Biography of Eleanor "Fair Maid of Britanny" 4th Countess of Richmond 1184-1241

Paternal Family Tree: Anjou aka Plantagenet

Maternal Family Tree: Adela Valois Countess Blois and Vermandois

On 20 Aug 122 Eleanor Fair Maid of Brittany was moved to Marlborough Castle [Map] where she remained until 09 Oct 1223.

On 20 Feb 1171 [her grandfather] Conan "The Young" Penthièvre IV Duke Brittany (age 33) died. His daughter [her mother] Constance Penthièvre Duchess Brittany (age 10) succeeded Duchess Brittany, 3rd Countess Richmond.

In Jul 1181 [her father] Geoffrey Plantagenet 2nd Duke Brittany (age 22) and [her mother] Constance Penthièvre Duchess Brittany (age 20) were married. She by marriage Duchess Brittany. He by marriage Duke Brittany. She the daughter of Conan "The Young" Penthièvre IV Duke Brittany and Margaret Dunkeld Duchess Brittany (age 36). He the son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England (age 48) and Eleanor of Aquitaine Queen Consort Franks and England (age 59). They were half second cousin once removed. She a great x 2 granddaughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England.

In 1184 Eleanor "Fair Maid of Britanny" 4th Countess of Richmond was born to Geoffrey Plantagenet 2nd Duke Brittany (age 25) and Constance Penthièvre Duchess Brittany (age 23) at Bristol Castle, Gloucestershire [Map]. She a granddaughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.

On 19 Aug 1186 [her father] Geoffrey Plantagenet 2nd Duke Brittany (age 27) died at Paris [Map].

In 1188 [her step-father] Ranulf de Blondeville Gernon 6th Earl Chester 1st Earl Lincoln (age 18) and [her mother] Constance Penthièvre Duchess Brittany (age 27) were married. She by marriage Countess Chester. She the daughter of Conan "The Young" Penthièvre IV Duke Brittany and Margaret Dunkeld Duchess Brittany (age 43). He the son of Hugh de Kevelioc Gernon 5th Earl Chester and Bertrade Montfort Countess Chester. They were half third cousins. He a great x 2 grandson of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England. She a great x 2 granddaughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England.

In 1193 Eleanor "Fair Maid of Britanny" 4th Countess of Richmond (age 9) was engaged to Duke Frederick I of Austria (age 18), son of Leopold V Duke of Austria (age 36). Leopold had imprisoned [her uncle] King Richard (age 35) when he was returning from the crusade. Leopold demanded the marriage of King Richard's niece Eleanor (age 9) to his son Frederick (age 18), as part of the ransom for Richard's (age 35) release. Leopold V Duke of Austria (age 36) died the following year so the marriage didn't take place. Eleanor "Fair Maid of Britanny" 4th Countess of Richmond (age 9) was travelling to Austria, accompanied by Baldwin Béthune Count Aumale (age 35), when Leopold died. She returned with her grandmother [her grandmother] Eleanor of Aquitaine Queen Consort Franks and England (age 71).

Around Jul 1195 King Philip II of France (age 29) proposed Eleanor "Fair Maid of Britanny" 4th Countess of Richmond (age 11) marry his son Louis "Lion" VIII King France (age 7) as part of peace negotiations with [her uncle] King Richard "Lionheart" I of England (age 37).

Death of Richard I

                    On 06 Apr 1199 [her uncle] King Richard "Lionheart" I of England (age 41) was besieging Châlus Chabrol Castle, Domfront. During the course of the evening King Richard "Lionheart" I of England (age 41) was shot by a crossbow. The wound quickly became gangrenous; Richard died in the arms of his mother [her grandmother] Eleanor of Aquitaine Queen Consort Franks and England (age 77). His brother [her uncle] King John "Lackland" of England (age 32) succeeded I King England.                

                    There was a brother between Richard and John named [her father] Geoffrey Duke of Brittany who had a son [her brother] Arthur (age 12), who was around twelve, and a daughter Eleanor (age 15), who was around fifteen, whose mother was [her mother] Constance Penthièvre Duchess Brittany (age 38).                

                    King Philip II of France (age 33) had planned for Eleanor (age 15) to marry his son, probably to bring Brittany into the French Royal family, possibly to pursue a claim on England.                

                    King Philip II of France (age 33) supported Arthur's (age 12) claim to the English throne. In the resulting war Arthur (age 12) was captured, imprisoned and never seen again. Eleanor (age 15) was captured, probably around the same time as Arthur, and imprisoned, more or less, for the remainder of her life, even after King John's death through the reign of King Henry III since she represented a threat to Henry's succession.

