Eustace II, Count of Boulogne
Eustace II, Count of Boulogne | |
|---|---|
Eustace I of Boulogne | |
| Mother | Matilda of Louvain |
Eustace II, (c. 1015 – c. 1087), also known as Eustace aux Grenons ("Eustace with long moustaches"),
Origins
Eustace was the son of
Career
In 1048 Eustace joined his father-in-law's rebellion against the Emperor
Eustace visited
The following years saw still further advances by Eustace's rivals and enemies. Count Baldwin of Flanders consolidated his hold over territories he had annexed to the east. In 1060 he became tutor of his nephew King
Battle of Hastings
These events evidently caused a shift in Eustace's political allegiances, for he then became an important participant in the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. He fought at Hastings, although sources vary regarding the details of his conduct during the battle. The contemporary chronicler William of Poitiers wrote concerning him:
With a harsh voice he [Duke William] called to Eustace of Boulogne, who with 50 knights was turning in flight and was about to give the signal for retreat. This man came up to the Duke and said in his ear that he ought to retire since he would court death if he went forward. But at the very moment when he uttered the words Eustace was struck between the shoulders with such force that blood gushed out from his mouth and nose and half dead he only made his escape with the aid of his followers.[11]
The depiction in the Bayeux Tapestry shows a knight carrying a banner who rides up to Duke William and points excitedly with his finger towards the rear of the Norman advance. William turns his head and lifts up his visor to show his knights following him that he is still alive and determined to fight on. This conforms therefore with Eustace having somewhat lost his nerve and having urged the Duke to retreat while the Battle was at its height with the outcome still uncertain. Other sources suggest that Eustace was present with William at the Malfosse incident in the immediate aftermath of the battle, where a Saxon feigning death leapt up and attacked him, and was presumably cut down before he could reach William.
Eustace received large land grants afterwards, which suggests he contributed in other ways as well, perhaps by providing ships.
Rebellion
In the following year, probably because he was dissatisfied with his share of the spoil, he assisted the Kentishmen in an attempt to seize Dover Castle. The conspiracy failed, and Eustace was sentenced to forfeit his English fiefs. Subsequently, he was reconciled to the Conqueror, who restored a portion of the confiscated lands.[10]
Death
Eustace died circa 1087, and was succeeded by his son,
Marriage and progeny
Eustace married twice:
- Firstly to
- Secondly in about 1049,Godfrey III, Duke of Lower Lorraine. Eustace and Ida had three sons:
- Eustace III, Count of Boulogne[13]
- Godfrey of Bouillon, Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem[13]
- Baldwin I of Jerusalem, King of Jerusalem[13]
By his second wife, Eustace may also have had a daughter, Ida, wife of Conon, Count of Montaigu.
Eustace also had a son, Geoffrey fitz Eustace, who married Beatrice de Mandeville, daughter of Geoffrey de Mandeville. Geoffrey and Beatrice were parents of William de Boulogne and grandparents of William's son Faramus de Boulogne.
Cinematic depictions
Eustace has been portrayed on screen by Leslie Bradley in the film Lady Godiva of Coventry (1955) and by Joby Blanshard in the two-part BBC TV play Conquest (1966), part of the series Theatre 625.
See also
- Algernon
Notes
References
 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (December 2019) |
- ^ Tanner, Heather. "The Expansion of the Power and Influence of the Counts of Boulogne under Eustace II". Anglo-Norman Studies 14: 251–277.
- ISBN 0-226-16774-7.
- ^ a b c Heather J. Tanner, 'Eustace (II), count of Boulogne (d. c.1087)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004.
- ^ Bridgeford
- ^ Tanner 1992, p. 255.
- ^ Tanner 2004, p. 86.
- ^ Murray 2000, p. 156, 163.
- ^ Tanner 263
- ^ a b Williams 1997, p. 15.
- ^ a b One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Eustace s.v. Eustace II.". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 9 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 956.
- ^ Wm. of Poitiers, per Douglas, David C. & Greenaway, George W. (Eds.) English Historical Documents 1042–1189, London, 1959. "William of Poitiers: the Deeds of William, Duke of the Normans and King of the English", pp. 217–232 (pp.228–9) & "The Bayeux Tapestry", pp. 232–279. Douglas (1959),
- Ordericus Vitalis(1854). The Ecclesiastical History of England and Normandy, Vol II. Thomas Forester (trans). London: H.G. Bohn. pp. 12, footnote.
- ^ a b c Murray 2000, p. 6.
Sources
- Bridgeford, Andrew (1999). "Was Count Eustace II of Boulogne the patron of the Bayeux Tapestry?". Journal of Medieval History. 25 (3): 155–185. ISBN 1-84115-040-1.; Bridgeford, Andrew (2004). "Whose Tapestry is it Anyway?". History Today. 54.
- Murray, Alan V. (2000). The Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem: A Dynastic History 1099-1125. Prosopographica et Genealogica.
- Tanner, Heather (1992). "The Expansion of the Power and Influence of the Counts of Boulogne under Eustace II". Anglo-Norman Studies. 14: 251–277.
- Tanner, Heather (2004). Families, Friends and Allies: Boulogne and Politics in Northern France and England, c.879-1160. Brill.
- H. G. Bohn. pp. 12, footnote.
- ISBN 0-89870-843-5.
- )
- Williams, Ann (1997). The English and the Norman Conquest. Boydell Press.
