Gaston VII, vicomte de Béarn

-http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/gascbebig.htm#GastonVIIBearndied1290
GASTON de Béarn, son of GUILLAUME [II] Vicomte de Béarn & his wife Gersende de Provence [Arag%C3%B3n] (1225-26 Apr 1290). He succeeded his father in 1229 as GASTON [VII] Vicomte de Béarn. He was defeated in 1248 by Simon de Montfort[122]. Matthew Paris records that "Guasto de Biarde" was brought to England in 1250 by Simon de Montfort and pardoned[123]. "Petronilla comitissa Bigorre et vicecomitissa Marcianensis" donated all her property inherited "ex bonis patris nostri" to "Gastoni de Bearnio et Mathe uxori vestre et filie nostre" by charter dated 1250[124]. He allied himself in [1252] with Alfonso X "el Sabio" King of Castile who revived the Castilian claim to Gascony[125]. "Gasto…vicecomes Bearnensis et de Marciano et…domina Matha uxor eiusdem" recognised the rights of "domino Eschivato…comiti Biguorre et domino Cabanasii", in accordance with "dictum vel arbitrium domini R….comitis Faxi [Fuxi]", by charter dated 16 Sep 1256[126]. "Esquivardus de Chabanes comes Biguorre et Jordanus eius frater" confirmed the grant of "totum comitatum Biguorre", which "dominus Gasto Bearnensis" had devastated and which they could not defend, to "domino Symoni…comiti Lincestrie" by charter dated 6 Aug 1261[127]. His testament is dated 21 Apr 1290[128].

m firstly MATHE [Amata] de Marsan [Mastas] daughter of BOSON de Marsan Comte de Bigorre & his wife Pétronille Comtesse de Bigorre (after 1228-[6 Feb 1270/Apr 1273]). "Petronilla comitissa Bigorre et vicecomitissa Marcianensis" donated all her property inherited "ex bonis patris nostri" to "Gastoni de Bearnio et Mathe uxori vestre et filie nostre" by charter dated 1250[129]. The testament of "domina Petronilla comitissa Bigorre", dated 1251, appointed "dominum Esquivatum nepotem meum filium filie mee domine Aalis" as her heir "in…comitatu Bigorre", and if he died childless "dominus Jordanus frater dicti domini Esquivati", failing whom "domine Mathe filie mee"[130]. "Gasto…vicecomes Bearnensis et de Marciano et…domina Matha uxor eiusdem" recognised the rights of "domino Eschivato…comiti Biguorre et domino Cabanasii", in accordance with "dictum vel arbitrium domini R….comitis Faxi [Fuxi]", by charter dated 16 Sep 1256[131]. The contract between "domini Gastonis…vicecomitis Bearnensis" and "Alfonso…regi Castellæ et dominæ Violant reginæ Castellæ…uxori" provides for the marriage between "Guillelmam filiam" of the former to "infanti domino Sancio filio" of the latter, and names "dominæ Mathæ eius uxoris", dated 6 Feb 1270[132].

m secondly (contract 2 Apr 1273) as her second husband, BEATRIX de Savoie, widow of GUIGUES Dauphin de Viennois Comte d'Albon [Bourgogne-Capet], daughter of PIERRE de Savoie [later PIERRE II Comte de Savoie] & his wife Agnès dame de Faucigny ([1237]-21 Apr 1310, bur Faucigny, Chartreuse convent of Melans). The marriage contract of "Beatrix Dalphina Viennensis domina de Fulciniaco filia quondam Dni Petri comitis Sabaudie" and "domino Gastoni vicecomiti Bearnensi" is dated 2 Apr 1273[133]. This marriage is confirmed by the agreement dated 15 Dec 1284 under which "Gastone Visconte di Bearn Signore di Montricher e Castelvecchio" and "Beatrice figlia del Conte Pietro di Savoia Dama di Faussign sua Consorte" reached agreement with "Umberto Signore di Thoire ed Anna Delfina sua Consorte" concering Comte Gaston's claim to the county of Vienne[134].

Gaston [VII] & his first wife had four children:

Gaston [VII] had five illegitimate children by unknown mistresses:

Gaston VII of Béarn

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gaston VII de Montcada (Latin: Guasto de Biarde; 1225–26 April 1290), called Froissard, was the twentieth Viscount of Béarn from 1229. He was the son and heir of William II Raymond and Garsenda, daughter of Alfonso II of Provence and Garsenda of Forcalquier.

Gaston was highly reputed as a warrior, staunch defender of the Béarnais, ally of the French, and enemy of the English. A powerful and independent figure in Gascony, he was the first major patron of the Order of the Faith and Peace. He was defeated and captured by Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, in 1248. In 1250 he was brought to England with Simon, who pardoned him there. In 1252 Gaston was allied with Alfonso X of Castile, who had laid claim to the Duchy of Gascony.

On the domestic front, Gaston issued a series of fueros, part of the Fors de Bearn, for each of the Béarnais valleys. He issued two for Aspe, one in 1247 and another in 1250.

In that same year Gaston declared his second daughter, Margaret, to be the heir of Béarn, but his third daughter and her powerful husband, Geraud VI of Armagnac, would not accept it. Towards the end of his life he reneged and declared as his heir his youngest daughter, Guillemette, but upon his death Béarn was seized by Margaret's husband, Roger-Bernard III of Foix.

[edit]Family

Between 1245 and 1250 Gaston married Mathe de Matha (or Amata of Mastas; died 1270/3), Viscountess of Marsan, daughter of Boson de Mathe, lord of Cognac, and Petronilla of Bigorre. The couple had four children, all daughters:

Constance (died 1310), succeeded in Marsan and Bigorre. Married firstly, on 23 March 1260, to the Aragonese infante Alfonso, son of James the Conqueror, who died 26 March; married secondly, on 15 May 1269, to Henry of Almaine, son of Richard of Cornwall; and married thirdly, in 1279, to Aymon II of Geneva

Margaret, succeeded in Béarn. Married, in 1252, to Roger-Bernard III de Foix

Mathe, married Geraud VI of Armagnac in 1260

Guillelme (or Guillemette; died 1309), affianced in 1270 to Sancho IV of Castile, annulled 1281; married, in 1291, to the Aragonese infante Peter (1275–1296), son of Peter the Great

Widowered, Gaston married again on 2 April 1273 to Beatrice (c. 1237–1310), daughter of Peter II of Savoy and Agnès de Faucigny, and widow of Guigues VII of Viennois

[edit]