Before 1200 [her step-father] Guy Thouars (age 60) and [her mother] Constance Penthièvre Duchess Brittany (age 38) were married. The difference in their ages was 21 years. She the daughter of Conan "The Young" Penthièvre IV Duke Brittany and Margaret Dunkeld Duchess Brittany (age 54). She a great x 2 granddaughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England.

On 05 Sep 1201 [her mother] Constance Penthièvre Duchess Brittany (age 40) died. Her son [her brother] Arthur Plantagenet 3rd Duke Brittany (age 14) succeeded 3rd Duke Brittany, 4th Earl Richmond.

Battle of Mirebeau

On 01 Aug 1202 [her uncle] King John "Lackland" of England (age 35) defeated the army of his nephew [her brother] Arthur Plantagenet 3rd Duke Brittany (age 15) and Hugh Lusignan X Count Lusignan V Count La Marche (age 19) which was besieging John's mother [her grandmother] Eleanor of Aquitaine Queen Consort Franks and England (age 80) at Mirebeau Castle. King John "Lackland" of England (age 35) took Arthur Plantagenet 3rd Duke Brittany 1187-1203's army by surprise capturing most. Arthur Plantagenet 3rd Duke Brittany (age 15) and, probably, his sister Eleanor "Fair Maid of Britanny" 4th Countess of Richmond (age 18), both of whom arguably had better claims to the throne than King John "Lackland" of England (age 35) were captured.

In 1203 [her brother] Arthur Plantagenet 3rd Duke Brittany (age 16) was murdered at Rouen, France [Map]. His half sister [her half-sister] Alix Thouars Duchess of Brittany (age 1) succeeded 5th Countess Richmond. Her half-sister Eleanor "Fair Maid of Britanny" 4th Countess of Richmond (age 19), who was imprisoned from 1202 to her death, also used the title Countess of Richmond.

In 1206 Eleanor Fair Maid of Brittany (age 22) was imprisoned at Brough Castle [Map], under the guard of Robert de Vipont Baron of Westmoreland, then at Bowes Castle, County Durham [Map], then Corfe Castle, Dorset [Map]. At Corfe Castle, Dorset [Map] she was accompanied by twenty-five French knights loyal to her. Following an attempt to escape twenty-two of the knights were starved to death.

                    Letters. 27 May 1208. Letter VII. Eleanor "Fair Maid of Britanny" 4th Countess of Richmond (age 24) to her subjects in Brittany.                

                    Eleanora, duchess of Bretagne and countess of Richmond, to her dear and faithful lords the bishops of Nantes, Vannes, and Cornwall, and to Eudo de Poule, and Geoffry Espine, and Oliver de Rugy, and Pagan de Mal-Estrail, and all other her barons and faithful subjects of Bretagne, greeting.
                
                    We give you manifold thanks concerning the things of which you have informed us, and earnestly entreat you that you, the above-named, come to England to my [her uncle] lord and uncle the king of England (age 41); and know you, certainly, that your advent will, God willing, tend to your and our great honour and convenience, and, by God's grace, to our liberation.                

                    We have spoken with our said uncle (age 41) about affording you a safe-conduct, and he is glad of your coming, and sends you his letters patent of safe-conduct; and you may all come safely by means of those letters - or as many of you as can, if all cannot come.                

                    Witness myself, at Sarum, the 27th day of May.

In 1209 William "Lion" I King Scotland (age 66) sent his two daughters Margaret Dunkeld Countess Kent (age 16) and Isabella Dunkeld Countess Norfolk (age 14) to [her uncle] King John "Lackland" of England (age 42) as hostages to keep the peace. They, Margaret and Isabella, were imprisoned with Eleanor Fair Maid of Brittany (age 25) at Corfe Castle, Dorset [Map].

On 13 Jun 1222 Eleanor Fair Maid of Brittany (age 38) was imprisoned at Gloucester Castle, Gloucestershire [Map] where she remained until 20 Jul 1223.

In Jun 1224 Eleanor Fair Maid of Brittany (age 40) was moved to Bristol Castle, Gloucestershire [Map].

On 10 Aug 1241 Eleanor "Fair Maid of Britanny" 4th Countess of Richmond (age 57) died at Bristol Castle, Gloucestershire [Map]. She was initially buried at St James Priory, Bristol [Map] then reburied at Amesbury Abbey, Wiltshire [Map].