alisa, his wife, dau. of Louis VII., King of France, several children, who all d. issueless, excepting one dau., who became Countess of Blois, and m. GAUTIER, LORD of AVESNES, in Hainault, by whom she left an only dau. and heir, MARY, m. to HUGH DE CHASTILLON, Count of St. Paul.
3. Stephen, Count of Sancerre.
4. William, Cardinal Archbishop of Rheims.
ii. STEPHEN, Count of Bullogne and Mortaign, KING of ENGLAND.
iii. Humbert, Count of Vertus.
iv. Henry, Bishop of Vicester.
i. Maud, m. Richard de Abrineis, Earl of Chester, only son of Hugh Lupus, but d.s.p. Maud and her husband, were amongst the victims of the memorable shipwreck, wherein the king’s sons William and Richard, perished.
Stephen, King of England, m. Maud, dau. of Eustace, Count of Boulogne, by Mary, his wife, dau. of Malcolm III., King of Scotland, and his Queen Margaret, the heiress of the Saxon Royal Line. Of this alliance there was issue, two sons and a dau., viz.:
EUSTACE, Count of Boulogne, m. Constace, dau. of Louis VI., King of France, but dsp. in 1152.
William, also d.s.p.
Mary, who m. Matthew, son of Theodoric of Alsatia Count of Flanders, and left a dau. Ida, Countess of Boulogne, who m. four times. 1st, Matthew of Tuilli ; 2ndly, Erchard, Count of Gelders; 3rdly, Berthold, Duke of Zarengen; and 4thly, Reinald, of Dammartin.